The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 597 The Great Wall Will Never Fall

Gan Guoyang never expected that Xinhua News Agency would publish an article commenting on the incident.

The article's central idea is clear: the Detroit Pistons have repeatedly failed to learn their lesson and continue to use violent harassment tactics despite repeated warnings. Finally, Agan could no longer tolerate it and launched a self-defense counterattack against the Pistons.

Unlike the humorous and satirical sports commentary in the United States, Xinhua News Agency's articles have a strong political overtone.

Using such politically charged language in sports commentary really gives it a unique feel.

Starting in 1989, the previously recorded NBA games in China were officially switched to live broadcasts, including some regular season games, playoff games, and the entire Finals.

The NBA provided free live streaming to CCTV, broadcasting it live to television stations nationwide.

In 1990, Gan Guoyang led his team back to the finals, sparking a viewing frenzy across the country in the first summer of the 90s.

As a result, the basketball game turned into a boxing match. The CCTV director did not cut off the signal, allowing the whole country to see the power of Gan Guoyang's fists.

For a time, instead of criticizing or opposing violence on the field, people in China believed that Forrest Gump punching a foreigner was a modern-day Huo Yuanjia.

In 1983, the Hong Kong TV series "The Legendary Fok Yuen-gap" was introduced to mainland China, sparking a ratings frenzy.

The theme song of the TV series, "The Great Wall Will Never Fall," became a hit, and Forrest Gump became the Great Wall that Chinese football fans could never forget.

In short, this matter suddenly escalated to an undue level, putting considerable pressure on Gan Guoyang.

His pressure came precisely from the support from all sides, because he knew that every gift bestowed by fate came with a hidden price tag.

All favors and support must be repaid.

When political figures like Clinton and Willie Brown speak for you, it means you're bound to them on a personal level.

Clinton will almost certainly run for president in the future, and Willie Brown will also be a force to be reckoned with in San Francisco and California politics.

If they ever need you to speak out, participate in an event, or advocate for a public issue, you should at least express your opinion.

And the team owners and managers, Forrest Gump, as a ratings guarantee and box office weapon, has brought excess revenue to the entire league. When you play away games later, you will be even less likely to rest players; you must play when you need to.

As for advertising and collaborations with brands, needless to say, they will only increase and become more frequent.

And across the ocean, Xinhua News Agency is backed by the expectations and support of hundreds of millions of compatriots. Now, the restrictions on NBA players have been lifted for the Olympic basketball tournament.

As long as his health permits, Gan Guoyang will definitely join the national team and represent China in the Olympics; this is a responsibility he cannot shirk.

The greater one's ability, the wider the scope of involvement, and the deeper one's involvement in the world, the greater one's responsibility—a point that Gan Guoyang has finally come to deeply understand.

Fortunately, apart from these necessary costs, Gan Guoyang has many people around him who support him unconditionally.

His wife, father, parents-in-law, and family all stood by Gan Guoyang's side without hesitation.

Wang Fuxi immediately contacted familiar media outlets and prepared for crisis public relations.

She just didn't expect that, without any public relations efforts, so many people would step forward to support Forrest Gump.

Jordan, Jackson, Stockton, and Barkley are all good friends of Gan Guoyang, and they support him selflessly.

The entire Trail Blazers team—owner, coaches, players, staff, and Portland fans—all thought Forrest Gump played well.

These Pistons players deserve to be punished, and Forrest Gump should be penalized, but not too severely; a two-game suspension would suffice.

There are people who oppose and are hostile to Gan Guoyang, such as Detroit fans and local media, who have been making statements since morning demanding that Gan be severely punished, not only suspended but also held legally accountable and sent to jail.

In the United States, there are many people who discriminate against Asians. As a representative and symbol of yellow skin, Gan Guoyang is certainly someone that some people want to take the opportunity to bring down.

However, these voices were much smaller than those supporting Forrest Gump, and Avia's strong public relations efforts behind the scenes played a significant role in this.

In the afternoon, David Stern held a press conference at the Hyatt Hotel to announce the results of his investigation into the brawl that occurred during the finals.

Reporters packed the press conference hall to capacity, and outside the hotel, large numbers of Trail Blazers fans and Portland residents gathered.

The Portland Police Department canceled all leave for its officers, and all officers returned to duty, on standby, to prevent any violent incidents.

All of this depended on the league's punishment of Forrest Gump, which only gave Stern one night and one morning to think it over.

