The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 717 For a Friend
The trade involving Hakeem Olajuwon has once again reshaped the league landscape.

The Bulls in the East have gained a strong contender, while the Rockets in the West have been eliminated from the championship race.

This might be a good thing for the Trail Blazers, as it removes a potential threat to their path to a four-peat.

However, everyone in the Trail Blazers team knows that the only obstacle in their path is themselves.

The real problems facing the Trail Blazers are age, injuries, internal instability, and player departures.

The Trail Blazers lost Cliff Robinson in free agency, partly because they had to re-sign veteran Jerome Kossie.

As a Portland veteran and Gan Guoyang's bodyguard when they entered the league, Kossie has worked diligently all these years, dedicating himself entirely to the team's six championships.

Because he was a second-round pick, Korsey has always had very low-paying contracts. As the team's starting small forward, Korsey's salary last season was only $56. In the Trail Blazers' first championship season in 1985-1986, Korsey only earned $10 a year.

In comparison, Reggie Lewis, who signed a contract in the summer of 90, could earn $330 million a year. Kossie played for the Trail Blazers for so many years, and his total salary was only equivalent to Lewis's annual salary.

Therefore, when Kossie's contract expires this summer, the Trail Blazers management will definitely offer him a sufficiently lucrative contract, firstly to retain him and maintain competitiveness, and secondly as a reward for his many years of contributions.

Kossie received a three-year contract worth $920 million, with a salary of $265 million in the first year and $360 million in the final year. Kossie deserved such a contract.

However, the Trail Blazers' decision to select Kossie means they are no longer able to retain Cliff Robinson, and the Trail Blazers are unlikely to offer Robinson another $900 million contract.

Jerry West regrets not signing Clive Robinson to a longer contract when he drafted him in 1990.

Unfortunately, Robinson was a second-round pick, and West didn't anticipate his promising future and on-court potential.

At that time, the NBA did not have a standard rookie contract. Although there were some restrictions on the expiration of rookie players' contracts, the relevant provisions in the collective bargaining agreement were very weak.

Moreover, Robinson has already won enough championships and has two rings in hand. It's time for him to pursue money, after all, a player's youth is very precious.

Besides, Miami is known as the "Little Portland" in the NBA. It's said that playing for the Heat feels similar to playing for the Trail Blazers, except there's less rain and more sunshine.

In the free agent market, Jerry West is trying to find a good value, experienced, championship-caliber big man, like the veterans Bill Walton, Caldwell Jones, Mitchell Thompson, and Gilmore in the past.

West is convinced that the Trail Blazers' interior defense will face a greater challenge in the new season, and Forrest Gump must be given sufficient rest and protection.

Four consecutive championships—it's an incredible achievement. Can it really be done? West's heart was pounding; he didn't know.

In fact, the entire Trail Blazers organization had this doubt: Is it really necessary? What more do we have to give for our fourth consecutive championship?
No one knew that this road was extremely lonely, so lonely that everyone began to doubt whether it was even worth continuing.

The Celtics once won eight consecutive championships, but that was in the 1960s, when a league only had eight teams. The NBA could not even be called a national professional league; it should be called the "Northeastern United California Major League."

Currently, the NBA has 27 teams, spread across more than 20 states in the United States, from east to west and from south to north, covering the entire country.

Its influence has even spread all over the world, attracting basketball talents from all over the world to enter this top-level league, so the value of the championship is self-evident.

This is a completely different game now. Even without a championship, the players can do very well, even frighteningly so.

Most players no longer rely on playoff bonuses for a living, especially star players, whose income from endorsements and advertisements is astonishingly high.

Like this year's number one draft pick, Shaquille O'Neal, his first-year contract was worth $300 million, but he also signed a $1300 million advertising endorsement deal with Pepsi, a $1500 million shoe deal with Reebok, and other sports brands such as Kenner and Spalding, totaling more than $2000 million in contracts.

Shaquille O'Neal has never played a single NBA game, yet his total earnings have already surpassed the entire career salaries of many of his predecessors.

This reflects the significant increase in the commercial value of the NBA in the 90s, especially the appearance of the Dream Team at the 1992 Olympics, which fully demonstrated this commercial value.

