The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 730 Evil Dragon
The Trail Blazers ended their road trip in the Southeast with a loss.

Losing to the Heat was disappointing, but still acceptable.

The fatigue from playing back-to-back away games, coupled with the opponent's meticulous preparation, gave them a reason to lose.

Bobby Bellman wanted to say something in the locker room after the game, but found he had nothing to say.

If this were a game they lost in the past when they were full of confidence and morale, he would have berated everyone on the team.

Point out each person's problems during the game, and then show the team members the edited videotapes repeatedly.

He would casually flip through his swear dictionary, pick out a few excerpts, and that would be enough to make the team members feel ashamed and strive to put on a great performance in the next game.

That's no longer the case. The Trail Blazers' long-standing winning streak and various unexpected events this season are tormenting them.

Even the mighty Forrest Gump could sense a hint of fatigue today.

The team as a whole entered a period of fatigue ahead of schedule, both mentally and physically.

After a series of away games, losing only one is already quite good.

Bellman himself was exhausted.

After the game, he had only one thought in his mind: to leave Miami as soon as possible.

He was going back to Portland, back to his home, where people were waiting for him.

The good news for the Trail Blazers is that the All-Star Game is coming.

With the season halfway through and the whole team exhausted, an All-Star game can give the players a small boost.

Gan Guoyang once again unsurprisingly secured the starting center position in the Western Conference All-Star Game and the title of All-Star vote leader.

Two three-peats and six championships have brought Gan Guoyang unparalleled benefits.

No matter how weak the Trail Blazers are right now, they are an invincible team in the eyes of their fans.

Besides Gan Guoyang, Petrovic and Reggie Lewis were also selected as All-Star reserves.

This year's Western Conference All-Star coach is the Phoenix Suns' new head coach, Paul Westphal.

This former Suns player is taking on the role of head coach for the first time.

He had previously worked as an assistant coach for the Suns.

When Fitzsimmons could no longer lead the Suns any further, Westfa took his place.

He is a passionate and very intelligent person.

His most memorable moment as a player was the 1976 Finals.

He was playing for the Suns in the NBA Finals against his former team, the Boston Celtics.

In the crucial fifth match, the two sides had drawn 2-2 after the first two games.

The two teams battled into a second overtime period, where John Havlicek scored a go-ahead goal in the final moments.

The Celtics lead 111-110.

At that moment, the timer at Boston Garden ran out, and the buzzer sounded.

Celtics fans stormed onto the court, signaling the end of the game.

The Suns protested, but the referees ruled that there were two seconds left in the game.

So the game continued, and the Celtics fans couldn't wait any longer.

Because of the two seconds, there's simply not enough time to attack when inbounding from the backcourt.

The Suns have not called a timeout, so the game will most likely end early.

Unless someone on them can hit a shot across the entire court like Jerry West.

The Suns were originally prepared to do this as a last-ditch effort.

But Paul Westphal exploited a loophole in the rules.

He called a timeout, and the referee gave the Suns a technical foul.

The Celtics took one free throw, and then possession returned to the Suns.

The Suns were able to inbound the ball from midcourt, and two seconds were enough to complete an offensive play.

As a result, Garfield Hyde caught the ball, turned around, and made a jump shot.

The Suns tied the game, forcing a third overtime.

Although the Suns ultimately lost the game in the third overtime and eventually lost the NBA Finals.

But the Suns' move to turn the game around using a non-existent timeout is still etched in NBA history.

After that game, the NBA changed the rules.

Calling a timeout without prior notice will not only result in a technical foul but also a loss of possession of the ball.

Paul Westphal's tactic became a legendary moment in NBA history.

After becoming the Phoenix Suns' head coach this season, Westphal immediately brought a new look to the team.

The Suns became the most energetic and passionate team in the entire league.

Charles Barkley also unleashed his full potential under Westphal's "release".

In the MVP rankings, Barkley is second only to Olajuwon.

For the first time in recent years, neither Forrest Gump nor Jordan are in the top two.

Of course, their popularity remains unparalleled.

They were neck and neck in the All-Star fan vote.

Gan Guoyang narrowly defeated Jordan to become the top vote-getter.

