The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 669
One by one, the idols who were ahead of Jordan have fallen.

Isaiah Thomas and his Pistons declined and then vanished without a trace, like snow falling in spring.

Larry Bird retired in July 1991. Age, injuries, and inaccurate shooting made him unwilling to waste any more time on the court.

But what shocked Jordan the most was Magic Johnson's retirement.

On November 7, 1991, while Jordan was training, Johnson's agent, Ron Rosen, called Tim Harlem, the Bulls' public relations director, in the morning.

Jordan quickly learned of the bad news, and the elite circle of the NBA knew even earlier that Johnson would announce his retirement that afternoon after testing positive for HIV.

Jordan was stunned. After regaining his senses, he asked, "Is he going to die?"

Johnson was Jordan's idol and basketball hero during his school days, so his retirement is so unbelievable.

An unusual NBA season has begun, with many players who have been partying secretly getting tested for HIV because they all attended parties hosted by Johnson. You never know which cloud has the virus.

Jordan was caught up in the rumors because one side of the story said that Jordan would bet with his teammates which Hollywood star he would sleep with while they played away games on the West Coast.

It is said that he won at least once, but it is unknown who he had a relationship with or how he proved it.

However, the Bulls quickly abandoned their focus on these off-court issues and devoted themselves entirely to basketball.

Because Jordan knew that no matter how many of these idols fell, there would always be someone ahead of him, and someone who would run very, very far ahead.

So far away that Jordan could barely see his back.

Krause adjusted the team's roster, trading Dennis Hopson in November for backup guard Bobby Hansen.

They were thoroughly harassed by Petrovic in the Finals and need a guard who can both create space and shoot to fill the gap in their backcourt.

The Bulls have only one goal: the Portland Trail Blazers.

The loss in June was a heavy blow for them, but it also spurred the players to continue to grow.

The Bulls received a pleasant surprise at the start of the new season: Scottie Pippen.

In the 1992 season, Jordan remained one of the two best players in the league, just like in previous seasons.

The question now is who is third? With Bird and Magic Johnson retired and Isaiah Thomas faded into obscurity, this question has come to the forefront.

Some say it's Hakeem Olajuwon, but Olajuwon hasn't made it to the second round for several seasons in a row, and his playing style has become increasingly toxic.

Some say it was Charles Barkley, who was indeed a strong contender for third place, but the Suns' performance was less than satisfactory after the start of the 1992 season.

Barkley and Bowie were both affected by injuries.

Others say it's Clyde Drexler, in his fourth season with the Heat, who needs to lead the team to the next level.

Otherwise, the three rings he acquired in Portland would become increasingly dull, their sunbeams too intense.

Bulls scout Jim Stack said, "Pippen is entering a new realm. He's very close to Jordan. Michael is an A+, and Pippen is an A, and very close."

Years later, Tex Winter looked back and pointed out that Pippen had become that kind of special player, just like Magic Johnson.

"He can make his teammates better, and I think he's better than Michael in that respect. That's my personal opinion, and sometimes—of course, not always—but there are times when Michael hurts his teammates. Pippen is different; he's completely selfless. Michael should be selfish; he's a great scorer. When Michael is in a position where he thinks he can score, most of the time he'll think about scoring, while Scottie will often give up the opportunity and let his teammates get involved."

Jordan was undoubtedly a tremendous force in basketball, but it was Pippen who learned to support and guide that force in a way that very few players could do.

Of course, the person in front of Jordan and Pippen combined the strength of both of them, like an insurmountable mountain.

The Bulls had a phenomenal start to the 1992 season, going 38-4 at one point. People thought the Bulls had a chance to reach 70 wins, surpassing the Lakers and Trail Blazers' 69 wins.

“We were on track to reach 70 wins, but then we went 6-4 on our Western tour, which was just before the All-Star break. Michael was ejected in Utah because he headbutted referee Tommy Wood.”

"Wood called a foul on Michael in the third overtime, and Michael got emotional and argued with Wood. Then they bumped heads, and Wood ejected him from the game. Then Jeff Malone hit the game-winning free throws."

Team trainer Shaffer said he also revealed that Jordan's emotions were very unstable during that period, and some off-court issues interfered with his performance, making him inconsistent.

As we all know, it was because of gambling that Charlotte Blair's affair was exposed, leading to her accidental murder. Richard Eskinaz had been demanding money from Jordan, and his reputation was in jeopardy, potentially collapsing at any moment like Magic Johnson's.

At that time, Michael needed help, help from his friends.

—Excerpt from "Michael Jordan: The Life," a biography of Michael Jordan written by Roland Lazambi, published in 2016.

In mid-February 1992, the NBA held its All-Star Weekend for the season.

