The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 572 Long River
Legends are processed material, not recorded facts.

—Harvey Allen, *Calena Chanson*

Many years later, when the obese Shawn Kemp recalled his rookie season's head-on confrontation with Forrest Gump, his long-lost face regained a long-lost luster, and his eyes gazed into the distant void, as if he had traveled back to his prime, his youthful rookie season of 1989-1990.

"That was the second time the SuperSonics and Trail Blazers faced off this season. I didn't get a chance to play the first time and could only watch from the sidelines. The Trail Blazers were very strong, and Forrest Gump was even more intimidating, but I was eager to try."

"The second time was after the All-Star Game. I had more confidence in myself because McDaniel was injured, so I started the game and went straight up against Forrest Gump. Wow, he was as strong as a steam train, a larger version of Karl Malone."

"He trash-talked me the whole game. I think it was one of my dunks at the beginning that annoyed him. He's always good at trash-talking. He told me, 'I'm the dunk king,' and 'Your dunks are like a monkey picking bananas.'"

"Back then, only Forrest Gump dared to call black players monkeys during games. It's unimaginable now."

"During halftime, Forrest Gump told me, 'It's so boring playing against you. I'm going to be using my left hand the whole time in the second half. Watch out and defend me well.'"

"Then in the second half he scored 30 points over me with his left hand. Dunks, layups, hook shots, floaters, layups, all with his left hand... I couldn't stop him at all, he was like steel, unshakeable, unstoppable."

"He completed a beautiful long-range hook shot with his left hand in the third quarter. Our defense was good, and we forced the Trail Blazers to the last second of the 24-second shot clock. The ball was finally passed to Agan, and there was no time left. Agan was just inside the three-point line, turned around, raised his leg, and completed this unsuccessful attack with a classic hook shot."

"Everyone wanted to rush to the basket for the rebound, but the ball swished through the net, and you can imagine the look of surprise in everyone's eyes. I was standing a step away from Forrest Gump, and I really wanted to say to him, 'Can you do it again? How did you make that shot?'"

"I've tried shooting like that in private, but I can't even touch the backboard."

"My ass got ripped open in Portland."

Retired Shawn Kemp recalled a game he played against Gan Guoyang during his rookie season. In his account, Gan Guoyang, as always, destroyed his opponent with dramatic methods, something he did for most of his career.

Bird and Jordan also liked to do this, to teach newcomers a lesson and let them experience the intensity of the NBA.

Unfortunately, Kemp's recollection is inaccurate; in fact, many players have incorrect memories of past matches.

In terms of data, there are always exaggerations, omissions, errors, and misattributions in terms of appearance time or number of matches.

Especially during the long regular season, it's like players and spectators shared a McDonald's meal. They might remember the taste of a particular burger, but nobody knows exactly how many fries they ate.

Regarding the match described by Kemp:

First, the game between the Trail Blazers and the SuperSonics after the All-Star break was their third meeting in the 1989-1990 season, not their second.

Secondly, McDaniel was not injured and started the game, while Shawn Kemp played 21 minutes as a backup center, guarding Forrest for a short period of time.

Third, Forrest didn't trash talk to Kemp much in this game. In fact, Forrest is different from Jordan and Bird. He doesn't have the bad habit of teaching rookies a lesson unless the rookie is asking for trouble. He will give his opponent a quick death.

Kemp was a promising newcomer, but he didn't attract Forrest's attention, and Forrest wouldn't spend the whole game trash-talking Kemp.

When Kemp recalled the game, he clearly condensed the pain he had experienced throughout his career when facing Forrest Gump into this one match.

Kemp remembered one thing correctly: Forrest Gump finished all his games in the second half with his left hand, including a buzzer-beating, long-range left-handed hook shot. That memory is accurate.

Gan Guoyang did this because he found the game against the SuperSonics somewhat boring, and Xavier McDaniel was very excited throughout the game and tried to provoke Gan.

In the second half, Forrest Gump said to McDaniel, "I'll be using my left hand for the rest of the second half. Next game we're going to Chicago, so I'm saving my right hand for Jordan. My left hand is enough to beat you."

Sean Kemp, who was standing nearby, heard these words, and after decades of memory, they became what Forrest Gump had said to him.

Gan Guoyang scored 27 points (not 30) in the second half with his left hand, bringing his total to 45 points, leading the Trail Blazers to an easy home victory over the SuperSonics and their first win since the All-Star break.

Although Kemp's memory is flawed and confused, this may be related to his long-term marijuana use, which may have damaged his brain.

But the damaged brain disrupted the fragments of memory, leaving the correct impression—Forrest Gump was dominating the league and the court in his prime during the 1989-1990 season.

Of course, reality is often not as captivating as memories. People tend to remember the exciting goals and selectively ignore the missed shots and bad mistakes, unless there are so many that you can't ignore them.