Sponsors flock to the NBA, showering stars with checks for endorsements and advertising contracts, using their influence to expand their own businesses.

Even ordinary players, as long as they are famous locally and popular with local fans, can still earn substantial profits through commercial activities and small brand endorsements.

After winning their second three-peat, the Trail Blazers players, such as Antonio Davis and Mark Bryant, would appear on promotional posters for local restaurants and sporting goods stores, becoming the store's mascots.

Of course, the Trail Blazers players are still eager for a championship, because winning a championship is an addictive thing.

At the end of September, the Trail Blazers held their rookie training camp at Willamette University as usual.

Gan Guoyang, Petrovic, and Sabonis all participated in this training camp with the aim of recovering from the pace of the Olympics and regaining their NBA playing feel through the training camp.

The Olympic Games were undoubtedly exhausting, with both Petrovic and Sabonis suffering injuries of varying degrees, and Sabonis's knee becoming increasingly heavy.

The 1991-1992 season, plus the two-week Olympic Games, took a heavy toll on the players' bodies, and they urgently needed to find a balance between health and good form.

Participating in a rookie training camp is a good approach. As veterans, they don't have the same pressure as rookies and don't need to train as hard, maintaining a state of semi-training and semi-recovery.

At the Trail Blazers, it's a tradition for veterans to participate in rookie training camps. Veteran player Gan Guoyang has been there since his rookie year, judging the worst rookie class in history.

This time, Gan Guoyang gave everyone a brand new 1992 edition of "Forrest Gump's Basketball Cookbook". This is the fourth supplement to the book, which topped the North American bestseller list this summer.

As usual, the book includes an advertisement for a funeral home, making one wonder what purpose the recipe serves.

When the first day of training camp ended, and the rookies, including PJ Brown, were so exhausted that they lay on the ground unable to move, they began to understand why there were funeral home advertisements in the book, and why training with Forrest Gump was so tiring.

"You're the worst rookie class I've ever coached! Get up! Your salaries are getting higher and higher, so why are your stamina getting worse and worse?!"

While everyone else was exhausted, Gan Guoyang remained energetic, planning to practice three-pointers after training.

PJ Brown was already vomiting in a bucket on the sidelines, while Sabonis chuckled and sat on the floor stretching his legs.

Veterans are exempt and can participate in a limited number of training sessions, while newcomers must keep up with the pace, or they will be packing their bags and leaving tomorrow.

"This is the Portland Trail Blazers' training camp, not a homeless shelter. Everyone, stay alert, get a good night's rest, and don't waste your money and energy at strip clubs."

Besides PJ Brown being confirmed to stay and sign, the Trail Blazers have one last roster spot left, which they can offer a guaranteed contract to a rookie to complete the team's 13-man roster.

In order to secure a guaranteed contract with the Trail Blazers, the undrafted rookies are doing their best. Everyone knows that players who can establish themselves with the Portland Trail Blazers are more likely to find a job in the NBA in the future.

After all, anything certified by Forrest Gump is guaranteed to be of high quality.

However, on the second day of the new recruit training camp, the camp of more than ten new recruits suddenly dwindled to several fewer.

There were suddenly not enough people (less than ten) to even play one internal simulation match.

Gan Guoyang asked him curiously about the reason, and Adelman told him, "Some people quit because they couldn't handle the intensity of the Trail Blazers' rookie training camp. Others came because of your reputation, just wanting to train with you and be your teammates for a couple of days, and then left once they achieved their goal."

"But...only by completing the training camp can one have the opportunity to stay."

"There's only one chance. There are many more opportunities outside. They can go to Europe, the CBA, or Puerto Rico. There are far more ways to play basketball now than before. Besides, other teams are fine too. There are 27 teams and 13-man rosters now; there are plenty of job opportunities. Why bother..."

Why bother with anything?

"Why suffer in Portland, Sonny?"

When Adelman said that, Gan Guoyang suddenly felt a sense of time passing and things changing.

Unbeknownst to him, he had become a veteran who had played in the league for eight years, transforming from a rookie who rebelled against the coach and reorganized the team into an "old man who bullies rookies."