Before the All-Star Game, the Trail Blazers played their final NBA regular season game at Memorial Arena – easily defeating the visiting Orlando Magic at home.

After this game, Memorial Arena will no longer host Trail Blazers games. This glass palace, built in 1960 and having accompanied Portland fans since the Trail Blazers' inception, has finally come to say goodbye to everyone.

Of course, this place will not be demolished. It will continue to host various competitions such as ice hockey and college basketball, as well as concerts, music festivals, exhibitions, and other events.

However, the Glass Palace is at its most magnificent, dazzling, and radiant only when the Trail Blazers play here.

After the game, all the Trail Blazers players stayed on the court to take photos with the arena staff.

Gan Guoyang looked up at the ceiling as the six championship banners that had been hanging high were slowly lowered and moved to the new Rose Garden Arena.

When Gan Guoyang first came here, there was only one champion banner. Without his arrival, that banner would have hung there all alone for a very long time.

Each flag represents a beautiful memory, and a beautiful memory of the memorial stadium.

Two days later, the All-Star Game's three-point contest and dunk contest were held first in the Rose Garden.

The stadium is newer and larger, capable of accommodating 20,000 fans to watch games live, greatly alleviating the problem of tickets being hard to come by in the past.

The stadium has a more modern appearance, no longer a boxy structure like the Memorial Stadium, but with a complex curved facade and curved roof.

The interior facilities are even more advanced. Tang Jianguo specially requested that more than a dozen VIP boxes be built on the roof of the stands to provide a private viewing environment for wealthy fans, businessmen and politicians.

The lighting and sound systems at the venue are state-of-the-art, providing fans with the best audio-visual experience during breaks from the game.

The home team's locker room is luxuriously decorated and fully equipped with a large-screen TV, leather sofas, a super-large refrigerator, a warm water bath, muscle relaxation therapy equipment, massage devices, and other facilities.

The players can get the best rest and care here. Tang Jianguo also provided the coaches with a full set of audio-visual equipment, including projectors, high-definition video players, computers, etc., so that the coaches can quickly analyze videos, provide data, and guide the second half of the game in the locker room.

This is the home team's locker room. There are also three away team locker rooms. The decor is naturally a bit worse than the home team's, but the basic facilities are all there. It will never be as grueling for away team players as it is at Boston Garden.

When the Trail Blazers players first visited and got acquainted with the place, everyone was a little cautious, afraid of getting it dirty or breaking anything.

"From now on, this will be your home, your temporary refuge, and your refueling station! Come on, guys, no one knows better than us how to win a championship, and this arena will definitely give us wings!"

Tang Jianguo was extremely satisfied with his new project. Having completed the project a year and a half ahead of schedule, Tang Jianguo decided to host the most magnificent and greatest All-Star game in history, to match his reputation, wealth, and the Portland Trail Blazers' current status in the league.

Magic Johnson's participation has generated a lot of buzz for this year's All-Star Game, and Tang Jianguo was not about to miss such an opportunity. He unequivocally supported Johnson's participation in the All-Star Game, stating, "We must help people living with HIV/AIDS. One day, our society will surely eliminate this terrible disease!"

Although in private Lao Tang despised these sick people and thought they were immoral, he still had to support them and say nice things to them on the surface.

One of the biggest changes in Tang Jianguo after arriving in the NBA was that he became more willing to compromise and knew how to use the art of compromise to handle problems.

After all, sparring with a master like David Stern can improve your skills very quickly.

For this All-Star game, Tang Jianguo mobilized a lot of funds and connections, using all the methods he had learned from running a casino in Atlantic City.

Beautiful women, luxury cars, hordes of performers, free shows, rock bands, movie stars, and more—all crammed into the All-Star Game.

In addition, they provided a continuous supply of drinks and seafood to the fans on site, and invited top chefs to cook various delicacies non-stop.

Fans who come to the scene will be amazed by the menu offered by the Rose Garden, and will wonder if this is a basketball arena or an international food exhibition hall.

The dunk contest and three-point contest were just appetizers. Cedric Ceballos of the Suns won the championship with a blindfolded dunk, while Bulls shooter Hodges retained his three-point contest title.

The highlight was the All-Star Game on the second day, where Magic Johnson was the absolute star of the night, even surpassing Gan Guoyang, the host.

Gan Guoyang doesn't mind being overshadowed. He overshadowed Michael Jordan back in Chicago, and Johnson is an ailing veteran.

Before the game, Johnson was very nervous. He couldn't sleep at his hotel in Portland the night before. Even though he had been playing basketball for more than ten years and had experienced countless key games, Johnson was still anxious.

