The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 694 Star

June 27, 1992, Portland, Oregon.

Two weeks after the NBA Finals ended, the banners cheering for the Trail Blazers still hang along the roads, as if people are unwilling to wake up from the wonderful dream of their second three-peat.

In the miraculous Game 5, Gan Guoyang hit a game-winning three-pointer against the Bulls, scoring 50 points in the Finals. This was a great battle destined to go down in history, setting a new NBA Finals viewership record.

Of course, this record didn't last long. Two days later, the Trail Blazers and Bulls played Game 6 in Chicago, which immediately broke the record set in Game 5.

Gan Guoyang has left another significant mark on the history of American basketball television ratings, and the title of "King of Ratings" is well-deserved.

However, the intensity and excitement of Game 6 were not as great as Game 5. One important reason for this was that Jordan was too exhausted from Game 5, which led to his less-than-ideal performance in Game 6.

In Game 5, Jordan was even more exhausted than Gan Guoyang. He handled both offense and defense, scoring 49 points on offense and guarding Gan Guoyang, who was 10 centimeters taller and weighed several tens of pounds more than him, throughout the game.

It's a miracle that he was able to stay on the court the whole time, almost making the crucial pass, and not get injured.

Expecting him to make a full recovery in the sixth game and continue to deliver a god-like performance to turn the tide is simply too difficult.

With the loss in Game 5, the Bulls' morale has been shattered, especially Pippen's missed dunk, which drew harsh criticism from the Chicago media.

Pippen not only failed to redeem himself in Game 6, but also suffered another migraine attack and left the court in the second half to return to the locker room, leaving Jordan to struggle on the court.

On the Trail Blazers' side, Gan Guoyang, who had pushed himself to the limit in Game 5, also had a mediocre performance, but the Trail Blazers, with their deep roster and high morale, put on a beautiful team offense.

Petrovic, Reggie Lewis, Jerome Cahill, and Terry Porter contributed to the team's second three-peat with their accurate jump shots.

The final score was 100-94, with the Trail Blazers defeating the Bulls at the Chicago Arena, completing a remarkable comeback from a 0-2 deficit.

This is the second time in their history that they have achieved such a comeback, and the team has successfully won their sixth championship in seven years, marking their second three-peat.

After winning the championship, Gan Guoyang stood in front of the bench, raised his hands, one hand with five fingers spread open and the other with the index finger extended, representing the six championships.

At this very moment, Gan Guoyang reached his peak, and his iron throne as the god of basketball became even more solid and indestructible.

In the away game's locker room, Gan Guoyang received the championship trophy and the Finals MVP trophy from David Stern and put on the black baseball cap symbolizing the championship.

Champagne sprayed at him in waves as he led the team to create a miracle, a true miracle.

In the locker room, Wu Zhixiong held up a microphone and asked Gan Guoyang how he felt about winning the championship. Gan Guoyang said, "This is the happiest moment of my life."

Wu Zhixiong asked, "Isn't there anything happier than this?"
Gan Guoyang answered him, "Yes, when we win the championship next time."

Upon their return to Portland, the city immediately held an unprecedentedly grand celebration, marking the Trail Blazers' triumphant return.

Tang Jianguo took out all six championship trophies, rented six large floats, and placed the trophies on the floats to participate in the celebration.

The celebrations lasted for three days, and the air in Portland was still thick with the scent of champagne, championships, and revelry for two weeks afterward.

This may be the craziest championship celebration in NBA history, as a stampede occurred due to the large crowd, resulting in a tragedy that killed 11 people and injured 23.

During this period, more than a dozen thefts, robberies, and vandalism incidents occurred, causing headaches for the entire Portland police system and highlighting that by the 90s, public safety in big cities was becoming increasingly worse.

Even so, in June, when the hot summer arrives, cool Portland is still a great place to play sports and host competitions.

The 1992 FIBA ​​Americas Championship opened today in Portland, with 10 teams participating: the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, Panama, Mexico, and Uruguay.

The top four teams in the tournament will qualify for the basketball competition at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

The grand opening ceremony was held at the Portland Memorial Arena, the former home of the Trail Blazers. Although its home function has been replaced by the Rose Garden Arena, it can still play a role in other games.

This year's US team boasts an unprecedentedly luxurious roster, bringing together some of the NBA's strongest stars, including Jordan, Ewing, Robinson, Stockton, Malone, and others, as well as retired players who have returned to compete in the Olympics, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, and the only college player, Laettner.

