The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 630 Reconciliation
We've messed up our children's education. We've taught them that the only way to succeed is to make a lot of money.

But now we complain that they're killing each other for jewelry, drugs, and money, so we try to fix things after the fact. Where were we before?

— Charles Barkley, *The Charlie Rose Interview*, January 15, 1992.

I wish every child could be like me, but they can't; they need an education and a job.

People think that the life of an NBA player is all about money, cars, and being on TV every day, but you have to understand, I didn't wake up in the morning and immediately become Charles Barkley.

To become Barkley, I have so much to do.

— Charles Barkley, Arizona Republic, February 7, 1991.

Charles Barkley's popularity soared again after winning the All-Star Game MVP award.

This outspoken man is loved by many fans and sought after by many media outlets, and there is no end to the topics surrounding him.

Phoenix is ​​a perfect city for him. It's sunny, it's a great place to play offensive basketball, and it's not as conservative and dull as Washington. Here, he can speak his mind freely and without restraint.

The Suns have had a pretty good year, and they are closing in on the Los Angeles Lakers in terms of record.

Since the Trail Blazers, Lakers, and Suns are all in the Pacific Division, according to the divisional ranking rules, the Trail Blazers are unlikely to be able to compete for the first place, and the second place will have to be given up.

Therefore, the Lakers and Suns need to fight hard for the third seed in the West to avoid falling to fourth and facing the Trail Blazers in the semifinals.

Charles Barkley famously declared after the All-Star break, "Our goal is to be number one in the West, number one in the league, not to fight for third place. Who the hell comes to the NBA to fight for third place?"

Of course, after saying that, Barkley changed his tune again when facing Forrest Gump, saying, "Dude, I was just bragging, don't take it to heart. We probably won't be able to catch up with the Trail Blazers."

Gan Guoyang didn't argue with Barkley. He knew that was just how Barkley was—he was a braggart who didn't keep his mouth shut.

Moreover, Gan Guoyang dared not underestimate the Suns and Barkley, whose interior strength had been greatly enhanced after the trade at the beginning of the season.

Sam Bowie has been relatively low-key with the Mavericks in recent years, unlike his contemporaries such as Jordan, Gan Guoyang, and Olajuwon who have shone brightly.

However, like Sam Perkins and Stockton, he has developed considerable strength over time.

People's expectations for him have shifted from a superstar center like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to a stable defensive big man.

Sam Bowie did a pretty good job at this when he was healthy.

Arriving in the Sun, Arizona's dry weather was more conducive to his recovery from injury.

In the games leading up to the All-Star break, the Suns went on an amazing nine-game winning streak, trailing the Lakers by only half a game in the standings.

It can be said that Sam Bowie's interior defense and reliable rebounding have given the Suns the ability to compete with the top teams in the East and West.

Otherwise, the Suns' weakness in the paint will be magnified rapidly in the playoffs, whether they face the Trail Blazers or the Lakers.

The trade brought in Bowie, which strengthened the frontcourt and freed up Dan Mali on the perimeter, giving him more playing time and opportunities.

Moreover, looking at the entire league, Sam Bowie is definitely one of the few players who can go head-to-head with Forrest Gump without suffering too much of a disadvantage.

The Bulls really wanted Bowie, and Bowie had performed admirably in the Mavericks' two playoff series against the Trail Blazers in the 80s.

In some game rounds, he was even able to use his talent to suppress Forrest Gump and create opportunities for the team to win.

Psychologically, Bowie was not afraid of Forrest Gump and was able to compete with him for a whole series.

This is the reason why the Suns value him the most. With Bowie, the Suns and Barkley now have a chance to challenge the Portland Trail Blazers for the throne in the West.

The feeling of triumph that came with becoming a top team made Barkley feel like he was floating on air, and he became increasingly arrogant both on and off the court.

Barkley constantly engaged in verbal battles with all sorts of people, from Washington Bullets owner Paulin to the janitors at away games.

Given the chance, Barkley will never hold back with his sharp tongue; he will always retaliate and use harsh words to protect himself.

He's not Forrest Gump. Few people would dare attack Forrest Gump because Forrest Gump's physical attacks are too powerful, and Barkley isn't that powerful.

Barkley's behavior is more of a mental pollution issue; he engages in trash talk, spews insults at each other, and even attacks the fans on the sidelines.

After a two-day break following the All-Star Game, the Suns embarked on their Eastern Conference road trip, embarking on a week-long tour of the Northeast.

Opponents include his former team, the Washington Bullets, the Philadelphia 76ers, the New York Knicks, and the New Jersey Nets.

Barkley was determined to prove himself on the East Coast, so he went all out on this road trip.

The Suns' first game after the All-Star break was against their former team, the Bullets, in a scoring duel between Barkley and Bernard King.

Bernard King's recovery is nothing short of a medical miracle. Despite suffering a serious injury, he returned to All-Star level after several seasons of treatment and rehabilitation.

This season, after Barkley was traded to the Suns, Bernard King became the Bullets' leading scorer, averaging 28.7 points per game, once again becoming one of the league's top scorers.