Eight years is not a long time, but in the sports world, it means that half of a professional sports career has passed, or at least a third of it. After all, no professional player can maintain their form for 25 years.

Moreover, in just eight years, from the 1980s to the 1990s, the NBA has undergone a tremendous amount of change.

He also recalled that in the 80s, when there were fewer teams, it was not easy to get into the NBA.

Some teams would rather leave their roster spots empty than sign players casually. For example, the Los Angeles Lakers used to maintain an 11-man roster for a whole season, and their 12-man roster was never full.

It's not because the Lakers or other NBA teams have particularly high requirements for players, to the point that they won't even consider them if they don't meet the requirements; it's because they're poor.

More players mean more expenses. Spending extra money for a 12th player is something even a championship team like the Lakers is sometimes reluctant to do.

This was in the 80s. Before that, in the terrible 70s and 60s, players had to work part-time jobs, working during the day and playing games at the stadium at night.

After working hard for a season and earning a decent salary, the team went bankrupt and disbanded the following year, and I lost my job.

Nowadays, star players have become celebrities and tycoons, while players at the bottom of the ladder have a much better life. Everyone has to work hard, but they don't have to work that hard.

Making it to the NBA is certainly a good thing, but Europe is also good; American players are treated like royalty there, and they can play very comfortably.

The CBA and the Puerto Rican League are also thriving. The success of George Karl and Phil Jackson shows that talent is not limited to colleges and the NBA.

On the second day of the new recruit training camp, Adelman reminded Gan Guoyang, "Sonny, don't push yourself so hard and torture yourself. No one can catch up with you, and you can't inspire them because you're too far removed from them. Only the stories of those around you can truly inspire people. For example, the kid next door worked hard and became a millionaire, so I started working hard too, learning from him how to do business and make money. But no one saw Newton fall on his head with an apple and then went to sit under an apple tree hoping to discover the secret of gravity."

"Newton was greater than me."

“This isn’t Newton’s business, you know what I mean, Sonny.”

"You mean I'm too old and shouldn't get involved in the new recruit training camp anymore?"

"Oh no no no, I wouldn't dare, it's just... you know, sometimes it's not particularly convenient for us when you're around."

For the past few years, Adelman has been in charge of the Trail Blazers' rookie training camp, working with the management to identify and fill gaps in the roster.

Gan Guoyang's presence can indeed boost morale and attract new talent, but on the other hand, it has also disrupted the coaching staff's rhythm.

"Alright, I won't participate in the rookie training camp next season. I'll find a place to train by myself."

"Hey! Sonny! You know that's not what I meant, Sonny!"

Gan Guoyang withdrew from the rookie training camp on the third day, and Adelman had to call him to apologize.

But Gan Guoyang didn't blame Adelman. He said, "I don't blame you, Rick. We've worked together for so many years. You know what kind of person I am. You just reminded me that I'm a veteran. I've played for eight years and am going to play my ninth season. I should act like a veteran. I really can't empathize with these newcomers as much. Watching them get tortured and then leave, that feeling... is really different from before."

In the past, when Gan Guoyang participated in the rookie training camp, most of the new players were able to stay, and they were able to form deep friendships.

Players like Porter, Kossie, Hornacek, Curry, Petrovic, and Sabonis, after participating in the rookie training camp, stayed with the Trail Blazers for a long time, and to this day they are Gan Guoyang's teammates and good friends.

But now? Even if the Trail Blazers draft a number one pick to participate in training camp, it will be difficult for Gan Guoyang to become friends with him.

Gan Guoyang knew in his heart that the time a person has to make good friends in their lifetime is only a short period of time, and once it's gone, it can never be brought back.

Especially for a celebrity like him, a big star, a super idol, it's even more difficult, so he might as well just take a break.

After the rookie training camp ended, Jerry West informed Gan Guoyang that he had signed a veteran and kept a rookie player.

The veteran who signed is a familiar face, former Portland Trail Blazers center Wayne Cooper.

Speaking of Cooper, he spent two seasons with the Trail Blazers in the early 80s before being traded to the Nuggets in the big deal involving Vandeweghe.

