The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 712 Gold Medal
As the Olympics draw to a close, the team events that have been running throughout the Games are also reaching their final stages.

On August 7th, the women's basketball bronze medal match took place first, with the United States defeating Cuba 88-74 to win a rather uninteresting bronze medal.

The US team was clearly outmatched this time; they even tied with Cuba in the first half before pulling away to win in the second half.

Like the men's basketball team at the 1988 Olympics, the US women's basketball team also suffered a setback. They should send a stronger roster for the next Olympics.

On the evening of the 7th, the Chinese women's basketball team competed for the gold medal against the CIS team in the final, and the entire Chinese men's basketball team came to the scene to cheer for the women's team.

The fact that both the men's and women's basketball teams have reached the Olympic finals is unprecedented in the history of major ball sports in China, and the Chinese teams have received unprecedented attention.

Unlike the men's basketball team, which has an absolute core player, the Chinese women's basketball team represents the highest level in history, with each player playing their best role.

The core center, Zheng Haixia, is tall and strong, but has an extremely delicate touch. Together with Gan Guoyang, one male and one female, they became the pillars of Chinese basketball's inside game.

The women's basketball team has Cong Xuedi, who is only 1.66 meters tall but has excellent playmaking and offensive abilities. In the game against Cuba, Cong Xuedi made 5 of 8 three-pointers, scored 20 points, 2 assists and 3 steals, and was the number one contributor to the Chinese team's advancement to the finals.

Besides the two core players, one inside and one outside, one tall and one short, the Chinese team also has Li Xin, who has an incredibly fast breakthrough speed, as well as many other strong players such as Liu Qing, Li Dongmei, Zhan Shuping, and Wang Fang. The team plays a tough style of basketball and fights tenaciously, and can be said to be the golden generation of Chinese women's basketball.

However, compared to their opponents, the CIS (formerly the Soviet Union) women's basketball team, the Chinese team still lags behind in strength.

The final was scheduled for 6 p.m., and around 4 p.m., Gan Guoyang went to the locker room to cheer on the Chinese women's basketball team before the game.

He grasped Zheng Haixia's large hand and said, "I'll pass on my feel and energy to you. Don't be afraid during the competition, just fight! Never, ever back down. You know, the opportunity of the Olympics, once missed, may be gone forever, so you must seize it."

There is a gap in strength between the Chinese team and the CIS teams, but it is not as insurmountable as the gap between the men's basketball team and the Dream Team.

The women's basketball team also received a lot of help from Gan Guoyang. In terms of training and injury recovery, Gan Guoyang used the Trail Blazers' resources to support the women's basketball team.

For Zheng Haixia, her physical body is both her strength and her weakness; her enormous size is too much of a burden for her.

She also had to participate in high-intensity competitive matches. Unlike Gan Guoyang, who was made of steel, she already had thick bandages wrapped around her knees.

Her legs are also deformed, so she can barely jump during matches. She plays entirely on the ground, relying solely on feel and technique.

Gan Guoyang's words inspired Zheng Haixia, but also caused some trouble for Li Yaguang, the coach of the Chinese women's basketball team.

Li Yaguang is only 34 years old this year, a very young coach, but he is extremely strict in disciplining his troops, even more so than Jiang Xingquan.

Moreover, his attitude towards the team's core center was completely different from Jiang Xingquan's. When he first took over the women's basketball team, Li Yaguang targeted Zheng Haixia, the team's absolute core player.

He told Zheng Haixia, "We need to play team basketball, not make you the absolute core. You also need to be part of the tactics, not just get the ball to you every time."

Zheng Haixia was naturally unconvinced. She joined the national team in 1983 and helped the Chinese women's basketball team win a bronze medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. She was a highly accomplished and outstanding player.

Li Yaguang, a young coach, wanted to strip Zheng Haixia of her status as the team's leader as soon as he arrived. Naturally, Zheng Haixia refused, and the two had a conflict. Li Yaguang then directly removed Zheng Haixia from the women's national basketball team.

Later, with the help of Yang Boyong, Zheng Haixia's mentor and former head coach of the national team, Zheng Haixia returned to the women's national basketball team and followed Li Yaguang's instructions, integrating into the team and becoming a part of team basketball.