The 1993 All-Star Game had another unique feature:
This is the first time in NBA history that an All-Star Game has not included players from the Los Angeles Lakers or the Boston Celtics.

The two traditional powerhouses, the yellow and green, are inevitably heading towards decline in the new era.

The old team-building system of the previous era is already corrupt.

The management logic of the new era has become mainstream.

David Stern worked hard for 10 years to shape the NBA into the way he wanted it to be.

A vibrant, star-studded, and diverse grand league.

On February 19th, Gan Guoyang, Petrovic, and Lewis set off for Salt Lake City, the destination of the All-Star Game.

Salt Lake City hosted its first All-Star Game.

This place, which Americans consider desolate, remote, and isolated, has welcomed what may be the most star-studded lineup in NBA history.

Basketball has been deeply rooted in this city for over a decade, and the Jazz almost left because they couldn't survive here.

Larry Miller kept the Jazz in the game, and with the persistence of players like Stockton and Karl Malone, they improved steadily.

Their foundation is growing stronger throughout Utah.

Around the time of the All-Star Game, a blizzard struck Salt Lake City.

This is reportedly the heaviest snowfall in the Salt Lake City area this year.

When the players arrived at the airport, the wind and snow stung their faces.

It's no wonder that many NBA officials and players don't want the All-Star Game to be held in Utah.

The weather here is terrible, the food is bad, and the fun is terrible. It's not as comfortable as a sunny city.

Even though Chicago and New York were experiencing heavy snowfall, at least those two places had good conditions for eating, drinking, and having fun.

Moreover, it was previously agreed that the 1992 All-Star Game would be held in Orlando, but Portland took the spot instead.

Orlando should have an All-Star Game this year.

However, in order to expand the NBA market and enhance the influence of these small-town teams, Stern still decided to hold the All-Star Game in Salt Lake City.

After all, the decision to have Salt Lake City host the All-Star Game was made back in 1991.

As for Orlando, he'll just have to wait for the next opportunity.

After arriving at the hotel, Gan Guoyang called Stockton to ask him out for a meal and some fun.

But Stockton told him that he had a lot of fan events to attend during All-Star Weekend.

"With so much snow outside, what activity do you still want to participate in? We can't even go out. Are you going to help shovel snow?"

"You can rest at the hotel and take shelter from the snow, but I can't; this was arranged a long time ago."

Elsewhere, Stockton is always the unassuming one.

During the Barcelona Olympics, he rode the subway with his family, and no one recognized him as a Dream Team star.

But in Salt Lake City, Stockton is a true superstar.

Stockton will be involved in a large number of community events and fan activities.

It's not easy for a team to survive and operate in a city.

A team can gain the support and recognition of its fans simply by wearing a jersey with the city's name on it.

Before the widespread adoption and development of live television broadcasting, NBA teams were essentially no different from circuses or comedy troupes.

If you want to sell tickets and attract fans to the stadium to watch the game, you need to go deep into the community to promote yourself.

Get up close and personal with people who love basketball, get them to love the game, and come to the court to support the team.

Then, use outstanding performances on the field to win over fans and turn them into long-term supporters.

All NBA teams, especially those established before the 80s, have gone through a difficult and arduous journey to get where they are today.

The Portland Trail Blazers had such a difficult start-up period.

The business environment for the Utah Jazz is even worse.

Salt Lake City has a small population and a large, conservative Mormon community.

The number of media outlets is small, national attention is low, and commercial value is very low.

The only advantage here is that there are no competitors.

The Jazz are the only ones here, there are no other teams like them.

"Do you want to come to Sunny with me?"

"I'm not a Jazz player... Can you give me more money?"

"This is a charity event, so there's no money involved. But the free lunch is an activity organized by the welfare home."

"Okay, okay, free lunch! I'll go."

"Really? My God, I'll have them get ready..."

Gan Guoyang said it was because of the free lunch program, but he actually went there after hearing about the welfare home.

Gan Guoyang tries his best to participate in any activities organized by the welfare home.

He enjoyed being with lonely children, bringing them brief moments of joy.

So he braved the wind and snow and went to the address Stockton had given him.

As expected, Gan Guoyang's arrival caused a sensation in the community.

People from the surrounding area of ​​the welfare home, as well as local councilors, all came over.

