The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 49 Gods and Demons
On the 15th, the day of the semi-finals, it rained in San Jose in the morning, adding a touch of chill to the city.

However, this did not stop Gan Guoyang from getting up early and going out for a run with his basketball.

Since embarking on his basketball journey, Gan Guoyang has often had the ball in his hands.

I used to dribble while delivering takeout, and now I dribble while jogging in the morning to improve my ball control.

Gan Guoyang knew that he had only been playing basketball for a short time. Many black players were not much taller than the basketball when they started playing basketball, and the ball was as obedient as a dog on a leash in their hands.

Since it's already late, I definitely need to work twice as hard and make up for my lack of ball control through training, so that I can dribble more flexibly and freely.

Although he was destined to become an inside player, Gan Guoyang knew that the trend in basketball was towards blurred positions, and to become an outstanding player, he couldn't neglect any skill.

The streets of San Jose, soaked by the rain, were cold and slippery, with puddles forming on the ground. Dirty rainwater splashed to both sides as vehicles passed by, making it far from an ideal environment for dribbling.

But Gan Guoyang had to dribble the ball in these terrible conditions, dodging puddles and leaping over steps, the ball and he inseparable, never separating for a moment. (This is a fictional scene; it contains dangerous elements and is not recommended for anyone to imitate.)
The rain soaked his sports jacket and the ball, his fingers were icy cold, and there was a lot of mud and sand stuck between his fingers. The water splashed from the ball dirtied his trousers and shoes, but he didn't care and just kept his head down and moved forward.

Occasionally, when he encounters pedestrians on the street, he bends down, dribbles past them with a change of direction, which can startle people, making them think they've encountered someone with mental problems.

Gan Guoyang started from the Sheraton and headed east to San Jose State University. He then turned northwest and ran for three kilometers in one go, but the rain gradually got heavier along the way.

He had to take shelter from the rain at a nearby temple, which is not surprising given that the area is predominantly Asian, especially Japanese, in San Jose.

The young monks at the temple were also somewhat surprised to see a huge figure under the eaves. After finding out what was going on, they brought him a cup of hot water.

Gan Guoyang expressed his gratitude and then asked if there was a restroom so he could use the clean water there to wash his hands and basketball.

When he came out, he happened to meet the abbot of the temple—an old monk in his seventies. He was very surprised to see Gan Guoyang and insisted on having his face read.

Having no other choice, Gan Guoyang put down the ball and sat on the prayer mat in the main hall, letting the old monk examine his face and feel his bones. The old monk remained silent throughout, and after looking at him for a long time, he finally told Gan Guoyang to leave.

Gan Guoyang found it strange that you offered to tell my fortune but then didn't tell me the result. However, the rain had just stopped, so Gan Guoyang didn't mind. He thanked you and left.

Seeing that Gan Guoyang had left, the young monk asked the abbot what he had seen and why he hadn't said anything.

The host shook his head and said, "This person has the appearance of a god or ghost, he is no ordinary person. Heavenly secrets must not be revealed, otherwise it will bring disaster."

As he spoke, the old host took out a towel and wiped his head. In the drizzly February, a fine layer of sweat had already formed on his bald head.
-
The semi-finals were scheduled for the afternoon. The drizzling rain came and went, and the air in the Civic Auditorium was filled with the smell of rain and earth.

Although it was the Northern California Championship, which is theoretically a higher level of competition than the local league, there weren't many spectators at the game, and with the rain, there were even fewer people.

This is one of the reasons why CIF has never held a state championship in the past. Without the support of local fans and the added bonus of rivalries between local teams, even if the level of competition is higher, the appeal of such cross-regional competitions to local fans is very limited.

Gan Guoyang's influence was mainly concentrated in the San Francisco and Oakland areas; his fame was limited in San Jose.

Basketball fans here are more focused on the San Jose State Spartans.

San Jose is still considered part of the Bay Area, but outside the Bay Area, in places like Sacramento and Los Angeles, even fewer people know about it.

However, fame is built up little by little. Most heroes and great men started from humble beginnings and fought in the north and south for many years before they could establish their achievements and make a name for themselves.

Before the jump ball, Gan Guoyang looked at the short guy with his hands on his hips standing not far away—that guy was Kevin Johnson.

He's the one who gets 40 points over him.

Gan Guoyang watched his games, and he was indeed different from other players, or rather, he didn't resemble the point guards of the 1980s. He already showed the characteristics of later super point guards:

Extremely fast, able to change direction repeatedly while dribbling, prioritizes offense over passing, possesses exaggerated explosiveness and jumping ability, and can rampage through the paint like a small cannon.

In Northern California, Kevin Johnson is probably the fastest and most penetrating point guard, bar none; no one can stop him.

That's why he was confident enough to say that he could score forty points against Gan Guoyang.

However, when Kevin Johnson stepped onto the court, he stood near the center circle and looked at Gan Guoyang, who in turn looked back at him.