As it turned out, Li Yaguang's reforms were effective. In the Barcelona Olympics, Zheng Haixia's personal statistics declined significantly, averaging only a dozen points per game, but the women's basketball team still made it all the way to the finals.

Especially in the match against Cuba, the Chinese team was well prepared. Instead of focusing solely on attacking the inside, they utilized the agility and speed of their outside players, allowing Cong Xuedi and Li Xin, two sharpshooters, to dismantle the Cuban team, surprising everyone.

Now that we're in the finals, the match is about to start in two hours, and suddenly someone pops up and tells Zheng Haixia that she should play more.
If this person were an ordinary person, Li Yaguang would either laugh it off or simply kick him out. What are you doing here if you're undermining morale?
But this person is Gan Guoyang, the supreme idol of Chinese basketball. In the last game, he scored 51 points and led his team to the men's basketball final. The women's basketball team watched the whole game, and everyone was so excited that they couldn't contain themselves.

Li Yaguang knew exactly what it meant for the men's basketball team to reach the finals; it was something the women's basketball team couldn't compare to.

Li Yaguang is only a few years older than Gan Guoyang. While Li Yaguang was still playing for the national team, Gan Guoyang had already won the NBA championship and achieved an immortal legend.

This Olympics has progressed to the point where it's being called "Forrest Gump and the Dream Team Olympics" on the basketball court, and his amazing strength is unmatched.

Now this idol-like figure is encouraging Zheng Haixia to be a hero in the finals, which contradicts Li Yaguang's pre-match preparations.

According to Li Yaguang's plan, he believed that they should take the initiative and use Zheng Haixia as bait, while making use of the roles of others.

He pinned his hopes on the substitutes coming out as a surprise weapon, and this idea wasn't wrong, after all, Li Yaguang's unexpected strategy worked in the semi-finals.

However, Gan Guoyang has more experience in the finals, and he knows that the finals are different from the semi-finals and the quarter-finals.

In the final, there is no turning back, and both sides are on the verge of the finish line. At this point, the right mindset for both sides should be to go all out and fight to the death.

Determination and willpower play a greater role in the finals than in other competitions, while unconventional tactics are more likely to fail at crucial moments.

On the way back to the stands from the women's basketball team's locker room, Jiang Xingquan said to Gan Guoyang, "Old Gan, the women's basketball team has its own strategy. Isn't letting Zheng Haixia play more like this causing trouble for their lineup?"

Gan Guoyang said, "I roughly know a bit about the women's basketball team's strategy; they're trying to pull off some surprise tactics. But in my experience, trying to take risks in major competitions usually leads to losses. Important battles are all about fighting to the death in the end. Focus on your strengths and best points to relentlessly attack the opponent's weaknesses. It's about stabbing each other in the back. Whoever stands the last one standing wins. It's that simple. Taking shortcuts rarely yields good results. The Olympic final is no easy feat; we should give it our all."

In Gan Guoyang's memory, China's three major women's ball sports have all had glorious achievements.

Among them, the women's volleyball team is the most prominent, and the spirit of the women's volleyball team has inspired a generation.

It's a pity for the women's basketball and women's football teams; they both fell short at the highest level of basketball and football.

The main reason was the gap in strength, and the Chinese team also lacked luck in the final.

However, in terms of strategy and preparation, the attempt to achieve big results with small investments and to take shortcuts, without the mindset and courage to confront challenges head-on, may also be an important factor.

After all, in basketball and football, we did have some gaps with the world's top teams at that time. The bigger the gap was, the more we wanted to win by surprise when we got to the finals.

But in this kind of competition, fighting to the death is the foundation for victory. If you're out of options, fight to the death. Without this belief, you might lose the initiative from the very beginning.

Since 1981, Gan Guoyang has played in various finals, from high school to college to the NBA. Whenever he reached the finals, regardless of the apparent strength of the teams, he never sought to win by surprise.

When two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave will prevail. Play to your strengths, confront each other head-on, and fight to the bitter end. Whoever perseveres to the very end will be the winner.

This isn't just true for basketball games; look at even more important and grand football matches—the finals are often less exciting than the semifinals.

Both sides will fight tooth and nail to get to a 0-0 draw, then extra time, then a penalty shootout. The one who survives to the end will be the winner; the process is not important.

The women's basketball players and coaches did not fully grasp this point, and Gan Guoyang felt it was necessary to remind them.