These children, who are usually quite lonely, are very happy to see such a lively scene.

Gan Guoyang patiently signed autographs and took photos with each child.

For a long time to come, his photo will hang in the welfare home.

Each time a different person visits, it is brought out and introduced.

That evening, the Stockton family treated the Gan family to dinner at a very nice restaurant in Salt Lake City.

Looking at the prices on the menu, Gan Guoyang asked, "John, this is very expensive. Are you going to pay?"

Stockton replied quietly, “I have a coupon for this place, 50% off. And they have a buy-one-get-one-free promotion for the All-Star game. Also, since you're dining here, the owner decided to give you a free bottle of wine.”

Gan Guoyang knew that Stockton would try to save money on meals whenever possible.

Even though he is now an NBA All-Star player with an annual income of millions of dollars, being stingy is ingrained in his bones.

He finds pleasure in this; it's his way of life.

On February 20, the league held a three-point shooting contest and a dunk contest.

These two competitions have a long history.

The real star players have started refusing to participate in such performances.

The dunk contest has become a stage for minor players to showcase their physical abilities and talents.

In official competitions, they can only play supporting roles.

The dunk contest gave them a chance to showcase themselves.

They're lucky and strong enough to get exposure in front of the fans.

It will leave a significant mark on the history of the NBA.

More importantly, there are the prize money and the opportunity to get some endorsements.

As for the three-point contest, it has become the crown that shooters compete for.

Since Bird retired and Gan Guoyang and Jordan stopped participating in the Three-Point Contest, the show has become less entertaining.

Ultimately, Harold Miner, a relatively unknown player for the Miami Heat, won the Slam Dunk Contest.

Cleveland Cavaliers star Mark Price won the Three-Point Contest—he's already a relatively big name in the competition, as Price is a backup point guard for this year's Eastern Conference All-Star team.

Before the main event, there's an appetizer: the Legends Match.

Retired stars are back on the court, putting on an exhibition basketball game for seniors.

However, this competition, like its participating players, is about to come to an end in its professional career.

Firstly, like leaders, star athletes are forgotten once they leave the game.

New fans aren't as interested in veteran stars.

Especially for veteran players from the 70s and 80s, their image wasn't well-developed to begin with, and their fan base wasn't solid.

Many new fans were just getting into the fandom in the 90s and wanted to see Jordan, Forrest Gump, Olajuwon, and Robinson.

Those old guys whose names they don't know and who they've never seen play, they can just reminisce about them verbally.

Paying to watch them play is really pointless.

If they could put on a great performance, why would they need to retire?

Therefore, sentimentality is the least valuable thing; it's just something to reminisce about.

They wanted to sell the tickets and make money from them, but very few people actually bought them.

People still prefer to see fresh, current content.

The second reason is that official matches take a huge toll on these old guys.

Even in an exhibition match, which lasts 48 minutes, everyone involved was once a top player, so the intensity won't be low.

In particular, the team often has lunatics like Rick Barry.

When playing in the Legends tournament, I also wanted to win, so I pushed myself to the limit.

As a result, some veterans were injured during the game, some even with serious injuries.

David Thompson and Norm Nixon were injured at last year's Legends tournament.

Even without injury, these old guys who haven't had high-intensity training and competition for a long time feel like they've died after a match, often lying in the bathtub or bed unable to move for half a day.

Therefore, after this All-Star Game, the Legends Game came to an end in the NBA.

Of course, another very important reason is that NBA star salaries have increased.

Most of the NBA stars who will retire in the future will be millionaires or even billionaires.

They no longer need to risk injury to play in order to earn appearance fees.

The All-Star Game will take place on the evening of February 21st.

Magic Johnson was invited to serve as a commentator on the sidelines for this game.

His co-stars were Mike Fratello and Dick Enberg.

Before the match began, they were arguing about two issues:

Can Michael Jordan win another championship?

And whether Shaquille O'Neal can surpass Forrest Gump and become an even greater center.

Regarding the first question, Magic Johnson is optimistic, saying:
"I believe Michael will win a championship one day, and Forrest won't win forever. This year's Trail Blazers are very weak, I can feel it, they lost a lot of important games."

"I beat the Trail Blazers twice with the Lakers and once in the Olympics. Beating Forrest Gump's team is very difficult, very, very difficult. You have to give it your all and you also need some luck."

