The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 646 Continue Sleeping

As May approaches and summer draws near, Portland is finally about to enter a dry season.

In late spring and early summer, the weather becomes exceptionally good. People are no longer confined indoors by continuous rain, and evenings become a great time to go out drinking, picking up girls, and having fun.

Charles Barkley and his Phoenix Suns teammates flew to Portland two days early to practice after the series against the Golden State Warriors, preparing for the 1991 Western Conference Finals.

In the past, when Barkley came to Portland to play, he would always find Forrest Gump to have a drink, eat something, chat, catch up, have some fun together, or visit his family.

But not this time, because Barkley knew that the Western Conference Finals would be his showdown with Forrest Gump this season, and he didn't want their friendship to interfere with the game before the outcome was decided.

In the afternoon, after finishing practice at the training facility, Barkley went to a bar downtown to relax and watch the Eastern Conference Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons.

Tomorrow night, the Suns will begin their battle with the Trail Blazers at Memorial Arena, with Barkley eager to defeat Forrest Gump and then reunite with Jordan in the Finals.

No matter which city in the United States, Barkley is a celebrity. Many people recognize him, greet him, and exchange a few jokes.

Barkley would respond, but if someone brought up Forrest Gump to talk about him, Barkley might not take it lying down; he'd roll his eyes or retort.

Soon a pretty girl came over and started chatting with Barkley. At first, Barkley was a little wary, but he quickly relaxed and started flirting with the girl.

The atmosphere grew increasingly ambiguous. Barkley could sense that the girl was interested in him, and tonight might be his chance for a one-night stand.

Unlike Forrest Gump, even after getting married, having children, and taking responsibility for his family, Barkley still couldn't resist having affairs.

For a testosterone-fueled Black player like him, controlling his lower body is just as difficult and impossible as controlling his big mouth.

Barkley was completely unaware that a man named James Carter was keeping a close eye on the situation not far away.

The man was very upset because the girl who hit on Barkley was the one he liked. He was 25 years old, a veteran, a graduate of the University of Portland, and had just returned from the Middle East.

He was with his friend Bob Trenet, and he had planned to confess his feelings to the girl after he returned from the military, but he saw her flirting with a basketball player at a bar.

Around midnight, Barkley and the girl left the bar together; they were going to their next destination for a private date.

James Carter ordered several bottles of beer and drank them one after another, his mind filled with images of the girl and Barkley in bed.

Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer. After finishing his last drink, he said to his friend Bob Trenet, "Let's go settle the score with him. Don't worry, I won't fight him, but I can't just stand by and watch."

The girl's name was Lee-Anne, and she was of Asian descent. She went to several bars with Barkley, where they drank, chatted, and joked.

As they were leaving a bar, they ran into James Carter and his friends, who were already drunk and unhappy.

Carter stopped Barkley and Lee-Anne and started yelling at them, saying offensive and racially abusive things.

He also loudly asked Lee-Anne if she was going to have sex with Barkley, and joked about their height difference.

It was clear that James Carter was both drunk and emotionally unstable; Barkley had no idea he had just returned from the Middle East.

He initially wanted to restrain himself and leave with Lee Annie, but when James Carter said, "Fuck you, Charles Barkley, you're the worst player in the NBA!"

Then, as he continued to utter some insulting words, Barkley finally couldn't take it anymore. He had also drunk quite a bit of alcohol and felt unbearably hot all over.

On the street, Barkley took off his jacket and pants, leaving him in only shorts and socks, and then struck a pose reminiscent of Bruce Lee's character in the movie "Enter the Dragon".

Because there were three people on the other side, Barkley grabbed a triangular parking sign from the roadside as a weapon, intending to hit each of them.

Two of the three stepped back, not wanting to get into a physical altercation with a strong man like Barkley. Only James Carter raised his fist, ready to take on Barkley.

He was shouting, "Come on, you damned Iraqis, come on!"

As a result, Barkley actually rushed forward and landed a beautiful left hook, punching James Carter right in the nose.

The intoxicated James Carter was slow to react. After being knocked down, he lay bleeding on the ground, muttering, "Damn it, you actually hit me..."

Barkley roared, "Of course I'm going to beat you up! If you want to keep going, I'll keep beating you!"