Maybe they really can change history.

Jiang Xingquan knew that Gan Guoyang's words made sense, but he was a little curious as to how Gan Guoyang knew the women's basketball team's tactical arrangements.

Gan Guoyang smiled slightly and said mysteriously, "I have secret agents and spies."

Jiang Xingquan never imagined that Gan Guoyang had a spy within the women's basketball team.

However, considering his fame, getting some information shouldn't be too difficult for him.

Jiang Xingquan knew perfectly well that Gan Guoyang was a spy within the Dream Team; this guy was truly incredibly resourceful.

At 6 p.m., the game officially began, with the final match between the Chinese women's basketball team and the CIS team kicking off.

The CIS team was experienced and clearly well-prepared before the match, putting the Chinese team at a disadvantage from the start. Throughout the first half, the Chinese team was suppressed by the CIS team on both offense and defense, and remained behind.

Cong Xuedi and Li Xin, two sharp-edged weapons, failed to achieve the same remarkable effect as they did against Cuba in the semi-finals due to the CIS's tight defense.

Wang Fang, who came on as a substitute, failed to score a single goal, leaving the Chinese team struggling to find their rhythm in attack.

At halftime, the Chinese team trailed the CIS by 8 points, a significant gap in the low-scoring Olympic arena.

During halftime, Zheng Haixia stood up and told Li Yaguang that she wanted to play more in the second half.

In the first half, Zheng Haixia made 1 of 1 shots, taking only one shot.

Li Yaguang glared at Zheng Haixia. In the women's basketball team, Li Yaguang was a tyrant.

He was extremely strict with his subordinates, managing every aspect of the players' lives, including that of the senior player, Zheng Haixia.

Previously, Zheng Haixia would compromise, after all, for the sake of the team and for victory.

But this time, Zheng Haixia did not back down. She said in a loud voice, "This may be our only chance to win the championship. It is still a question whether I can play in the next Olympics. We can't miss this opportunity. I will play in the second half!"

Normally, Zheng Haixia wouldn't dare say that, because her teammates on the women's basketball team wouldn't support her.

But tonight is different. Tonight is the final, and there's verbal support from Forrest Gump before the game.

Gan Guoyang's performance set a benchmark for everyone: it is possible to win a game by relying on one's own abilities.

Individual heroism certainly has its roots in Chinese basketball.

Faced with the team members' pressure, even the usually stubborn and tough Li Yaguang backed down.

He knew that this was a critical moment, and he also knew how powerful the influence of role models was.

That god-like man planted a seed of heroism in the heart of every Chinese basketball fan.

Coupled with the tide of reform and opening up, the country and society are increasingly advocating individualism.

Individual heroism is no longer a cancer, nor is it a heresy that contradicts collectivism.

In sports, geniuses are also part of the team. Valuing geniuses and giving full play to their abilities is more beneficial to the progress of the team.

"Alright, in the second half, we'll focus on Zheng Haixia and we're going to win this championship!" Li Yaguang gave the order.

Therefore, in the second half of the game, the Chinese women's basketball team changed their tactical style and began to focus on Zheng Haixia to improve their success rate.

Zheng Haixia, who only took one shot in the first half, began to dominate, scoring repeatedly in the paint and drawing fouls from the opponent.

After rehabilitation treatment in the United States, Zheng Haixia's leg injury has been greatly relieved. In addition, she has been following the team route throughout this Olympics, so her physical reserves are excellent.

Then Zheng Haixia began her solo performance, unstoppable in the three-second zone, helping the Chinese team gradually close the gap.

In the middle to late stages of the game, Zheng Haixia received a pass from Cong Xuedi on offense and scored two points with a delicate hook shot, while also drawing a foul from the opponent!
Natalia Sassuskaya, the CIS's key center and the top scorer tonight, fouled out!
Zheng Haixia made the free throw, and the Chinese team took the lead!

At that moment, the Chinese men's basketball players on the sidelines all stood up, applauded, and cheered.

The women's basketball team knew that their chance to make history and create miracles had come.

In the final few minutes, there were no feints, no opportunistic tricks, just a head-on clash between offense and defense.