He, along with Knight and Leaf, carried the Denver Nuggets through the 80s until the end of the Doug Mo era, when Wayne Cooper left the Nuggets to begin a nomadic career.

The Trail Blazers initially considered re-signing Cooper as Gan Guoyang's backup, but they set their sights on the more formidable Gil Moore, and with Mitchell Thompson already on the team, they decided not to sign Cooper.

After playing the 1991-1992 season, Cooper was 35 years old and was originally planning to retire, but Jerry West and Buckwalt approached him, hoping that he could return to Portland to play another season.

"Maybe if you can win a ring, the team will give you a job." This was Buckwalt's promise to Cooper.

So Cooper decided to stick it out for another year, to be a veteran in the locker room for the Trail Blazers and play the role that veterans should play.

Gan Guoyang welcomed Cooper's arrival. Cooper and Calvin Knight had a good relationship; they were in the funeral business together and had a lot in common.

The Trail Blazers' locker room also needs an old guy to lighten the mood, and Cooper's arrival will evoke many memories of the past for Portlanders.

That was before Gan Guoyang existed.

The player who stayed in Portland through the Trail Blazers' rookie training camp is Mario Elie.

Ellie is not a newcomer this year; on the contrary, he entered the NBA draft back in 1985 but went undrafted.

He then played in the CBA, where he achieved remarkable results under George Karl.

From 1990 to 1992, he briefly played for the Warriors and 76ers, where he performed quite well. This season, the Trail Blazers gave him a chance to participate in rookie training camp to assess his suitability.

After losing Cliff Robinson, Jerry West wanted to strengthen the team's frontcourt.

Kossi got a big contract, but it's a commutation contract, and he's likely to face a decline in form.

Reggie Lewis has to play as the starting shooting guard and occasionally fill in at small forward, which puts a lot of pressure on him.

Therefore, the addition of an experienced veteran like Ellie is very important for the Trail Blazers.

Gan Guoyang was very satisfied with West's two signings, and he felt reassured by West's operations.

Tormented by anxiety, he always paid great attention to every detail.

So every off-season, he's like a beaver repairing a dam, constantly picking and choosing, patching and mending, to ensure the dam's stability.

Even deep down, Jerry West himself wasn't sure how the team that had won four consecutive championships should proceed, but he still instinctively tried to find the gaps and work hard.

The saying goes that character determines destiny, and this is something inherent in Jerry West's character that cannot be erased no matter the environment or team he plays for.

However, the Trail Blazers' owner, Tang Jianguo, doesn't have these kinds of traits in his personality. After winning three consecutive championships, this owner, who once shouted "I want to make the Trail Blazers even greater," believed that he had achieved his goal and that he had made the Trail Blazers even greater.

Incidentally, he is also the greatest owner in NBA history.

"A three-peat, the second three-peat! It's often more difficult and more impressive than the first."

This is a line he says to everyone he meets, but he rarely mentions "four consecutive championships," which is not in line with his usual style.

The reason is simple: his attention is temporarily not on basketball, and he has other things to worry about in his business empire.

In order to consolidate his assets, Tang Jianguo founded a new service company in 1992, which was controlled by him and his family.

This is a shell company without even an office. Its main purpose is to transfer money between its own hands to avoid taxes and liquidate assets.

In addition to the Portland Trail Blazers, his Atlantic Hotels, casinos, resorts, and flight companies have all filed for bankruptcy protection.

Compared to managing these businesses, Tang Jianguo began to focus more on managing himself, his name, image, and personal brand.

From 1987 to 1992, he published 10 books under his own name, almost two books a year, which is faster than singers releasing albums.

He also participated extensively in television programs and talk shows, and even wanted to plan his own reality show to utilize and expand his influence.

He never forgot to be associated with Forrest Gump, and during the Barcelona Olympics, he made a guest appearance on television as a commentator, commentating on the final match between the American team and the Chinese team.

He even wanted to get involved in politics; as early as 1988, he applied to be George W. Bush's running mate, only to be humiliated by Bush with the comment, "This is simply unbelievable."

But this did not stop Lao Tang from pursuing a political career and serving the country wholeheartedly; he had already begun preparing for his future political path.

All of this has little to do with basketball; after all, basketball is only a small part of his complex life.