"Lady Luck will be on Michael's side someday."

According to Magic Johnson, this year's Finals will likely be another showdown between the Trail Blazers and the Bulls.

The Heat and the Suns are on fire, but they seem to be missing something.

As for the second question, Magic Johnson's answer was very affirmative:
"Impossible. Shaq is excellent, with unprecedented potential, but he can't surpass Forrest Gump."

"Forrest Gump was only 28 years old, and his achievements were already amazing. To be honest, I wouldn't dare to write a novel like that."

“Shaq could target Karim first; I think that would be more realistic.”

In Johnson's view, targeting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a more realistic idea.

After all, it's extremely difficult to surpass Gan Guoyang, whose accumulated achievements are already quite remarkable.

"Even if Forrest Gump retires immediately, he will still be the greatest basketball player of all time, even Bill Russell."

After years of battling Gan Guoyang, Johnson, who was forced to retire, has been completely impressed by Gan Guoyang.

Two three-peats are an achievement that is terrifying just to imagine with your eyes closed.

Especially players like Johnson who have experienced the tough and brutal NBA schedule, faced off against Forrest Gump, and both won and lost.

The fact that Shaquille O'Neal was compared to Gan Guoyang during his rookie season is already a success.

He is the second rookie to start an All-Star game, following Michael Jordan and Gan Guoyang in 1985.

He successfully displaced Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon from their starting positions in the Eastern Conference.

This shows just how popular he is among fans.

Based on past practice, Hakeem Olajuwon will most likely be the starter this year.

But Shaquille O'Neal, the monster who could break rims with his dunks, was too popular.

He was also much more interesting in terms of personality than the increasingly quiet and composed Hakeem Olajuwon.

Shaquille O'Neal is a representative of the new era of basketball stars, with a strong hip-hop style.

This made O'Neal very popular among young Black people, and naturally, he received a lot of votes.

Meanwhile, due to Shaquille O'Neal's rise, Patrick Ewing almost missed this All-Star game.

Ultimately, it was Eastern Conference coach Pat Riley who specifically requested Ewing, bypassing Daugherty, which allowed Ewing to stay home and miss the All-Star Game.

Before the game started, the star players gathered in the locker room to prepare.

This is Gan Guoyang's ninth time participating in the All-Star Game, making him a veteran in the sport.

When he walked into the locker room, everyone stopped for a moment.

They stared at Forrest Gump, and those who knew him better would come up and hug him.

Younger players like Danny Manning, Dan Mallley, and Shawn Elliott all seemed quite awkward.

Stockton made room for Gan Guoyang to sit down.

Gan Guoyang joked with Stockton, "John, how about we let you win the All-Star MVP this time?"

Stockton paused, then quickly said, "Oh no, I'm not interested in MVP. Besides..."

"What are you saying? This year is Salt Lake City's All-Star Game, the MVP should be yours."

"The Chicago All-Star game didn't even go to Jordan."

At the Chicago All-Star Game, everyone hoped that the MVP would go to Jordan.

But in the end, Gan Guoyang stepped in and snatched the MVP award from Jordan.

"Then you and Karl can both win it, two MVPs, which would perfectly suit your team's style."

Malone, standing to the side, said coldly, "MVP isn't given away, it's earned."

Malone has never been happy about the deep friendship between Gan Guoyang and Stockton.

In media promotion, Malone and Stockton are an inseparable duo.

The Jazz are a very consistent team.

Larry Miller and the two promised that they would continue to work together.

In the past two years, Stockton and Malone have become increasingly adept at playing together on the court.

The two players executed countless pick-and-roll plays.

But some experts always say, "Forrest Gump was Stockton's best partner."

After all, they had won the NCAA championship together before.

Stockton and Malone have never won a championship.

They've never even made it to the finals; they still need to work harder.

This year's All-Star Game will be held in Salt Lake City, with Malone and Stockton playing at home.

But as soon as Gan Guoyang entered the locker room, he immediately became the center of attention, which made Ma Long very unhappy. Then Gan Guoyang said something about being MVP, which made Ma Long even more uncomfortable.

Although Stockton is older, the Jazz's core player is actually Malone.