But that's enough, enough for Stern to make a rational decision.

Stern, unusually, showed a hint of nervousness when facing the reporters' cameras and webcams.

Stern first condemned the on-court violence, saying it was "a tragedy in the history of the NBA Finals, and basketball should not have become like this."

Stern then stated that starting next season, the league will crack down on on-court violence, strictly call fouls involving non-basketball actions, and add penalties for players' violent behavior.

Finally, regarding the punishment that everyone was most concerned about, Stern glossed over it lightly, stating that Forrest would be suspended for two games in the Finals, fined $25, and required to cover all of Isaiah Thomas's medical expenses.

The $25 fine set a new NBA record for the largest player fine, and the two-game suspension ensures the Trail Blazers won't lose their top player for too long.

The news of the punishment reached the Hyatt Hotel, where fans cheered.

A two-game suspension is indeed the best outcome. The Trail Blazers are leading 1-0, and even if they lose two games in a row, they still have a chance to fight back even if they are down 1-2.

Moreover, the Pistons have also lost Isaiah Thomas, so it's still uncertain which team is stronger.

After receiving the news, Wu Zhixiong immediately called Gan Guoyang's home to inform him of the result.

After receiving the call, Wang Fuxi relayed the news to Gan Guoyang, who was breastfeeding the baby.

"Michael, he peed, hand me the diaper... diaper, diaper! That's a napkin!"

Michael Jackson has been staying at Gan Guoyang's house for the past two days, awaiting the outcome of the punishment, and taking a break in Portland to escape the relentless pursuit of Los Angeles reporters.

The pop king has unparalleled talent and skill in music and dance, but he has absolutely no experience in raising children.

He now assists Gan Guoyang, preparing formula and handing over diapers. At noon, he tried holding the baby and his whole body stiffened like a mummy.

Upon learning that Gan Guoyang had been suspended for two games, Jackson breathed a sigh of relief, only to find that Gan Wenshan, who had just had his diaper changed, had urinated again…

"Shit, I never want to have children in my life..."

After a day of taking care of his child, Michael Jackson expressed his fear of marriage and having children.

Jackson is 32 years old this year. As a superstar, he is naturally surrounded by women, but he has never had any intention of getting married.

In the past two years, he has been very close to Lisa Presley, Elvis Presley's daughter, but Lisa is already married and has a child.

Gan Guoyang said, "I used to think the same way you did, but at some point, when you feel that there's someone in this world worth cherishing and living for, perhaps things will change a little..."

Gan Guoyang remained calm about the two-game suspension, having already prepared himself to accept any possible outcome.

However, for the Trail Blazers players, the fact that Agan only missed two games is a huge encouragement for them.

The second game between the two teams took place on June 8th at Memorial Stadium, with Forrest Gump absent from the match.

For the Pistons, Isaiah Thomas has already returned to Detroit for rehabilitation, and is reportedly trying to play in the third game.

Both teams lost key players, but the Trail Blazers still retained their complete offensive and defensive systems.

Sabonis played a crucial role in this match, proving himself to be a low-profile replacement for Gan Guoyang.

Although he doesn't have the same firepower on offense as Gan Guoyang, Sabonis' defensive range is much wider than people imagine.

Sabonis demonstrated his impact beyond offensive statistics; his pick-and-roll screens were incredibly solid, and his brilliant passing posed a significant threat.

Sabonis delivered his best playoff performance in this game, scoring 22 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, dishing out 7 assists, and blocking 3 shots.

Gan Guoyang sat on the sidelines, constantly giving Sabonis pointers on how to deal with Laimbeer and how to respond to this shameless old fox under the basket.

Trail Blazers coach Jack Ramsey was on the sidelines during the game, sitting not far from the Pistons' bench, behind Chuck Daly.

Throughout the entire game, Jack kept a close eye on Daley, making Daley feel like he had a thorn in his side the whole time, preventing him from properly directing the game.

The Trail Blazers dominated the Pistons without Thomas throughout the game, but when they needed to mount a comeback in crucial moments, the Pistons, without Thomas, were powerless to attack.

The final score was 98-104, with the Trail Blazers defeating their opponents by 6 points, winning both home games and taking a 2-0 lead in the series!

The situation looks very good for the Trail Blazers, but their real challenge lies in their next three away games in Detroit, where they will inevitably face fierce attacks from Detroit fans, especially Gan Guoyang.