He knew this All-Star game would be one of the most important games of his career; he hadn't played a professional game in four months and didn't want to embarrass himself in front of the world.

Two hours before the game started, Johnson was surrounded by reporters in the locker room, bombarded with questions, a significant portion of which concerned his health and HIV.

Johnson kept smiling, telling everyone that no matter what happened, he remained positive and optimistic, and that with the support of family and friends, he could overcome any difficulty.

Gan Guoyang, Jordan, Thomas, and others all played supporting roles tonight, and they did so willingly. Johnson deserves a retirement performance.

When the game started, Johnson made his first start for the Western Conference, and the 20000 fans in the stadium erupted in the loudest cheers and applause.

Johnson fought back tears as he walked onto the court, then embraced Isaiah Thomas. The two friends and rivals broke down their barriers.

The game started quickly, but the two sides didn't play intensely at all; the main purpose of the night was to play along with Magic Johnson.

When it comes to having fun, no one on the basketball court is better at it than Johnson, with his no-look passes, exaggerated high-leg dribbling, and all sorts of fancy layups.

Of course, Johnson's best performance tonight was his three-point shooting. This star, who was once heavily criticized for his poor shooting, has developed a decent mid-to-long-range shooting ability in the later stages of his career.

This guy may be a playboy, but he's really put a lot of effort and dedication into basketball.

The Western Conference team took an early lead, while the Eastern Conference team was just going through the motions, with Thomas, Jordan, and Pippen taking turns guarding Johnson.

Gan Guoyang also kept setting up Johnson, and together they completed pick-and-rolls and alley-oops, which earned cheers from the audience.

By the second half of the game, the Western team was already far ahead, and the outcome was no longer in doubt. Everyone else was just putting on a show to highlight the magician.

Most people's attention was focused on Johnson's fancy dribbling and unbelievable passes, and no one noticed that Gan Guoyang and Jordan had been talking since the third quarter.

They started by whispering, but gradually their conversation escalated into a heated argument while others played ball.

"You have Richard's IOU, but you didn't tell me. Why? Are you using me as leverage to threaten me? No wonder you warned me against gambling during that competition..."

“Threaten you? What do you have that I could threaten, Michael? Do I need money or a championship? Are you kidding me? I’m just reminding you, and it’s a friendly reminder.”

"You should have told me about this sooner, instead of keeping it from me all this time!"

“I also have a responsibility to Richard. He trusted me, so I should keep his secret!”

"Woh, who are you, the godfather of the Buccio family?"

"I'm your friend, Michael, but if you feel I'm not helping you, then we're no longer friends. Who do you think suppressed all the media for you? Who has been using their influence to cover for you and prevent the league from investigating this? Think about it, Michael!"

The two argued over a $120 million IOU.

Jordan didn't really mean to blame Gan Guoyang at first, but once he got angry, he couldn't control himself.

He harbored a deep resentment, a resentment that had been building up since their defeat in the 1991 finals.

Reason told him that the Bulls and he were not as skilled as the Bulls, but emotionally he felt that Forrest Gump had stolen his honor, and that they were best friends.

Jordan knew this made no sense; championships are earned through hard work. Forrest Gump and the Trail Blazers were simply stronger, and they would bring the championship back this year.

However, emotions are often uncontrollable, and Jordan rarely did.

Gan Guoyang was also very angry. He had been trying his best to do something for Jordan quietly, asking the media not to publicize it.

Gambling can be a big deal or a small deal. If you keep quiet, the public will soon forget about it, but Jordan is somewhat persistent.

The altercation between the two drew the attention of referees, players, and fans, and the refereeing association separated the two in the past.

Gan Guoyang glared at Jordan, while Jordan's gaze darted away. Neither of them spoke again until the end of the game.

Ultimately, Johnson unsurprisingly won the All-Star MVP award, delivering a truly perfect farewell performance.

His three-point shooting was impressive.

But both Gan Guoyang and Jordan were frustrated.

After returning home, late at night, Gan Guoyang received a call from Jordan.

The two hadn't spoken on the phone for a long time.

"Sorry Sonny...maybe I need your help." Jordan apologized and offered his assistance.

Gan Guoyang accepted Jordan's apology and told Jordan, "If you don't want to pay back so much money at once, you can try to gamble again to reduce the debt."

"But it will increase, my debt really is..."

"You can bet something else, or, take me with you, I'm better at golf than you."

Although Jordan was reluctant to admit it, Gan Guoyang's golf skills were truly exceptional; the saying "great effort can produce miracles" is no exaggeration.

"Don't wait any longer, it'll be in the next couple of days. Richard's in Portland, so let's call Barkley along too, he might be able to help out a bit."

(End of this chapter)