The head coach is Bobby Bellman, who just helped the Trail Blazers win three consecutive championships.

They first spent a week training in California to prepare for the Americas Championship qualifiers.

Other national teams start selecting, training, and playing together from their youth team days, and have cooperated with each other for many years.

But for the powerful US team, a week of training is enough.

To help these superstars achieve their training goals, USA Basketball also brought in a group of outstanding college players to play scrimmage matches against the US team.

Among them are future NBA stars such as Grant Hill, Allan Houston, Bobby Hurley, and Chris Webber.

When these young men first arrived, the veterans of the US team were full of confidence. It is said that Jordan even warned them, "Welcome to the NBA, kids."

In the first practice match, the American team, having underestimated their opponents, was thoroughly defeated by the college team and lost the match.

Having learned their lesson, the American team used real intensity and competition in the practice match the next day, giving the young team a sound lesson.

After training camp ended, they arrived in Portland, the place where Jordan had just felt sad and disappointed.

Upon arrival, the atmosphere within the team changed; it became somewhat somber.

At the opening ceremony, Magic Johnson stood at the very front of the procession, holding the American flag and sporting his signature smile.

Johnson has emerged from the shadow of AIDS; it's true that America is a paradise for the wealthy.

In any other country, if a celebrity like Johnson contracted AIDS due to promiscuity, and had just gotten married with his wife pregnant and having given birth, it would be questionable whether he could even continue to appear in public, let alone participate in the Olympics.

As a result, Johnson was able to appear on television programs to share his personal journey, participate in various activities as an ambassador for the fight against AIDS, and was successfully selected for the U.S. Olympic team to participate in the Olympics.

He hired a top-notch team of AIDS treatment experts to develop a detailed and professional treatment plan for him, enabling him to live and thrive like a normal person.

Johnson's wealth accumulated over the years, along with his endorsements and team shares, ensures that he can continuously invest in his health.

The United States is a place where AIDS is rampant, and naturally it is also the place with the best AIDS treatment.

Like rock star Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, who contracted the disease when research on AIDS was still in its infancy, he did not receive timely and professional treatment and died of pneumonia caused by AIDS in November 1991.

People were worried that Johnson would die young from AIDS like Freddie. Johnson was certainly worried, but he remained optimistic, noting that there had been significant progress in AIDS research and treatment in the United States.

Following Johnson was Larry Bird, who made a special comeback for the Olympics, enduring his back pain to train so he could step onto the Olympic wooden floor.

Bird never participated in the Olympics, which was the last regret of his basketball career. As an iconic figure in American basketball in the 80s, he should have participated no matter what.

When the American team entered the stadium, the audience screamed, and the sound system began playing the American national anthem.

Each player's name and photo appeared on the big screen at the top of the stadium; it was an amazing and powerful lineup.

The opening match does not feature the United States; the two matches played are Argentina vs. Panama and Cuba vs. Canada.

In the afternoon, the players went to Memorial Stadium for a practice session to familiarize themselves with the venue and also gave interviews to reporters, which was considered an officially arranged media conference. A large number of reporters flocked to the venue, eager to ask many questions, such as what it was like for Bird and Johnson to play together.

As time goes by, people are almost forgetting that just a few years ago, the NBA was the era of Magic vs. Bird, and now it has become Gan vs. Joe.

"I don't know, he hasn't passed the ball to me yet," Bird joked in a relaxed tone.

Johnson sat next to Bird and complained that Bird never spoke to him when he first entered the league.

Bird said, "I've said it before, there's a phrase, 'In your face.'"

Both of them burst into laughter. Bird seemed to be in a good mood and kept joking with the reporters.

It's clear that he's enjoying a comfortable life after retiring, and participating in the Olympics is a relaxed and enjoyable experience.

The team is so strong that there's no need to worry about winning or losing. The important thing is the experience, the participation, and the fun.

When he first entered the NBA, Bird was always cold and sometimes even rude to reporters.

Now, with age and retirement from professional competition, he's become much more gentle and fun.

On the other hand, Karl Malone was aggressive in his interview, though not directed at the reporter.

When asked about his views on the Olympics, Ma Long first identified Russia as the biggest enemy – the Soviet Union no longer exists.

“We’ve been training hard to prove ourselves at the Olympics and make amends for our defeat four years ago. The Russians beat our team back then, and I saw it on TV. They lifted up the coach as if they had beaten the best American player. It was ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.”

David Robinson, standing nearby, agreed with Karl Malone, saying he was the one who truly experienced the failure of 1988, though his tone was much softer.