With the CIS team's long-range shot missing in the final moments and bouncing off the rim, the Chinese women's basketball team narrowly defeated the CIS team 71-70 by one point, winning the 1992 Olympic gold medal!
Gan Guoyang somehow got hold of a five-star red flag, then ran to the gymnasium's cleaning staff and stole a mop. He snapped the mop head off with a snap, tied the red flag to it, and waved it around the field.

At that time, Chinese and Eastern European athletes, especially female athletes, were still very reserved. They didn't celebrate wildly when they won Olympic gold medals; they just smiled and hugged each other simply.

The men's basketball players just clapped, their hands aching from clapping, but they couldn't muster any more enthusiasm.

Having been influenced by capitalism, Gan Guoyang waved the red flag and shouted loudly, becoming the most eye-catching sight on the sidelines.

However, when the women's basketball team was about to stand on the podium to receive their gold medals, the national anthem was played, and a wave of emotions washed over them.

The torrent of tears blurred everyone's vision, and they couldn't stop no matter what.

In the stands, Gan Guoyang patted Gong Xiaobin on the shoulder and said, "Hey, bring your girlfriend's gold medal to play with later."

Gong Xiaobin was a little embarrassed and said, "What...what girlfriend? Lao Gan, don't talk nonsense..."

Gan Guoyang smiled ambiguously. Everyone knew about the relationship between Gong Xiaobin and Li Xin, a key player on the women's basketball team.

However, due to national team discipline issues, the two have never been able to officially be together, and this has even led to serious conflicts with the coach.

Gan Guoyang is very supportive of their relationship. He thinks that if they get together, they might contribute a very talented young player to Chinese basketball in the future.

"By the way, Lao Jiang, can you spare a bed for me in the Olympic Village tonight? I'll sleep there, and we can do some early training together tomorrow morning to prepare for the finals tonight."

Upon hearing that Gan Guoyang wanted to stay in the Olympic Village, Jiang Xingquan hesitated for two seconds before saying, "Shouldn't we submit an application to the leadership, report it, and also consider security..."

"I've already reported it to the authorities and communicated with my superiors, and they've given their approval. Don't worry about security; I'll just be sleeping here for one night, it'll be fine. Tomorrow is the final, and I want to stay with everyone. After this match, we'll probably go our separate ways, and I don't know when we'll be able to compete together again."

Gan Guoyang's words added a touch of sadness to the atmosphere within the men's basketball team.

Tomorrow's match is basically a do-or-die situation; it's a fight for honor.

On the way back to the Olympic Village, Gan Guoyang said, "I'm really happy that the women's basketball team won the gold medal today. Tomorrow we'll play against the Dream Team, and I admit we won't have a chance, unless a bunch of terrorists come tonight, kidnap the Dream Team, and shoot them all. That's one of the reasons I want to stay in the Olympic Village, so they can't shoot me."

Everyone laughed, but then they realized that if Forrest Gump said that, it meant there was really no chance of winning the final.

"Even though I knew I was going to lose, I still had to take the competition seriously. The hardest thing in life is admitting defeat, and even when you lose, you have to lose gracefully. If you don't know how to lose gracefully, you won't be able to win gracefully. That's how things are in the world. When you want to survive, you have to live with the determination to die, that way you have the highest chance of survival. And when you have to die one day, you have to die with the greatest hope of living, that way your death will be valuable and impactful."

"No matter what, our goal tomorrow remains the championship, the gold medal! Down with American imperialism!"

Gan Guoyang shouted out a somewhat old-fashioned slogan, and everyone responded, creating a joyful yet somewhat melancholic atmosphere.

Meanwhile, at the hotel where the Dream Team was staying, when Jordan, Barkley, and others tried to chat with Gan Guoyang, both to mock him before the game and to test him, they learned that Gan had moved to the Olympic Village.

"Shit! That cunning guy! I'm going to call him!" Barkley was impatient; he really wouldn't be able to sleep without a little spice before the big game.

Jordan shook his head and said, "Forget it, this guy won't answer. He's definitely plotting something tonight. We need to be fully prepared and absolutely cannot let our guard down. I'm going back to my room to watch the game footage and discuss it with Larry and the others. Are you coming?"

Jordan used to play cards almost every night, but tonight is different; his opponent tomorrow is Forrest Gump.

Barkley shook his head and said, "I'm going to church to talk to God and ask him to be more merciful to us."

(End of this chapter)