On June 9th, Gan Guoyang left Portland and flew to Detroit with the entire team on a chartered plane.

The team bus at the airport was besieged by a large number of fans, and the local police force was severely insufficient.

Some extreme fans stormed the Trail Blazers' team bus, throwing stones and bricks at it.

Gan Guoyang and the people of Detroit had never gotten along. Back then, Detroit auto workers lost their jobs because of imported Japanese cars, and they took their anger out on the Chinese, mistaking them for Japanese and even killing an innocent Chinese man. In the end, the two white men were only sentenced to a few years in prison.

This feud can't be resolved; it will only deepen.

Upon arriving at the hotel, it was noted that NBA teams typically arrange their accommodations in secrecy and not disclose this information to the media.

However, as expected, the Trail Blazers' address was leaked, resulting in a large number of busybodies coming to the vicinity of the hotel to create various noises and disturb the Trail Blazers players' rest.

The Trail Blazers team didn't dare eat the food provided by the hotel. Instead, they sent someone out to order food from a Chinese restaurant and bring it over.

The team was besieged again when they took the bus to training. Local Detroit media and newspapers accused the Trail Blazers of being a butcher team.

"Forrest Gump is the League's number one killer!"

"This man who runs a funeral home is a cold-blooded and ruthless killer."

“We have reason to suspect that Forrest Gump is secretly killing people behind the scenes to make money from his family’s funeral home.”

Detroit is like another world, which is the norm in the United States. Different states have different laws and cultural environments, and the differences are huge, which the country cannot control.

Before the start of the third game, the Trail Blazers players did not get a proper rest at all. In the early hours of June 11, there was a lot of noise outside the hotel until dawn.

This resulted in the Trail Blazers players being physically and mentally exhausted during the game on the night of the 11th, and with Gan Guoyang sitting on the sidelines, the team's fighting power was severely weakened.

On the other hand, the Pistons have gradually emerged from the shadow of their crushing defeat in the first game.

To their even greater relief, Isaiah Thomas, who had received 58 stitches to his face and suffered a sunken facial bone, returned to the court in the third game after undergoing surgery. He wore a specially made mask to protect the wounds on his face.

Although Thomas's sportsmanship is questionable and his character is also questionable, he is indeed a tough guy on the court.

When Thomas entered the arena, the entire Palace of Auburn Hills erupted in a huge cheer, with applause that lasted for a long time.

In other cities, Thomas and his teammates are universally hated, but in Detroit, they are heroes.

Gan Guoyang, who remains suspended, can only sit on the sidelines, which is quite painful for him, as he is not injured but cannot fight alongside his teammates.

Back in Detroit, the Pistons, with their key players back, were in high spirits and took control of the game from the start.

Despite the pain and the risks, Thomas dribbled the ball back and forth on the court, attacking the Trail Blazers' basket with shots and drives.

The Trail Blazers are ultimately an upright team. Thomas suffered a serious injury, and no one thought of attacking his face.

If the Trail Blazers had been even slightly unscrupulous and had slammed into Thomas's face again, Thomas would have been finished for this series.

But the Trail Blazers are not the Pistons. They will fight back hard against their opponents' attacks, but they will not intentionally attack their opponents.

Despite the absence of Forrest Gump, lack of rest, playing away from home, and the return of the opponent's key player, the Trail Blazers still put up a tenacious fight.

They even took the lead at one point in the first quarter, with Jerome Kossie and Hornacek shooting exceptionally well from beyond the arc, giving the Trail Blazers a 7-point lead at the end of the first quarter.

At the start of the second quarter, Thomas, wearing a mask, led the Pistons in a counterattack. They didn't dare to use dirty tricks anymore, but instead used their excellent teamwork and tough defense to stifle the Trail Blazers.

Lacking their strongest scoring threat, the Trail Blazers' offense stalled at crucial moments, and the Pistons quickly caught up midway through the second quarter.

At this moment, Petrovic stepped up. With no one else able to score, he dared to take shots and drive hard, scoring consecutive points with the ball.

In the first half, the Trail Blazers maintained their lead over the Pistons.

However, in the third quarter, the Trail Blazers finally couldn't hold on and succumbed to the Pistons' strong overall offense and defense.

In the extremely intense Finals, the Trail Blazers, without Forrest Gump, relied too heavily on outside shooting, which led to a scoring drought in the second half.

They scored 57 points in the first half, but only managed a paltry 34 points in the second half.