Five seasons have passed since Bernard King suffered a serious injury. When he returned to the court in the 1986-1987 season, he only played seven games.

After being traded to the Washington Bullets, his scoring average dropped to 16 points per game, only higher than the year he played in Utah, and no one believed he could return to his peak.

Everyone believes that he will become increasingly older and slower due to injuries and age, and eventually become a fringe player in the league due to a lack of defensive and playmaking skills.

Unexpectedly, he recovered step by step, honed his offensive skills, protected his knees and body, and his score gradually increased from 16 points to 20 points, and then to 22 points.

Finally, at the age of 34, he returned to the All-Star team, standing on the stage of Charlotte Arena as the starting forward for the Eastern Conference.

This is a tremendous honor for Bernard King, who has been in the All-Star game for six years since his last appearance.

Bernard King was moved to tears when he received the call informing him that he had been reinstated as an Eastern Conference All-Star.

Since Larry Bird missed this All-Star Game due to a back injury, King replaced Bird as an All-Star starter.

When he stepped onto the court, the entire audience gave him the loudest applause. In a post-match interview with Bob Koster, an excited Bernard King almost announced his retirement on the spot.

But he held back; he didn't want to make a shocking decision on such a joyous occasion. Later, he told Forrest Gump about it, and Forrest asked him if he wanted to play for the Trail Blazers next season. The Trail Blazers needed veterans, and they could win a championship together.

Bernard King thought for a moment and then declined, saying, "I've already climbed my Mount Everest, I don't need to chase championships. Thank you for your kind offer, Sonny."

Bernard King continued to enjoy his NBA career with this mindset, and the Bullets' first game after the All-Star break was against his former team, the New York Knicks.

Jin called his parents, bought them tickets, and asked them to come and watch his game.

The two teams were evenly matched, but Bernard King came out firing in the fourth quarter, scoring 23 points in the quarter and 49 points in total, helping the Bullets defeat the Knicks, who had Ewing and Oakley.

In front of his hometown fans and the Knicks who had abandoned him, Bernard King proved himself again, pumping his fist every time he scored in the fourth quarter.

However, he wasn't trying to humiliate New York fans or prove the Knicks wrong; he simply wanted to declare, "I did it, I've come back from a devastating injury."

Instead of booing Bernard King, Knicks fans stood up and cheered in the fourth quarter, applauding the veteran who had risen from the ashes.

After winning this important game, King returned to Washington with the Bullets to face the wrath of the Phoenix Suns and Charles Barkley.

Barkley's mentality is clearly different from King's. He doesn't have the ups and downs that Bernard King has experienced, and he's not old enough to see through or understand many things.

His departure from Bulletin, like Monroe's departure years ago, was quite unpleasant. This was his first return to Washington, so a war of words was inevitable.

During the game, the fans in the arena kept booing, but Barkley did not back down. He scored like crazy while exchanging insults with the fans in the front row.

Bernard King kindly reminded Barkley, "Relax a bit, Charles, don't be so confrontational."

Barkley retorted, "You want me to relax? Then why did you score 49 points? I wanted to score 50!" The Suns were clearly superior to the Bullets, and Barkley unleashed his full potential.

He scored 47 points and grabbed 21 rebounds in the game, defeating his former team, the Washington Bullets, with a super double-double.

When the game ended, Barkley flexed his muscles at the crowd, drawing boos from the fans.

Back in the locker room, Barkley felt a void. He sat on the bench, feeling utterly empty.

This is what he wanted: to beat the Bullets in the Capital Indoor Stadium. He did it, but why wasn't he happy?

Why did things come to this point? Why is there no sense of satisfaction from "revenge"?

Do they really have a grudge?
Barkley didn't have time to think; reporters swarmed in to interview him.

He immediately changed his tune, smugly declaring, "Leaving here was the best decision I ever made. Look at them, they don't even know how to defend."

"I don't belong here. I only like being with low-class people. This place is too high and mighty, and bullets are flying everywhere every day."

Barkley put up incredible stats to win the game, and then unleashed a torrent of post-game comments, making it seem like he'd won.

Barkley then led the Suns to consecutive victories against the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks, extending their winning streak to 11 games.

In their fourth game, they traveled to New Jersey to face the Nets, with Barkley eager to continue their winning streak.

Winning this game would allow them to surpass the Los Angeles Lakers, move into second place in the Western Conference, rank third overall, and challenge the Trail Blazers for first place.

However, the Suns have had a very tough time in these games; none of them have been easy, and every game has been a hard-fought battle.

After all, the All-Star Game gave all the teams a chance to rest and prepare for the playoffs, and everyone will do their best to defend their home court.

The Suns' long journey and away games greatly affected their physical condition and form, especially in the final game against the Nets, where the Suns players were quite exhausted.

Because the Suns are stronger than the Nets overall, the two teams played a very close game with the score remaining very tight.

Barkley had a busy night, scoring and rebounding high once again, while also arguing and shouting at New Jersey fans on the sidelines from start to finish.