Whether it's data or tactical arrangements, Malone is the true pivot point.

Stockton is slightly inferior to Malone in terms of statistics and impact.

If an MVP award is to be given to a Jazz player at this All-Star Game, it should go to Malone.

Of course, having two MVPs is indeed a good option.

That's exactly what the league is thinking.

Hearing what Ma Long said, Gan Guoyang nodded in agreement and said, "You're right, Karl. The MVP is earned, not given away. How about we compete for it tonight?"

After Gan Guoyang said that, Ma Long fell silent again.

Ma Long is as bullying as ever, always picking on the weak and fearing the strong.

He was aggressive and domineering in front of ordinary players.

But when he encounters a few stubborn, reckless individuals, or a king like Gan Guoyang, this guy transforms into a Louisiana boy and cowers.

Stockton gave Gan Guoyang a light kick, signaling him not to make things difficult for Ma Long.

At that moment, Charles Barkley walked in.

The previously somewhat stiff atmosphere in the locker room immediately changed.

Barkley came over first and gave Gan Guoyang a bear hug.

Then, he pulled out a hamburger from somewhere and handed it to Gan Guoyang.

"I'll give you one, I can't finish it all."

"Did you pull that out of your crotch? I'm not eating it."

“I saved these especially for you! I’ve already eaten more than twenty of them. I’ve been controlling my weight this season; I’m on a diet.”

Gan Guoyang knew that Barkley was right; he was indeed controlling his weight.

Normally he can eat more than thirty, so more than twenty is really too little.

Barkley is the only person who, while sharing a room with Forrest Gump, managed to steal the spotlight from him.

There's no way around it, this guy is just too talkative, and he always manages to say something outrageous.

He noticed that more than half of the players in the locker room were Black, and he joked:

"There are only 15 Black millionaires in the entire United States, and half of them are in this locker room."

"At the same time, we also have all the world's yellow-skinned sports superstars here, all of them, everything."

When asked about the All-Star Game MVP, Barkley said, "I don't care, all I want this year is the regular season MVP!"

"Hakim has no reason to be higher than me; he's a traitor!"

"You're not a traitor?"

“I’m not, I’m not from Washington. Hakim is different, he’s from Houston.”

In short, this guy just keeps rambling on and on.

Being with him is not annoying at all; on the contrary, it's quite pleasant.

With him around, whether it's a journey or a competition, things are always more enjoyable.

Barkley has been excellent in every aspect this season.

His relationship, life, and playing on the court have all entered a stable phase.

Aside from his still-big mouth, he's matured a lot in every other way.

Before the All-Star break, the Phoenix Suns had already secured the top spot in the Western Conference.

They left the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, and San Antonio Spurs behind.

If it weren't for Hakeem Olajuwon's dazzling performance in Miami, Charles Barkley would have been ranked number one for MVP this season.

Of course, the season isn't completely over yet, and Barkley still has a chance, including a shot at the championship.

The games tonight were much more intense than the previous All-Star games.

Both sides seem determined to win the All-Star MVP award.

The starting lineup for the East is Jordan, O'Neal, Drexler, Pippen, and Isaiah Thomas.

This will be Thomas's last All-Star appearance in his career.

Just a few years ago, this Pistons leader was still making waves in the league.

In just one or two years, as the Pistons' strength declined, he gradually faded from the league's radar.

Chuck Daly resigned and left, Laimbeer aged, and Melvin Tppin started to gain weight.

In fact, the core of the Pistons is still there, and Thomas is only 31 years old, which should be the peak of a player's career.

But ever since he was excluded from the Dream Team by Jordan and others at the 1992 Olympics, Thomas's spirit has collapsed.

Coupled with league suppression, the Pistons' vicious playing style was suppressed, and they were completely eliminated from the championship race.

His smile isn't as charming as it used to be, and this year the Pistons are even struggling to make the playoffs.

When Gan Guoyang went to Detroit for the game, he could feel that the Pistons, like the city, were heading towards ruin.

Bill Laimbeer's trash talk and dirty tricks all seemed so weak and meaningless.

It was like the unreasonable tantrums of elementary school students; Gan Guoyang couldn't be bothered to get entangled with them.

Isaiah Thomas did not play for long during the game.