The Trail Blazers were once his lifeline, and now they remain a cornerstone and cash cow of his empire.

But Donald Trump is absolutely not content with just being "the greatest NBA owner"; his ambitions are too great.

The Trail Blazers' preseason training camp is about to begin, but Coach Tang has invited Gan Guoyang to a dinner in New York.

Gan Guoyang initially wanted to refuse, but Lao Tang said that Michael Jackson was also there and that Michael really wanted to see him.

"If Michael wants to see me, why doesn't he just call me?"

“This guy is busy, and he knows you are too, so he doesn’t want to bother you. I know you two are good friends, you should meet up sometime, shouldn’t you all get together? Michael and I are good friends too.”

Gan Guoyang ultimately chose to travel to New York to attend this dinner for reasons unknown before the start of the preseason training camp.

The reason was because of Jackson, because he knew that Donald Trump wasn't exactly Jackson's "true friend".

Old Tang and Jackson had a good relationship. If Jackson needed any support, Old Tang would definitely step forward to lend a helping hand.

But this is Michael Jackson? In 1992, it was an honor to help him, and Tang Jianguo would certainly help Michael.

But if Jackson gets into trouble, will Donald Trump step in? Maybe afterward, but when things happen, based on what Forrest Gump knows about Donald Trump, he'll likely remain neutral.

Therefore, Tang Jianguo and Jackson had a good relationship, but they were not so-called good friends.

Gan Guoyang was a true friend of Jackson, which is why he wanted to go to New York.

There was never any mutual exploitation between the two of them, and Gan Guoyang was somewhat worried about Jackson.

In the past two years, there has been more controversy surrounding Jackson, including his skin color and his nose.

His face grew paler and paler, his nose became increasingly strange, and speculations about him abounded, with slanderous rumors spreading everywhere.

In 1984 he was a lively Black man, but by 1992 he had become as white as a plantation owner.

Some speculate that Jackson used skin bleaching technology in an attempt to transform himself from a Black man to a white man.

Gan Guoyang, a close friend, knew that Jackson had vitiligo, which caused his skin to be patchy with black and white areas.

To even out my skin tone, I had to apply a thick layer of white makeup to make myself look more normal.

Not only that, his skin became very sensitive, and he had to carry a black umbrella to block ultraviolet rays when he went out.

The burns he sustained during the performances continued to plague Jackson, and he always covered them with thick clothing and long hair.

All of this was to maintain his image as a pop king, but in private he was an overly kind person.

If Jackson were an ordinary person with some money, his kindness would probably have been just right, and he would have been a good person.

But when he is a celebrity, and such a famous one at that, with such a large stake in the business, kindness becomes his weakness.

Gan Guoyang's closest celebrity friends include Jordan, Stockton, Barkley, and Jackson, but he is most worried about Jackson.

Jordan is a guy with strong offensive and defensive abilities. He learned how to deal with the open and covert attacks in society long ago, and he has done a good job over the years.

Stockton is a nice guy and an invisible man among celebrities. Like his playing style, it's a perfect disguise. This kid is actually cunning and there's no need to worry about him.

Moreover, his father-in-law was a former governor. Given his background, the city he lived in, and his frugal lifestyle, Gan Guoyang was certain that he could live safely to the age of 100.

Barkley goes without saying; he's a complete scoundrel. He may seem rude, but he's actually incredibly smart and knows how to survive. He's definitely someone who can get by.

These three guys have very different personalities, but they are all incredibly shrewd. They're already doing well if they don't scheme against others, and if you want to harm them, you'd better have some tricks up your sleeve and a powerful background.

Only Michael Jackson possessed extraordinary talent and great fortune in his career, as well as some shrewdness and intelligence, but he was too soft-hearted, easy to talk to, and gullible.

His incomplete childhood made him overly obsessed with happiness, trust, and love between people. He would think of repaying even the slightest kindness from others and trying to maintain the relationship.

However, Jackson was surrounded by many sycophants and jackals who wanted to leech off him and exploit his fame. In this respect, Jackson was not as good as Gan Guoyang or Jordan.

