The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 74 Security

In the final minutes, the Bulldogs gave Dayton a chance to close the gap, much like in the 1967 NCAA Final Four.

In the 80s, when there were no three-pointers, the pace of the offense was slow, and the shot clock was long, a 15-point difference was an insurmountable barrier.

At the moment the game ended, Dayton University's NCAA journey this year came to a close.

For senior players, their college basketball career may have come to an end (unless they are invited to play in NIT after finishing the NCAA, in which case it is not over yet).

The Bulldog players rushed onto the field, and everyone hugged and cheered, as happy as a group of children weighing over 200 pounds.

Some of the Dayton University players squatted on the ground, while others sat on the sidelines with their heads drooping. Most of them covered their eyes, tears streaming down their faces.

This is the single-elimination NCAA national tournament: win and you advance, lose and you go home, and some people who lose will never be able to return to this court.

Given Dayton's strength this year, they could have gone much further if they hadn't encountered Bulldog, or rather, if they hadn't encountered Gan Guoyang.

Facing a superstar center and being defeated by a superstar center seems to have become their destiny.

After the match, Coach Donoch politely shook hands with Berman and congratulated them on advancing to the next round.

Berman tried hard to contain his excitement, because advancing to the next round meant they had made it into the Sweet Round of 16!
In theory, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have already completed their national competition mission.

Back in the locker room celebrating, Dan Fitzgerald was so excited he was almost incoherent, saying, "We can buy tickets back to Spokane now! There are boats waiting for us on the River Spokane! We want a parade! We want flowers! We are the kings of Spokane!"

Steve Deron reminded him that making it to the top 16 wouldn't qualify him for a river swim; he had to win the championship.

Everyone was very excited, and the locker room entrance was crowded with reporters and fans who wanted to get in touch with Gan Guoyang.

Security measures at stadiums were not as strict in the 70s and 80s, and fans and reporters frequently came and went in the backfield.

Reporters can interview a player without applying in advance, going through multiple security checks, or queuing.

If you manage to catch someone near the locker room, exchange a few pleasantries, and if the player is agreeable, you can find a place to sit down or stand against a wall to start a conversation.

Since Dan Fitz's last open training session with the media, the bulldog has stopped resisting reporters and has instead cooperated with interviews in an orderly manner, maintaining a good relationship with the media.

This shows Fitz's long-term perspective. Right now, Gan is certainly a hot commodity, but Gan Guoyang will one day move to a higher stage, perhaps very soon.

How to leverage Gan's influence to improve Gonzaga University's reputation and standing among the media and fans, thereby benefiting future student recruitment, is something Fitz must consider.

However, Fitz was still very careful to protect Gan Guoyang. If he did not want to be interviewed or felt harassed, Fitz would definitely ask the reporters to leave and refuse all media activities.

Gan Guoyang was in a good mood today and chatted with several reporters. Just as he was about to leave, he heard someone shout, "Ah Gan, Ah Gan!"

Gan Guoyang looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young man wearing sunglasses, a plaid shirt and bell-bottoms squeezing toward the locker room. It turned out to be his teammate "Big Bear" Wu Zhixiong from the Water Bell team.

"Big Bear! I remember you studied in Los Angeles, right? What are you doing in Salt Lake City?" Gan Guoyang pulled Wu Zhixiong into the locker room.

"Oh, of course I'm here on behalf of everyone to watch your match." Wu Zhixiong looks much thinner than he did two years ago.

"Stop bluffing me, what's the matter? Are you here on a mission?" Gan Guoyang saw Wu Zhixiong holding a small notebook and guessed that the guy must be here to conduct an interview.

Wu Zhixiong smiled and said, "Nothing can be hidden from you, boss. I am indeed here to interview you."

Wu Zhixiong briefly explained that he is currently a freelance reporter for a newspaper in Los Angeles, conducting interviews and reporting on NCAA matters.

The newspaper took advantage of his status as Gan Guoyang's former teammate and sent him to Salt Lake City to see if he could dig up any information.

He missed his chance yesterday, but finally managed to squeeze in after the competition ended today.

Out of friendship with his teammates and classmates, Gan Guoyang agreed to an interview, answered a few questions, and then let another reporter in to take a few photos of the two of them.