Soon, Bob Trenet and others called the police and took James Carter to a nearby hospital for treatment.

With a broken nose and facial injuries, Charles Barkley will face charges of intentional assault.

Police quickly arrived at the scene, took Barkley back to the police station, and detained him.

Barkley has taken prison photos again; I've lost count of how many times this has happened.

He just apologized to the whole country for spitting last time, and he may have to apologize again soon.

He needs to find a way out before that, as he has the Western Conference Finals match tomorrow.

Once he sobered up at the police station, he was filled with remorse and immediately called his lawyer for advice. If the other party appealed, Barkley could face up to nine months in prison.

"Nine months? The Western Conference Finals are already over, it'll be next season soon!"

Since the lawyer couldn't come to Portland immediately, Barkley thought it over and decided to call Forrest Gump and ask him to come to the police station to bail him out.

Gan Guoyang was woken up by a phone call. He had been sleeping alone because his wife was pregnant. He answered the phone while suppressing his anger. After hearing that Barkley had committed the crime, he cursed Barkley over the phone. Then he got up, dressed, woke up Quentin, and drove him to the Portland Police Department to bail him out.

Gan Guoyang posted $500 bail for Barkley and spoke with the Portland Police Chief. Barkley was originally scheduled to be released in the morning, but he was released immediately because of Gan's arrival.

On the way, Gan Guoyang learned what had happened from Barkley. Barkley explained in great detail why he hit the person and what the other people had said.

Gan Guoyang frowned and asked, "Charles, you already have a family and children, why are you still out drinking with other women?"

Barkley said, "I was just drinking with her! Those bastards thought I was going to sleep with her. My God, I'm not that kind of person."

Gan Guoyang didn't believe Barkley's nonsense at all, saying, "The Western Conference Finals are just around the corner, and you're so confident that you can't rest properly? You think you can beat me? I should just leave you in the police station so you can't play and I won't beat you too badly!"

Barkley shrugged and said, "I just want to relax a little. I've been training really hard these past two days, and it won't affect my performance in the game."

"And let me ask you, if you're going to fight, why did you take off all your clothes? Are you sick?" "I didn't want blood to splatter on my clothes, and it turns out I was right, I smashed his nose."

Gan Guoyang shook his head. He really couldn't do anything about a friend like that. Quentin drove Barkley to the hotel.

As he left, Barkley thanked Forrest, saying that it was thanks to him that tomorrow's game would have been a real problem.

"You think your return will make tomorrow's match less troublesome? Go back, wash up, and get some sleep. Prepare to get beaten up."

By daytime, Barkley's assault and subsequent arrest were immediately reported in the media, especially since the person he assaulted was a veteran who had returned from the Middle East.

Barkley was unaware of this, but it didn't cause much of a stir in the public eye. Firstly, people were used to Barkley doing such shameful things, and secondly, James Carter and others provoked him first by saying a lot of racist and insulting things, so they really deserved to be beaten.

It's said that James Carter said at the time, "Lee Anne, are you with Barkley because you want to know what it's like to sleep with a big black chicken?"

Then, as Barkley beat the guy up, he yelled, "This is what it feels like to sleep with a big black chicken!"

Of course, Barkley has not admitted to this; it's just a rumor.

As night approached, Barkley, now fully sober, arrived at Memorial Stadium with his teammates.

The incident before the game actually boosted the morale of the Suns. Barkley was not discouraged at all; on the contrary, he was full of fighting spirit.

"Tonight I'm going to beat Forrest Gump to a pulp!" Barkley yelled in the locker room.

After saying that, he added, "Don't tell anyone, don't tell anyone."

At 7 p.m. Pacific Time, the two teams stood on the court, and to the majestic strains of "Sunrise," Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers players took to the court.

Since the start of last season's playoffs, the Trail Blazers have remained undefeated at home in the playoffs, and no one has been able to breach Memorial Stadium.

The passionate Portland fans have turned this place into the best home arena in the entire NBA, and tonight they're all wearing red T-shirts, turning the entire arena into a sea of ​​red.

Team owner Tang Jianguo, wearing a red tie, sat in a prominent and eye-catching position. The camera lens would occasionally focus on him, and he held his chin high, his eyes full of pride.

Gan Guoyang's eyes showed a hint of fatigue. He hadn't slept well last night because of Barkley's situation, which might slightly affect his performance in the game.