Pat Riley quickly substituted him off the court, replacing him with Mark Price.

Price and Jordan were a better pairing, and Jordan played very aggressively tonight.

In response, Gan Guoyang also unleashed his full potential during his limited playing time.

Especially at the most crucial and intense moments of the competition.

Faced with Jordan's outstanding shooting performance tonight, the Western Conference team is already behind.

Gan Guoyang started playing pick-and-roll with Stockton.

In three consecutive offensive plays, Gan Guoyang executed pick-and-rolls at the top of the key, twice cutting inside to score and once receiving the ball outside to hit a three-pointer!
This three-pointer helped the Western Conference All-Stars tie the game!

With Jordan missing his final shot, the game went into overtime.

In overtime, Jordan and Gan Guoyang scored again.

Jordan delivered a beautiful pass to Olajuwon.

Hakeem Olajuwon made a hook shot.

Gan Guoyang immediately completed an alley-oop with Stockton.

He slammed home a two-handed dunk, taking the lead.

The competition has reached a fever pitch.

Both are among the league's top stars.

Especially Gan Guoyang, Jordan, Olajuwon, and Barkley.

They are all among the best in history in terms of individual offensive skills.

The two teams put on an exceptionally high-quality offensive and defensive battle.

The coaches on both sides also began to take things seriously, deploying their troops and arranging their formations.

Riley brought in his favorite player Drexler and had Pippen play power forward to help defend against Forrest Gump.

Gan Guoyang blocked Hakeem Olajuwon's turnaround jump shot on defense.

He then immediately took the ball and launched a counterattack, dodging Jordan's attempt to steal it.

A long pass to the frontcourt, where Charles Barkley received the ball, pushed past the defense, and scored a layup.

Jordan immediately broke through and passed the ball to Drexler, who then hit a three-pointer!
Drexler's three-point shooting has been improving.

Despite his overall mediocre performance this season, he delivered the best three-pointer of his career.

Then Pippen assisted Olajuwon in double-teaming Gan Guoyang, causing Gan Guoyang's jump shot to miss.

The Eastern Conference team launched a counterattack, with Jordan dribbling past his opponent with a series of crossovers before cutting into the middle.

Reggie Lewis rushed in from the wing and deflected Jordan's shot in mid-air.

Stockton gets the ball and launches a quick counter-attack, giving the Eastern Conference a one-point lead.

The Western team has a chance to win the game with a last-minute goal.

Gan Guoyang and Karl Malone are both running forward.

Stockton hesitated for a moment, but still made a long pass to Karl Malone.

Malone received the ball and drove straight to the basket, but his layup attempt was blocked by Hakeem Olajuwon, who was chasing after him!

However, Gan Guoyang arrived, grabbed the offensive rebound, and with a light touch in mid-air, scored on the putback!

With only 2.1 seconds left, it's difficult to mount an attack.

The biggest problem is that the Eastern Conference All-Stars have run out of timeouts.

In overtime, Lai used two timeouts.

One time, tactics are deployed; the other time, players are substituted.

But Riley seemed to have forgotten that it was, after all, the All-Star Game.

There was no coaching staff behind him to remind him that he had used up his timeout.

So he called another timeout, and the referee called a technical foul on him.

After calling the timeout, Riley looked dejected, realizing that the timeout was over.

According to the current rules, the Western team will receive two penalties and one throw.

This completely dashed the hopes of the Eastern Army.

Gan Guoyang, representing the Western team, took two free throws and made both.

At this point, his score had reached 28 points, the highest in the team.

His score surpassed Karl Malone's.

As is customary, the All-Star MVP award will go to Gan Guoyang.

After the second free throw was made, the West team took the throw-in.

Stockton got the ball, and then the game ended.

The West team defeated the East team 134-131, a 3-point advantage.

This All-Star Game was arguably one of the most exciting in recent years.

Both sides were serious and displayed an extremely high level of offensive and defensive skills.

Salt Lake City fans are unhappy now, because Forrest Gump has once again snatched the MVP award.

But such a wonderful match still made the fans applaud and cheer.

When the awards ceremony came, David Stern gave everyone a surprise.

He announced that tonight's All-Star MVP award would be given to two players.

One of them is Gan Guoyang, who scored the highest points for the team with 28 points.