They ultimately lost the game 91-101, a difference of 10 points, and the 91 points also set a new record for the Trail Blazers' lowest score in the Finals.

Throughout the game, the boos and insults directed at the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump inside the Palace of Auburn Hills never stopped.

Pistons fans on the sidelines held up many banners, hurling insults at Gan Guoyang, calling him a "butcher," a "murderer," a "warmonger," and a "murderer," among other things.

After the game, the Trail Blazers protested to the league, demanding a change of hotel.

As a result, many hotels in Detroit said they were full and could not accommodate so many people.

"You can try asking in Chicago; there should still be rooms available there, though it's a bit far away."

With other hotels refusing to provide services, the Trail Blazers had no choice but to stay at their original hotel, enduring the Pistons fans' relentless harassment throughout the night.

The good news for the Trail Blazers is that Gan Guoyang will return for Game 4, allowing both teams to compete with their full rosters.

The bad news, besides having to endure the endless harassment from Pistons fans, is that the referee for Game 4 will be Jack O'Donnell.

One of the Pistons' biggest protests after Game 1 was demanding that Earl Strom not be reassigned as the head referee for the series.

Because every time Strom officiates a game between the Trail Blazers and the Pistons, the two teams play a fierce battle, and the Pistons are always the ones getting beaten.

The Silver Top Massacre, Game 3 of the 1987 Finals, and Game 1 of this Finals were all officiated by Earl Strom.

Although Strom did manage to stop Forrest Gump from continuing his rampage by grabbing his leg during the Silver Top Massacre, it's a bit much to have him involved in every time we get beaten up, isn't it?
Moreover, everyone knows that Strom and Forrest are close friends, and it's an open secret in the industry that referees have their own likes and dislikes.

David Stern agreed to the Pistons' request, and Strom, who was originally scheduled to officiate at least two Finals games, has now had them all canceled.

After all, such a big incident happened in the first match, and Earl Strom, as the referee, cannot shirk his responsibility.

The fourth game was originally Earl Strom's job, but the referee was changed to Jack O'Donnell, who had a long-standing conflict with the Trail Blazers.

O'Donnell had a conflict with the Trail Blazers as early as 1986, mainly due to a disagreement with Drexler. After the game, Drexler refused to shake hands with O'Donnell, and the two became enemies.

In subsequent games, Jack O'Donnell would target Drexler and the Trail Blazers, further deteriorating the relationship between the two sides.

Drexler has now gone to the Miami Heat, but the conflict between O'Donnell and the Trail Blazers has not been resolved.

O'Donnell wasn't exactly friendly to Agam either – because O'Donnell and Strom had a bad relationship and the two almost never officiated the same game together.

With O'Donnell officiating Game 4 and the Trail Blazers playing away, the situation was very unfavorable for them.

As expected, Sabonis fouled out twice and had to rest shortly after the start of the first quarter, forcing Gan Guoyang to move to the center position.

However, Gan Guoyang still possesses unparalleled power when he plays center forward. There is only one way to contain him: keep him on the bench.

O'Donnell was extremely strict with physical contact calls in this game, and his calls against the Trail Blazers' interior players were harsh.

Gan Guoyang was called for three fouls in the first half, and shortly after the start of the third quarter, he was called for his fourth foul – Thomas's drive blocked Gan Guoyang's shot.

Gan Guoyang didn't understand the play and went to argue with O'Donnell. O'Donnell warned Gan Guoyang: "Control your actions and temper if you want to stay in the finals."

Bobby Bellman loudly protested against O'Donnell and gave his family a warm greeting, earning a technical foul.

Gan Guoyang had to be substituted early, which greatly boosted the morale of the Pistons. The roar of cheers was deafening at the Palace of Auburn Hills, and flags mocking Gan Guoyang continued to flutter on the sidelines.

The Pistons seized this opportunity to widen the gap, and by the time Gan Guoyang returned to the court, the Trail Blazers were already down by 11 points.

In the fourth quarter, Gan Guoyang led his team in a desperate counterattack, making this game the most intense basketball game in the finals so far.

Both sides played cleanly, relying entirely on their strength to attack. Thomas, wearing a mask, completely disregarded the wound on his face and charged into the paint with the ball.

Thomas drew a defensive foul from Gan Guoyang in a crucial play—Gan Guoyang's fifth foul—and made both free throws, giving Thomas a two-point lead.