Forrest Gump was a very efficient player with very few mistakes; his efficiency on the court was two levels above his opponents.

He's not a basketball player who's always on target; there's no such player in the world. There will always be times when he misses a shot.

But whenever the game reaches a crucial point, when all the fans realize that "this shot has to go in, or we're doomed," Gan Guoyang always steps up and puts the ball in the basket.

From 1985 to 1990, he repeatedly met the expectations of his fans, and he rarely disappointed those who liked him.

This is remarkable, because for ordinary people, getting used to disappointment is a skill that must be cultivated.

In a life where things rarely go as planned, the spiritual energy generated by an athlete who always meets your expectations is immense.

“He is more than just a basketball player,” Wu Zhixiong, who spent many years in the NBA and later became a senior basketball reporter, editor-in-chief and sports biographer for ESPN, summarized: “Before him, no athlete could do what he did. He broke many business rules, broke through a lot of discrimination and racial prejudice, and became a symbol of popular culture, a spiritual totem-like athlete.”

"It's not just about wins and championships. Many people only see the surface. Wins and championships are certainly necessary, but more importantly, it's about his character, his intimacy, his reliability, his loyalty... Well... He achieved a lot, but he wasn't aloof. Instead, he was right there with the fans. Can you believe it? In a country with severe racial segregation, in a country where Asians are generally neglected, almost every teenager has a Forrest Gump poster in their study or bedroom. This is something Ali and Babe Ruth couldn't do."

"He shaped a generation of Americans' memories of basketball and victory. Everyone affectionately calls him Forrest Gump or Sonny, not by his real name."

In making this summary, Wu Zhixiong took the time back to February 15, 1990, at the Chicago Stadium.

In the player tunnel, Wu Zhixiong was trying to squeeze into the Trail Blazers' locker room to conduct a pre-game interview with Gan Guoyang.

The Trail Blazers, having just played the SuperSonics after the All-Star break, will take a day off before heading to Chicago for their second game of the season against the Bulls.

Once again, the match between Gan and Qiao was a highly anticipated one, with the away team's locker room packed to capacity, making it impossible for Wu Zhixiong to even get in.

Back in 1985, during the first Gan-Joe battle, Wu Zhixiong, then a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, conducted an exclusive interview with Gan Guoyang.

He received money from Avia and Nike to help the two companies hype up their showdown.

Now, five years later, without any media hype, the rivalry between the two teams has reached an unbelievable level of intensity.

The two Gan-Joe battles in one season, with the showdown in Chicago being the most eye-catching.

Because in Portland, the Trail Blazers, who are already the stronger team, often dominate the away Bulls, giving them no chance.

The Bulls can only put up a fight against the Trail Blazers if they return to their home base in Chicago and have the rest of their energy.

Therefore, the Gan-Joe rivalry, especially the matches in Chicago, is often the most classic, consistently producing spectacular games. Before and after the matches, countless media reporters try to get even a glimpse of the two superstars, as it guarantees high viewership and newspaper/magazine sales.

A few years ago, Wu Zhixiong got a job as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times because he was Forrest Gump's high school teammate, but his career has been limited by his profession and skin color in recent years.

Wu Zhixiong, who made his first fortune in the news industry from Forrest Gump, did not want to stop at Forrest Gump, nor did he want to always be known as "Forrest Gump's former teammate" and make a living by writing "Forrest Gump secrets".

He is ambitious and wants to become a comprehensive and in-depth sports journalist, with a full grasp of the trends in North American professional sports.

However, after several years of wandering and setbacks, he realized that apart from Forrest Gump, he had nothing to rely on.

As Forrest Gump's achievements grew, Wu Zhixiong realized that if he could delve deeper into Forrest Gump's basketball career, he would essentially grasp the pulse of the NBA's development.

So at the start of this season, Wu Zhixiong, who works for ESPN, started over as a junior reporter to continue tracking and exploring Gan Guoyang's basketball life.

However, the reputation of being a former teammate of Gan Guoyang is not so useful now, because Gan Guoyang has too many former teammates and too many people surrounding him.

Just when Wu Zhixiong was at his wit's end, he saw Coach Bellman and rushed over to greet him: "Coach! Bobby! It's me!"

Bellman glanced at Wu Zhixiong, frowned and thought for a while, then remembered that he was Wu Zhixiong, the former forward of the Beiqiao Middle School basketball team.

"Da Xiong, what are you doing in the player tunnel? Did Jerry West give you a short-term contract?"

"Don't joke around, coach. I wanted to interview Forrest Gump before the game, but I was too late and couldn't even get in."

"You should have called him in advance. I need to make an appointment to go into the locker room to discuss tactics now, otherwise the whiteboard won't be available to me," Bellman said self-deprecatingly.

"Too many people want to book, it's the same as not booking at all. Give me a message, Bobby, how about I book a post-match interview?"