"Losing the Olympics annoyed me, but now the opportunity has come. You can't be soft on this team, the competition is fierce, and you especially can't make mistakes, or everyone will kill you. Actually, the pressure is immense. Michael is fast, Karl is strong, and you can easily fall to the ground if you're not careful."

When discussing the 1988 loss, Robinson said it was one of the worst losses of his basketball career.

Compared to the deep-seated resentment of these two, Charles Barkley was the happiest and most outspoken person.

"I have two wishes for participating in the Olympics. First, I hope to eat as much Spanish food as possible. I've heard that their ham and cheese are amazing, and I hope I won't be disappointed. My second wish is to play against the Chinese team. I want to crush Forrest Gump! I want to crush his team, crush him!"

Barkley shouted it out, and everyone around heard it, followed by a burst of laughter.

Jordan, Ewing, and others who were being interviewed were all laughing. "How did you reveal your true feelings?"

The originally serious interview setting suddenly became relaxed and lively, with a cheerful atmosphere everywhere.

Jordan did not lose his fighting spirit after losing the Finals for the second time, and he actively devoted himself to preparing for the Olympics.

He didn't even give himself much time to be frustrated, and immediately started a new improvement plan after the finals.

In his view, the reason for the loss was ultimately because he was not strong enough.

If he had made a layup on the final possession of Game 5 instead of passing the ball, the championship would have been his.

When asked about Forrest Gump by a reporter, Jordan shrugged and said, "I know Sonny and his teammates are having secret training in Portland. I called him the day before yesterday, and he was playing and training with his national team and local college students. Charles is right, we all hope to meet the Chinese team at the Olympics, especially the Chinese team with Forrest Gump. We want to have a good exchange with him, in a friendly way."

Jordan himself laughed when he mentioned "friendly".

However, there's one person who definitely won't be laughing, and that's Pippen.

Pippen is going through the toughest summer of his life, even tougher than the 1990 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

That missed dunk became his lifelong nightmare. After the finals, he jumped from the same spot and dunked dozens of times without failing.

Unfortunately, that dunk failed, it went wide, and the Bulls lost the most crucial game, missing out on the championship.

Everyone knew that at the time, whoever won Game 5 would be the champion, and the series wouldn't go to a Game 7.

This shot destroyed the Bulls' efforts of the entire season and almost destroyed Pippen, who even went to see a psychologist.

When interviewed by reporters, he seemed depressed and lacked enthusiasm, including his ability to beat up Forrest Gump at the Olympics.

I wonder when this shadow will finally be lifted.

In the evening, Nike invited nearly half of the Olympic team to the opening party.

The banquet was held at Nike's office park, which was decorated as a beautifully decorated buffet area.

There is an abundance of seafood, premium ribs, and strawberry cream cake available, and basketball celebrities can be seen everywhere.

There is a lake in the center of the park. Around 7 p.m., a loud "bang" was heard and beautiful fireworks bloomed in the sky above the lake.

To showcase its wealth, Nike prepared an extremely lavish fireworks display, with more than a dozen fireworks exploding simultaneously, filling the sky with color and noise.

After the fireworks display ended, everyone's attention returned to the food and the people around them.

However, just five minutes later, another loud bang came from the sky, and a red dot of light flew into the sky.

Immediately following, a huge explosion occurred, and a gigantic, dazzling firework bloomed in the sky.

Everyone was stunned. Was the fireworks display still going on?
No, this fireworks display isn't from the park; it didn't rise from the lake.

This huge firework was just a signal; a more spectacular fireworks display then began in the dark sky.

It's estimated that the entire city of Portland could see this spectacular performance, and the American team was absolutely stunned.

Jordan asked Nike president Phil Knight, "Is this a fireworks show you've arranged? The second one?"

Knight's expression was not good. He shook his head and said, "No, judging from the direction... it should have been arranged by Avia."

Tonight, Avia also hosted an opening banquet at their park, and the other half of the group went there.

Stockton, Barkley, and Drexler from the US team all went there because they were players under Avia's management.

“I guess it was Forrest Gump who arranged it,” Knight continued. “Nobody knows how to play with fireworks better than the Chinese.”

Just then, another loud bang was heard in the sky, and a bright spot of light flew into the air again, and everyone looked up at it.

After the explosion, a huge yellow five-pointed star appeared in the sky with a crackling sound, overshadowing all the other stars.

Jordan watched the five-pointed star go from bright to dark and muttered, "It's definitely that bastard Forrest Gump."

(End of this chapter)