Both Jordan and Gan Guoyang have their own extremely private cliques, and all decisions are made by these cliques. Their interests are highly intertwined, so there is virtually no possibility of them turning against each other.

There were too many people around Jackson, and they were a mixed bag. Many of them had ulterior motives. After all, the music industry is more complex than the sports industry, and there are more interests involved.

Old Tang treated Jackson quite well, but Gan Guoyang was still worried, so at the end of September he went to New York to attend a charity gala hosted by Old Tang.

The news that Gan Guoyang and Michael Jackson, two superstars in their respective fields, were present made the event shine, attracting countless reporters and greatly satisfying Lao Tang's vanity and sense of pride.

In the reception room, Gan Guoyang sat on the sofa to rest. He looked at his watch; there were still fifteen minutes left, and Michael hadn't arrived yet.

How is he planning to come? Is it like his concert, where he suddenly jumps out from underground and stands there posing for five minutes?

Or perhaps they would descend from the sky in a helicopter, slide down a rope ladder under the spotlight, and make a dazzling appearance on stage.
Who knows, this guy is acting all mysterious these days, he just wants to enjoy being alone and protect himself.

He just doesn't understand, or even if he did, he couldn't do it. For a celebrity like him to protect himself, he has to learn to hurt others first.

Just like Gan Guoyang's rampage on the basketball court, the world of fame and fortune is cruel, much crueler than the community, school, or small town.

As Gan Guoyang was thinking, he suddenly felt someone behind him. He turned around and saw a pair of big, fluttering eyes staring at him, their faces obscured by a mask.

"Who the hell is it?!"

Gan Guoyang was startled, cursed, and stood up to grab the man's head.

"Hey Sonny, it's me, it's me."

Upon hearing that soft, gentle voice, Gan Guoyang immediately realized it was Michael.

"Holy crap, Michael! When did you get here?!"

"It was about three minutes. I saw you were deep in thought, so I didn't disturb you."

"What are you thinking about? I'm just tired of waiting for you! You scared me to death."

"Sorry, Sonny, I startled you..."

Gan Guoyang waved his hand and said, "It's okay, it's okay, don't apologize. I've told you many times, don't apologize easily, no matter who it is, it will make you look weak, regardless of whether you are in the wrong or not!"

"Oh, yes, you said that... Sorry, I didn't hear you."

"...You really didn't listen. Never mind, how have you been lately?"

When asked how he had been lately, Jackson started talking non-stop, sitting on the sofa and chatting with Gan Guoyang.

He's been having some troubles lately; things aren't going well here, there's something wrong there, he has aches and pains, skin problems, and so on.

Gan Guoyang listened attentively. At this moment, Jackson was just like an ordinary office worker, but he had quite a few little troubles.

"I told you a long time ago that you should exercise more, play some ball, and improve your immunity."

"Oh no, Sonny, that would affect my flexibility when I dance... How about I teach you to dance?"

The two often argued about "exercising" and "dancing".

Gan Guoyang always made Jackson play ball and run to boost his immunity, which helped improve his skin condition.

Jackson always refused, citing that it would affect his dancing, while Gan Guoyang refused Jackson's dance instruction, claiming that he had no talent for dancing.

Countless people in this world would love to receive basketball training guidance from Gan Guoyang, and even more would love to learn to dance like Michael Jackson.

As a result, neither of them cherished the other, yet they still cared about each other.

"I... this might be a good idea."

When faced with Jackson's suggestion to dance, Gan Guoyang was about to refuse as usual.

But as he was about to say it, he suddenly changed his mind. He thought that Michael must be a little hurt by always turning him down.

What's wrong with learning to dance? Maybe it'll even improve your footwork around the basket?
So he actually agreed. Jackson didn't react at first, but after he did, he immediately jumped up from the sofa.

"Are you serious? You agreed? You agreed to learn to dance with me?"

"Yes, yes, I promise. But you also have to promise me that if you encounter any problems in the future, you'll come to me for advice as soon as possible, OK?"

"Alright, Sonny, how about we start the first lesson now? Let me see your muscle control!"

Gan Guoyang decided to make a sacrifice for his friend and venture into the field of dance, which he was least skilled at.

(End of this chapter)