The other award goes to Stockton, who recorded a game-high 15 assists.

Two college classmates shared the All-Star MVP award.

This is only the second time in NBA history that the All-Star MVP award has been shared.

The last time this happened was in 1959, when Elgin Baylor of the Lakers and Bob Pettit of the Hawks jointly lifted the All-Star MVP trophy.

This time, Stockton and Gan Guoyang lifted the AMVP trophy together.

Stockton smiled and said, "It's been almost 10 years since we last lifted the trophy together."

"Yes, it's been 10 years. Time flies, John."

The last time the two lifted a trophy together was in the 1984 NCAA final.

Afterwards, they served different masters, but their friendship never ceased; in fact, it grew even stronger.

David Stern posed for a photo with them and gave them the title of "Stars of Stars".

However, Stern whispered to Gan Guoyang, "You're going to try and steal this MVP? You should know who it was originally meant for."

The league had made preparations before the game, and if the Western Conference team won, the MVP would be awarded to Stockton and Malone.

During the game, the star players will also put on a show to let Malone and Stockton get the best stats.

Who knew that both sides would really get serious in the end, and Gan Guoyang took over the game without any hesitation.

Gan Guoyang scored the highest points, so it wouldn't be appropriate to give the MVP to Ma Long.

Let's just give it to Forrest Gump and Stockton; there's precedent for that.

Gan Guoyang glanced at Ma Long, who looked unhappy not far away, and said, "Some people say that the MVP is earned through skill, so of course I have to earn one."

"Besides, I didn't even take the MVP award from Portland last year. Didn't I give it to Charles?"

"It's more interesting to win the MVP award by hand."

David Stern rolled his eyes at Gan Guoyang.

To be honest, David Stern was somewhat troubled.

He has been in office for almost 10 years, from 1984 to now.

Players like Forrest Gump and Michael Jordan followed him and witnessed the NBA's great leap forward.

Gan Guoyang, in particular, with six championships, became a star player during Stern's tenure.

The image of the NBA is now deeply intertwined with that of a Chinese person.

The international situation in 1993 was different from that in the 80s.

Americans are the true world superpowers; they can attack whomever they want without hesitation.

After successfully ending the Gulf War, Clinton took office in 1992, and they turned their guns on Somalia.

The Americans have begun to interfere in Somalia's internal affairs; in short, they are playing the role of the world's policeman.

Public confidence is soaring, yet the NBA, an American league, has a foreigner as its first player.

Although Gan Guoyang was considered a star player cultivated by the United States, his participation in the 1992 Olympics shattered many people's "fantasies".

Regardless of who trained him, he is a genuine Chinese player who will compete for his country.

The previous "Anti-Gan Alliance" was just between players and limited to the field.

This season, it's become increasingly apparent that fans in more and more cities are joining the "anti-Gansu" movement.

ESPN conducted a poll before and after the All-Star Game.

The survey shows that more than 80 percent of respondents said they did not want to see Forrest Gump and the Portland Trail Blazers win another championship.

Gan Guoyang still has many supporters, and wherever he goes, crowds gather and cheer him on.

But among the larger, more silent fan base, Forrest Gump is no longer seen as a brave warrior who challenges everything.

He has become a complete and utter dragon, a dragon that everyone secretly hopes to defeat.

Gan Guoyang was aware of this, of course, and he didn't mind being a dragon.

The brave must eventually become dragons, just like slaves who have plucked the golden branch and must fight their whole lives to protect it.

He had long accepted his fate on the field, and was committed to and loved the game.

After the All-Star Game, the players had a day or two to rest and regroup.

At this point, in order to defeat Gan Guoyang, this evil dragon, the Phoenix Suns made a trade before the trade deadline.

The Suns traded center Sam Bowie and two first-round draft picks to the Pistons in exchange for John Salley.

The Suns acquired Bowie in a trade specifically to counter Forrest Gump.

But Bowie's performance has declined significantly this season, and injuries have ultimately taken their toll on his fragile legs.

He played less and less with the Suns, and no longer had a place in Paul Westphal's faster and more flexible system.

The Pistons are already preparing for a rebuild; Bowie is just there to balance salaries, the important thing is the two draft picks.