After successfully completing his mission, Da Xiong said to Gan Guoyang, "Hey boss, do you know who our next opponent is?"

"I know, Duke. What, do you have some inside information?" "Not exactly inside information, more like a private conversation between us. From what I understand, Duke isn't a good team; they play dirty. Next time you go to Los Angeles, be extremely careful!"

I had heard of Duke Gan Guoyang. Their coach, Old K, later became very famous in the American coaching world, but in 1984 he was still a rising star, Little Kalam.

"Hey, explain yourself clearly, how exactly is it bad?"

"From the court to the sidelines, from the players to the fans, it's all bad! But I only heard the specifics from others. Anyway, I'm just reminding you. When you're in Los Angeles, people from your school will be coming to watch your games, so you'd better do your best!"

Gan Guoyang felt warm inside from his old classmate's concern. At the same time, he also took Da Xiong's words to heart. Gan Guoyang was always a person who was relaxed on the outside but tense on the inside, and he was very meticulous.

Some matches look easy to win, and in fact, they really are easy.

For some competitions, especially important ones, Gan Guoyang would start paying attention to everything related to the competition very early on.

Wu Zhixiong's reminder today made him realize that the battle against Duke would not be so simple.

With no red-eye flights available, the Bulldogs spent another night in Salt Lake City on the 17th, and everyone was too excited to sleep.

After finishing his phone call with his girlfriend, Stockton went to Gan Guoyang's room and insisted on sleeping with him, saying he couldn't sleep and wanted to chat with him, and that he could sleep on the floor.

Gan Guoyang had been entitled to a single room since the away trip in August, but Stockton has now ruined that privilege.

Stockton lay on the ground, mumbled a few words in a daze, and then fell asleep.

Actually, he was very tired at night, both physically and mentally.

He only felt safe and could fall asleep quickly when Gan Guoyang was around.

Gan Guoyang sat on the bed with the light on, finished writing the letter to Wang Fuxi, and then turned off the light and went to sleep.

On the morning of the 18th, the Bulldogs boarded a plane and left Salt Lake City, returning to Spokane.

On the 21st, they flew to Los Angeles to prepare for the next round of matches.

Gan Guoyang and UCLA have a real connection; this year's Western Conference Round of 16 competition was held at UCLA's Poly Arena.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, there will be a game between Georgetown and Las Vegas University, followed by a game between Gonzaga and Duke in the evening.

The players were accommodated at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, a five-star hotel in Los Angeles, much better than the run-down motels they had stayed in during their previous away games.

On the evening of the 22nd, the day before the competition, Berman asked everyone to rest early, eat dinner, and stay in their rooms instead of going out.

The Bulldog players were very obedient; after dinner, they went back to their rooms in twos and threes.

But Stockton and McAfee were approached by a man and a woman who claimed to be Los Angeles reporters. They praised Stockton and McAfee and invited them to sit down for an exclusive interview.

Stockton and McAfee felt awkward refusing, and since it was still early, they sat down together and chatted with the two reporters—of course, the female reporter's beautiful appearance and alluring figure must have played a role as well.

Upstairs, Gan Guoyang was looking for Stockton, but no one answered his door. Knowing that the two of them were still being interviewed, he went downstairs to look for them and found the four of them chatting in the coffee shop.

The female reporter ordered four cocktails and was about to offer some to Stockton and McPhee.

Gan Guoyang stepped forward and told Stockton and McPhee to leave and go back to rest.

Then he grabbed the male reporter by the collar and pulled him out of his seat, saying, "I know you're not a reporter. I can tell at a glance. If you're going to try anything funny, don't blame me for being impolite."

As he spoke, he let go, and the so-called "male reporter" immediately slumped in his seat. The female reporter was terrified, and the two quickly paid the bill and left the coffee shop.

Stockton and McAfee were completely bewildered. Gan Guoyang explained, "I've dealt with quite a few reporters since high school. I can tell them apart by their looks and demeanor at a glance. These two are obviously students trying to fool you. Don't be fooled. Go back and rest, you two rookies."

Thank you to the reader of "Dota 2" for the patronage. Boss, you're being foolish! One patronage is enough to read many books. I hope all readers will consume rationally and not impulsively. If you regret your purchase, contact me for a half refund.

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(End of this chapter)