In this playoffs, Gan Guoyang's scoring intensity was significantly lower than last season. It's not that he has regressed, but rather that the others performed better.

Gan Guoyang often passes the ball to his teammates, playing a team role and giving players like Porter, Lewis, Petrovic, and Sabonis opportunities to perform.

The Trail Blazers are brimming with talent, with every player, from starters to reserves, being an elite individual capable of leading the team.

Former Portland Trail Blazers coach Jack Ramsey once commented on a Trail Blazers game, saying, "Even without Forrest Gump, this Trail Blazers team is still a Finals-caliber team, and they have every chance to make it to the Finals."

"But with Forrest Gump, they became a true championship team, even a dynasty. He was the perfect key."

Unlike Jordan, Gan Guoyang has a very close relationship with his teammates.

Porter, Cauchy, Thompson, Curry, and others have been teammates for many years and are very good friends.

Petrovich, Sabonis, Lewis, and others all received Gan Guoyang's favor and followed his lead without question.

Other role players like Davis, Robinson, and Mark Bryant were like his juniors. For them, Forrest Gump's greatest kindness was that he never criticized them and always stood by them on contract issues, offering advice and helping them secure stable salaries, which was more important than anything else.

Of course, despite their close relationship, everyone was also intimidated by Forrest Gump. He always had very high standards on the court, and anyone who didn't play well would be reprimanded.

However, Gan Guoyang has the highest standards for himself, and leading by example is his basic behavioral standard, which he has practiced for many years. Everyone in the team admires him.

Something like what happened to Barkley could never happen to Gan Guoyang. If it did, James Carter would have been killed with a single punch.

Before the competition began, Gan Guoyang no longer led everyone in chanting "May the Bodhisattva bless us" like he did when he was younger. He became more serious and reminded everyone of the precautions to take after the competition started.

"Koch, take care of Charles. He'll be having some stamina issues tonight; he didn't sleep well. Keep him occupied, that's your job. Don't just focus on scoring."

"Arvidas, you need to connect the team's offense and keep up with the pace. The Suns play very fast, so you need to speed up the pace and not hold them back. Be decisive in your inside offense and try to take more of Sam Bowie's shot."

"Porter, you'll be the main offensive player at the start, attacking Kevin Johnson and preventing him from getting into a comfortable rhythm. I'll help you defend him."

"Reggie, you help Cosy defend Charles. Don't bother with that old devil Angie. If he nags you, I'll teach him a lesson. Don't get entangled with him."

"Pete, when you come off the bench, remember to focus on defense, keep up with the pace, and be more flexible and varied in your offense. Don't just blindly attack."

Before the game started, Gan Guoyang gave instructions and made assignments based on his understanding of the Suns, taking into account the characteristics and tasks of his teammates.

After saying that, Gan Guoyang looked at Coach Berman standing to the side and said, "Bobby, stop swearing and don't call timeouts too often, it will disrupt the rhythm."

Berman handed the tactical board he was holding to Gan Guoyang and said, "Here, the coach will make it for you, he'll make it for you!"

Gan Guoyang smiled and said, "If you want to rest, you can sit on the bench and sleep. When you wake up, you'll have won the game."

Bellman rolled his eyes at Gan Guoyang, thinking to himself that this guy was really too confident.

However, Gan Guoyang was not lying to Bellman. Tonight, the Suns were no match for the Trail Blazers, who had rested for several days and were in high spirits.

Barkley, who boasted before the game that he would beat Forrest Gump, was completely lost in the game under the double-team defense of Kersey and Lewis.

Obviously, in such an important game as the Western Conference Finals, he can't afford to cause any trouble off the court, especially since his opponent is the strongest team in the league.

Gan Guoyang's performance tonight was rather mediocre, scoring only 22 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists. He spent most of his time supporting his teammates.

The Suns' defense was somewhat ineffective against the Princeton offense, resulting in a massacre by the Trail Blazers.

The final score was 101-139. The Trail Blazers defeated the Suns by 38 points in their first game, securing their first win in the Western Conference Finals and taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

When the game entered garbage time, Gan Guoyang was substituted off the court. He told Berman, "You can continue sleeping, Bobby. It's not over yet, we've already won."

(End of this chapter)