The Suns have given their all, hoping to build a better team this year to challenge the Portland Trail Blazers' dominance.

Whether it was the West's Suns or the East's Heat, they all sensed the Trail Blazers' weakness.

This year may be their best chance to overthrow Forrest Gump's reign of terror, and all teams have begun recruiting.

In contrast, the Trail Blazers remained unchanged and did not make any major adjustments.

Jerry West's main task during this period was to rescue Jerome Kossie.

To restore the Trail Blazers' reputation in the community and stabilize morale within the team.

Gan Guoyang knew that the current situation was even more dangerous than when he won his first three-peat in 1988.

At that time, the team was riddled with internal conflicts, and there was a rotten smell permeating from top to bottom.

But the Trail Blazers were very young in 1988, and the players were in great form.

However, the championship brought complacency and disloyalty—as expected, Drexler left after winning the title.

Moreover, apart from the Los Angeles Lakers, the Trail Blazers did not encounter any worthy opponents in the playoffs.

This season is different; the players are no longer young, and their performance fluctuates.

The deterioration of these objective conditions is worse than the decay of one's mindset.

Mindset is something that can be quickly shifted and solidified; a victory or a speech can have the same effect.

Only objective conditions, such as the players' form and skill level, will truly lead to a decline once they drop.

Terry Porter, Jerome Cahill, and Domantas Sabonis are all not at their best for various reasons.

Fortunately, Petrovic and Lewis, two promising young players, have developed into All-Stars this year.

This allows the Trail Blazers to remain highly competitive in the Western Conference.

Of course, the most fundamental one is still Forrest Gump.

His health and condition are everything.

During the All-Star break, the Trail Blazers conducted a routine health check on Gan Guoyang.

After the examination, the team doctor said, "Forrest Gump can use this report to refuse to pay for medical insurance; it's a complete waste of money."

His body parts are working well; his muscles and joints are in very good condition.

Years of fighting have certainly left some wounds, but none of them are serious.

Some minor injuries can even make certain parts of the body stronger.

Nietzsche's saying, "That which does not kill me makes me stronger," is undoubtedly well exemplified in Gan Guoyang's life.

Physical health alone was not enough; Gan Guoyang also underwent a mental health check.

The Trail Blazers specially invited Dr. Ogilvy, who had previously worked for the team, to meet with Gan Guoyang.

When Gan Guoyang first arrived at the Trail Blazers in 1984, Dr. Ogilvy tested him.

At that time, Gan Guoyang achieved the highest score in the test, making him an unparalleled champion-level athlete.

After Jack Ramsey resigned and left, Ogilvy also left Portland and went to San Francisco.

He teaches at the University of San Jose and provides sports psychology services to the San Francisco 49ers.

However, Ogilvy has always said that he has never met a player who can compare to Forrest Gump.

Gan Guoyang first chatted with the doctor for a while, then talked about life and competitions, and finally took the test.

A short while later, Ogilvy gave the results, saying, "Forrest Gump, you are still very healthy and mentally strong. You have hardly changed over the years."

"Something has changed; I have a lot more rings on my hands now."

"Haha, I hope he gets more. But I want to ask you... has the ring become a source of anxiety for you?"

"Anxiety? The ring, you mean I'm like those dragons guarding treasure, worried that the ring will be stolen?"

“Yes, the test results show that you have no problems. But… I have some intuition that tells me you have some anxiety deep down.”

Gan Guoyang was silent for a moment before replying, "Doctor, I do have things I'm anxious about, but not because of the ring."

"Not for the ring?"

"I love championships and victories, but they won't hold me back. I enjoy the pursuit of championships, not clinging to them. What I truly want to hold onto is..."

Gan Guoyang remained silent, and Ogilvy did not press the matter further.

He grasped Gan Guoyang's hand and said, "Now is everything. I hope to witness your successful ascent to the top again, Gan."

Gan Guoyang smiled and firmly grasped the doctor's hand.

With the All-Star Game over, the playoffs are just around the corner.

With a month and a half to go, Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers are about to make another run for the championship.

They have reached the summit time and time again, so what is the point of continuing to climb?
It's just like climbing a mountain; the reason we climb mountains is simply because the mountain is there.

The championship is right there, how can we not strive for it?

(End of this chapter)