The call on O'Donnell's foul was entirely in the gray area of ​​whether it could be called or not. Since it was called, Gan Guoyang had no complaints; that's basic professionalism for an NBA referee.

However, the next call was the most fatal. Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post and was double-teamed by three Pistons players: Dumars, Laimbeer, and Rodman rushed up to surround him.

They were precise and ruthless, using both hands and feet. Gan Guoyang was tripped by Laimbeer, and the ball was stolen by Rodman.

However, O'Donnell did not blow the whistle, believing it was a good steal, and the Pistons launched a fast break and scored, extending their lead to 4 points!
The Palace of Auburn Hills is like the boiling flames of hell, like a cauldron of boiling oil prepared by Satan.

Gan Guoyang wasn't angry. He knew he couldn't give O'Donnell another chance to call a technical foul, or he would be ejected from the game.

But Bobby Bellman couldn't resist and rushed over to greet O'Donnell's family again, resulting in a second technical foul and ejection from the game.

Finally, Adelman had to devise the Blazers' key tactics. Under immense pressure, Gan Guoyang hit a three-pointer, bringing the score to 97-98, just one point behind.

However, this one point became an insurmountable obstacle for the Trail Blazers—the team had used too many timeouts earlier and had run out of timeouts left.

The Trail Blazers had no choice but to resort to fouling tactics. Thomas made both free throws, and the Trail Blazers inbounded the ball from the backcourt. Gan Guoyang threw a super long three-pointer that swished off the rim, giving everyone at the Palace of Auburn Hills a cold sweat.

The Pistons won Game 4 97-100, tying the Finals series at 2-2.

After the game, Isaiah Thomas took off his mask and proudly told reporters, "It feels so good to have come out of the tough times and to continue the Finals in Detroit!"

The 2-3-2 format of the Finals helped the Trail Blazers in 1986, but now it's going to help the Detroit Pistons.

甘国阳第四场复出拿下30分17个篮板7次助攻2次盖帽，5次犯规无疑影响了他的发挥。

Bobby Berman was ejected from the game for his lack of composure, leaving the team without a head coach to direct the team in the final moments.

Back in the locker room, Berman apologized to everyone, saying that he had been too impulsive and ruined the victory.

Gan Guoyang said, "Even if you were here, you couldn't have devised a better tactic than Rick. It's not your fault, Bobby."

"I have some bad news for everyone. We will have to play Game 5 at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons have not lost a game at the Palace of Auburn Hills in this year's playoffs."

"I have another piece of good news for everyone. Games 6 and 7 will both be played in Portland. We haven't lost a game in Portland either, so we still have the advantage."

Gan Guoyang's words put everyone at ease.

But he knew in his heart that the so-called undefeated record was of no reference value.

Game 5 is likely to be the decisive battle in the series, and we must win it.

Although the Trail Blazers suffered a heartbreaking defeat in Game 4 because of O'Donnell, he certainly won't be the referee for Game 5.

The real issue now isn't the referees, but that the Trail Blazers need to rest and get back to their best form.

For the past few days, Detroit fans have been harassing Trail Blazers players near their hotel like crazy, and the local police department has done nothing despite the police being called.

Just as the Trail Blazers players were looking worried, Gan Guoyang received a phone call after returning to the hotel. It was from his father-in-law, Wang Zhengmin.

He learned about the situation from his daughter and said he was taking steps to resolve the issue.

"Dad, how do you plan to handle this? Don't do anything rash."

"You're so happy, son-in-law! I'm here today. Starting yesterday, all of us Chinese guys from several big cities... we're heading to Detroit! We'll clear the area for you, making sure the area around your hotel is quiet and peaceful, so you can sleep soundly!"

Just as Wang Zhengmin predicted, over the next two days, a large number of Asian faces wearing black jackets began to appear around the Trail Blazers Hotel at night.

They went in groups, beating, throwing sticks, and splashing feces at Pistons fans who were harassing Trail Blazers players near the hotel, driving away these white Detroit residents.

As soon as the police arrived, they scattered like birds and beasts, getting into special vehicles and fleeing.

Even if one or two people get caught, at worst they'll spend a couple of days in the police station; it's a trivial matter.

These actions were effective, allowing the Trail Blazers players to finally get two good nights' sleep and be fully prepared for the crucial Game 5.

This time, Gan Guoyang will use the basketball in his hand, not his fists, to teach the Pistons a lesson.

Portland's Great Wall will never fall.

(End of this chapter)