"Fine, come in with me." Berman said, pulling Wu Zhixiong into the locker room. He yelled, "You bunch of locusts, get out! There are only 12 people on a team. Am I coaching a rugby team now? Make way, make way!"

As soon as Bobby Bellman arrived, the reporters began to make way, and Wu Zhixiong followed behind, finally squeezing into the center of the small away locker room.

Gan Guoyang, dressed in the Trail Blazers' black and red tracksuit, stood with his back against the locker in a relaxed and natural posture, chatting and talking with every reporter who tried to speak to him.

He knows almost every media worker. If he sees an unfamiliar face, he will take the initiative to ask who you are, which newspaper or TV station you are from, and then he will ask where the previous reporter went, how he is doing, or what so-and-so is doing, as if an acquaintance is having a casual chat with you, which can quickly get the other person into the interview mode.

His ability to control the conversation with reporters is just as good as his on-field demeanor. He has an innate sense of humor, while also possessing a dignified air, keeping the atmosphere of the conversation in just the right state.

Upon seeing Wu Zhixiong, Gan Guoyang waved to him and introduced him to everyone: "This is my high school teammate, a great forward, and my indispensable helper at the power forward position. However, after entering the NBA, he seemed to abandon me, which has led to our power forward position always being a problem, and now I have to go to the power forward position to fill the gap."

The reporters burst into laughter, while Wu Zhixiong blushed slightly, realizing that he hadn't been in much contact with Agan in the past two years.

Now he's come knocking again, clearly hoping to establish a strong and close relationship with Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang found a stool and sat down, then invited Wu Zhixiong to sit down as well. The group then chatted attentively and comfortably for a while before the match.

The conversation wasn't about Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers, but about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Gan Guoyang often uses pre- and post-match interviews to gather information about other teams in order to prepare for the game against his opponents.

Wu Zhixiong hasn't achieved anything particularly remarkable in recent years, but as a journalist, he has traveled to many cities and teams, gaining insights into the inner workings of team management, coaches, and players.

Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York were all circles that Wu Zhixiong tried to break into—but all ended in failure, and he could only remain an observer in the end.

But precisely because he is an observer, he can see things that those in power cannot, which can bring Gan Guoyang some inspiration and help.

"Phil Jackson is a strange coach. He likes to bang a hand drum before games to get the players focused."

"There's also burning sage for prayer, which seems to be a kind of Indian tribal magic ritual to cleanse impurities."

"The Bulls had a clear hierarchy, with Jordan at the very top of the pyramid. Jackson never shied away from this fact; he would tell the other players directly that Jordan was the team leader, without question or doubt."

The biggest change for the Chicago Bulls in the 1989-1990 season came from Phil Jackson.

This peculiar coach infused the Bulls and Jordan with many unique qualities.

In most basketball teams, many coaches try to establish the idea that "everything is equal for me," but in reality, everyone knows that in the sports world, in the basketball world, in the NBA, equality is a lie.

Phil Jackson confronted this lie and exposed it, telling the players that the Chicago Bulls were not pursuing equality, but victory.

To win, you need to establish an absolute core, a leader on and off the court, and that person is Jordan, with everyone else performing their respective duties according to their roles.

When Gan Guoyang heard what Wu Zhixiong and the other reporters said, he nodded, acknowledging Phil Jackson's authenticity.

At the same time, he looked at Bobby Berman, who was talking to Petrovic on the other side of the locker room, and shouted, "Bobby! Who's the boss of our team?"

Berman glanced at Gan Guoyang and said, "You're the leader of my team, Gan! Don't fucking ask such shitty questions anymore. Do you get a thrill from having a bunch of people surrounding you? You should run for president! Or become a circus clown."

Gan Guoyang said, "If I were to run for president, I would definitely ask you to be my speech reviewer, and I guarantee that your speech will be absolutely clean."

Everyone burst into laughter again, and the interview came to an end. The players were about to enter the field to warm up.

As he left the locker room, Wu Zhixiong asked Forrest Gump, "Forrest Gump, I want to write a book about you someday, to tell everyone your story, to tell those who couldn't experience your entire basketball career, that there was such an amazing basketball player."

Gan Guoyang shrugged and said, "Then you'll have to wait a very long time to finish this book. My story has only just begun."

Wu Zhixiong smiled and said, "I think so too. I will honestly record every moment. I have the patience to follow you all the way."

Wu Zhixiong was showing his loyalty to Gan Guoyang, and Gan Guoyang patted Wu Zhixiong on the shoulder, indicating that he accepted him.

As a result, Wu Zhixiong gradually became a member of Gan Guoyang's core circle, and he dedicated himself to writing a basketball biography of Gan Guoyang.

He just didn't expect that this wait would last for more than 30 years.

This river is too long.

(End of this chapter)