The game went into overtime. The Suns were exhausted, but Barkley was fighting hard to keep them going. He was determined to win this game.

Derrick Coleman stepped up to the free-throw line and made the shot, while Barkley continued his verbal sparring with Nets fans on the sidelines.

Barkley, who had been running and fighting for more than two hours, felt his mouth was full of mucus, a sign of great physical exhaustion.

On a football field where players are constantly running, it is common to see them spitting on the ground, often in the latter half of the game when they are exhausted.

Barkley gathered the saliva in his mouth and then spat it out of bounds—he thought he spat it onto the floor.

However, the vomit landed directly in the face of an 8-year-old girl named Lauren Rose, who was watching the game with her family.

The girl's father was furious. He went to the sidelines and yelled at Barkley, accusing him of spitting on his daughter.

Many fans at the scene witnessed this and began to condemn Barkley for spitting on a little girl.

Many people were also worried that the girl might get AIDS—at the time, Americans were quite ignorant about AIDS and believed that the disease could be transmitted through saliva.

Barkley initially thought it was another Nets fan provoking him, but when he saw the girl covered in his spit, he realized he had made a mistake.

The referee intervened in the conflict and, after understanding what had happened, ejected Barkley from the court.

Barkley tried to apologize to the girl, but he was stopped and met with a chorus of boos from the crowd.

This time, Barkley didn't flex his muscles at the fans; instead, he quietly left through the player tunnel and returned to the locker room.

Because of this incident, the Suns lost the game, and afterwards, the Suns players all went up to apologize to the girl.

But the matter was far from over. After the game, Barkley was fined $10000 by the league and suspended for one game.

Because of this suspension, Barkley will also lose a prize money from the game.

Of course, money is a minor issue for Barkley; he has plenty of opportunities to make money.

The real problem is that his actions this time have thoroughly angered the public and the media.

Not only in New Jersey, but across the United States, a barrage of criticism against Charles Barkley began.

This is a total outburst of all the previous negative energy. If nothing goes wrong, all will be well. But once a major scandal occurs, all the past minor scandals will be dug up and repeatedly rubbed into the past.

For example, Barkley once said after a game, "If I lose a game, I'll go home and beat my wife and kids. Did you see my wife dancing around after the game? She was happy. I won't beat her tonight."

It was a joke, but it wasn't funny. His words caused a huge uproar, and women's groups were extremely angry about his remarks.

Women's organizations in the Washington, D.C. area took the lead in demanding a public apology from him, and the Los Angeles Anti-Domestic Violence Commission also condemned his remarks. Many women's organizations launched protests outside the game venue.

Barkley apologized, but he was able to argue that he was just joking and that he would never hit his wife, and that was the end of it.

Now, similar stains are being dug up to prove that Barkley is a violent scumbag who disrespects women and children.

Worse still, Barkley had no chance to fight back this time. Spitting at an 8-year-old girl is undeniably a bad thing. Just like a man who goes to a prostitute might evoke some sympathy and understanding, but if you go to a man's place or are even prostituted by a man, then you can't clear your name no matter what.

In his hotel room, Barkley sat on his bed, overwhelmed by the barrage of negative public opinion, and he was on the verge of tears.

Back in Phoenix, Barkley secluded himself at home to reflect on his actions, with his wife Maureen by his side. Maureen told Barkley that she had also been humiliated by others at the bar, who called her "the nigger's lover."

All of this caused Barkley to break down. The huge public opinion crisis made him upset, and all the verbal debts he had incurred in the past were now being suppressed because of verbal abuse.

Just then, Barkley's good friend Forrest called. When the call connected, Gan Guoyang's cursing voice came through: "Charles, slap yourself three times first, and shut your mouth!"

Barkley actually slapped himself and asked, "What am I going to do, Forrest Gump?"

Gan Guoyang said, “Charles, you’re a smart man. I think you know what to do. A sincere apology isn’t difficult. What’s difficult is making real changes. Otherwise, you’ll hurt your family one day. You need to be a mature father, Charles. Sometimes you need to learn to reconcile. Only by reconciling with the past can you fight for the present and the future.”

Gan Guoyang's words calmed Barkley down. Forrest Gump was right; he needed to sincerely apologize and make changes.

After hanging up the phone, Barkley sat on the bed and thought for a long time.

He thought of his uncle, Simon Barkley, who had been terminally ill with cancer just over a month earlier.

When Barkley went to see Simon, Simon hoped that Barkley would reconcile with his father.

Simon always regarded Barkley as his own child, after both of his children, whom he had in his youth, died young.

However, Barkley did not agree, and Simon told him, "It's time to forget the past, because you never know what will happen in life."

Two weeks after making these remarks, Simon Barkley died at the age of 55.

Now, Barkley kept replaying his uncle and Forrest's words in his mind, and he made a decision.

He told his wife, Maureen, "Maureen, I've decided to forgive my father."

Barkley then decided to personally call Lauren Rose to express his apology and appear on a television program to apologize and clarify the situation.

He wants to make a change.

(End of this chapter)