Gan Guoyang's gaze was calm and cold, like the winter rain, giving Kevin Johnson a chill down his spine.

He had certainly heard all the rumors about this Chinese superstar center, who dominated the San Francisco league with 41 rebounds, a single-game high of 15 blocks, superb strength and cunning defense, and a maturity far beyond that of an average high school student.

None of this intimidated Kevin Johnson; instead, it fueled his competitive spirit. Everyone said he was a good defender, but he didn't believe it and was determined to score high points against this guy.

But it wasn't until he was actually on the court that Kevin Johnson sensed the danger—an intuitive warning from the non-thinking areas of his cerebral cortex. Top athletes all possess this intuition; it's a mysterious sixth sense, lurking deep within human genes, used in the primitive era to evade wild beasts and track prey.

Modern life is mostly peaceful and tranquil, so these kinds of intuitions are often hidden. However, top athletes are often in high-speed competition and often only have 0.1 seconds to make a judgment, so they don't have time to think at all.

They must rely on muscle memory and intuition. Muscle memory comes from repeated training, while intuition comes from innate talent and the accumulation of experience.

Johnson is a promising young athlete. When he saw Gan Guoyang standing in the center circle with his tense body and meaningful look, he knew that Gan Guoyang must be being targeted in today's game.

His intuition told him he'd better stay away.

But the athlete's dignity and the desire to win led Kevin Johnson to decide to face the challenge head-on.

The game started quickly, and Gan Guoyang won possession of the ball in the jump ball, and his first point came very quickly.

He executed a screen and pick-and-roll with Chen Xing, then cut to the basket, received the ball, and drove to the basket for a layup, easily scoring two points.

After experiencing diarrhea for two days, Chen Xing finally recovered after receiving two bottles of glucose intravenously and made it to the semi-finals.

However, it wasn't Chen Xing who was guarding Kevin Johnson, but Xu Xun, the shooting guard for the Water Bell team.

In terms of talent, speed, and explosiveness, Xu Xun is no match for Kevin Johnson.

Even if he tries very hard, Kevin Johnson can easily get past him one-on-one.

With one acceleration and one change of direction, Xu Xun could only watch Kevin Johnson's dust.

But Hsu Hsun has one notable characteristic: he has a strong will. No matter how much Kevin Johnson beats him, he will try his best to maintain his defensive intensity and keep up the fight.

More importantly, Xu Xun has Gan Guoyang supporting him. Once Xu Xun is beaten, Gan Guoyang will come to help defend him.

Even if Kevin Johnson passes the ball, Gan Guoyang will still choose to help defend immediately, not caring if he has to leave his own defender behind.

Both sides started the game with fast-paced attacks. The Sacramento Dragons are known for their aggressive offense, and Kevin Johnson is the leader of this dragon.

His ball control on the field raised the pace of the game by more than one level. Teams that were slower or less physically fit would be outrun by the Dragons.

But the Waterbell team was more resilient than the Dragons had imagined. Starting in August, for a full six months, Berman subjected the players to grueling training.

Even Gan Guohui was able to lose weight and find a girlfriend, which shows how intense the training was and how physically fit the players were.

Xu Xun clung to Kevin Johnson like glue. In the first five minutes of the game, Kevin Johnson had delivered three assists, but he hadn't scored a single point himself.

Not only did he fail to score, he also got blocked twice – whenever he drove into the paint, Gan Guoyang's block would always arrive in time.

Xu Xun's persistent presence prevented Kevin Johnson from truly getting going, so rather than saying Gan Guoyang protected Xu Xun, it's more accurate to say that Xu Xun acted as a buffer for Gan Guoyang.

This was something the two of them had discussed before the game. For Gan Guoyang, knowing how to make good use of his teammates to contain the opponent is very important in basketball, a team game.

However, while Kevin Johnson was contained, the other Dragons players performed better, and Johnson also chose to help his teammates when his offense was blocked.

On the defensive end, the Dragons also resolutely double-teamed Gan Guoyang, and the scoring responsibility for the Water Bell team was handed over to Franklin, who was in his element in this fast-paced game.

中场结束的时候，双方战成了37:40，水钟队领先巨龙3分，甘国阳半场拿到7分11个篮板球外加4次封盖。

Kevin Johnson had 6 points, 7 assists, and 2 steals. Both players had well-rounded performances, but their scoring was not high.

After halftime, Gan Guoyang returned to the court and walked up to Kevin Johnson, saying, "I heard you're going to score 40 points against me?"

Kevin Johnson's eyes flickered twice, but he still stubbornly insisted, "Even if we don't score 40 points, we will still win."

Gan Guoyang laughed and said, "I have 7 points now, and you have 6. You have 6 points because you can't possibly get 40 points over me. I have 7 points because I only wanted to get 7 points in the first half."

"You're just comforting yourself."

"No, I'm just giving you a heads-up."

(End of this chapter)