The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 753 Loyal Portland
People never stay the same, and neither does a team.

One day, when the key figures in the team cease to fulfill their responsibilities, the team, having lost its core, will be unable to unite.

The core can also collapse for various other reasons, such as aging, fatigue, the accumulation of negative emotions, or the unbearable burden that life and fate impose on it.

In short, whatever the reason, if the core can no longer unite people, the corresponding team will also be unable to provide positive feedback to the core—trust, loyalty, and a sense of security.

Even more so, the core could become the center of resentment and the root of all conflict.

Take my Hollywood friend Robert Downes as an example.

Donald is an Oscar-winning screenwriter who brought us the great film "Chinatown".

After that, everyone hoped for a sequel, with Jack Nicholson once again playing the unforgettable private detective Jack Gistle.

So, Robert Downey Jr., along with Jack Nicholson, producer and actor Robert Evans, prepared to start filming the second installment of the Chinatown movie.

In 1974, they successfully collaborated on Chinatown, and in 1990 they named the film Return to Chinatown, hoping to create another success.

Evans will play an important role in the film.

However, not long after filming began, Don painfully concluded that Evans was not up to the task.

Production was abruptly halted, resulting in millions of dollars in losses and a protracted legal battle.

No one is a winner. Evans lost because his role was replaced, and Don lost because he was no longer part of the team when the film was rebooted.

Nicholson lost because taking on the roles of director, producer, and lead actor simultaneously was too difficult for him.

The public and the studios also lost, because Return to Chinatown was not a true sequel to Chinatown, and the film failed to reach the heights of its predecessor.

In the process, a quarter-century of friendship and the hard work and effort of the film company employees were all wasted and wasted.

When individuals deviate from their own path, a team composed of individuals will also lose motivation and direction, especially the core individual.

I also have a friend named Dr. Lou Richfield, who is a psychotherapist and team therapist in California.

"When a team has no goals, or when the leader does not have clearly defined goals, the team will break down."

The doctor firmly believes that "the goal must be deeply rooted, otherwise people will start to operate like independent parts in this system that truly requires cooperation, which will undoubtedly lead to division."

From 1993 to 1995, the Miami Heat shared a common goal: the championship. Together, we climbed to the top.

However, starting in 1996, our core leadership gradually collapsed, the team broke apart, and we no longer had a clear goal.

In the same year, Sonny Gan returned to the court. Before that, he had already won seven championships. He has always been amazing at how he maintains his leadership.

How the Trail Blazers maintain their focus on championships and victories is a question I've been studying for many years.

One thing is certain: he is steadfast, the strongest, and the most unshakeable core.

He is the least likely person to change.

—Excerpt from Pat Riley's 1998 New York Times bestseller, *The Winner Within*.

July arrived in the blink of an eye, and Gan Guoyang had endured a week of hunger and thirst.

He doesn't completely abstain from food, but rather controls his food intake to a level that allows him to burn fat relatively quickly.

With the guidance of a professional team, he lost nearly 20 pounds in just over a week.

His face, which had previously been round and chubby with a double chin, became sharply defined.

His eyes, which had previously been somewhat gentle, became sharp and gleaming (actually, they were starving).

With thinner shoulders and back, I can wear the previously custom-made wide-shouldered suits without having to make a new one.

My belly has shrunk and no longer looks bloated; my once strong and perfect figure has returned.

When Gan Guoyang put on his full outfit and stood in front of the mirror, holding a basketball and looking at himself, he felt like he was back.

However, Gan Guoyang knew in his heart that he had not fully returned; only his physical appearance had temporarily returned.

His strength, jumping ability, reaction speed, court sense, and desire for victory are still in the nascent stage.

I let out a long sigh of relief. Let's get the paperwork done first and handle this press conference properly.

With one hour to go before Gan Guoyang's comeback press conference, he is currently sitting in the locker room of the Rose Garden Arena, preparing.

At this moment, helicopters were circling outside, broadcast vans blocked the entrance, and a large number of reporters rushed in from all directions to attend this press conference.

Gan Guoyang, Tang Jianguo, and the Pioneers all made ample preparations for this day.

Things gradually went crazy, and the public became increasingly agitated. Impatient people kept calling the Trail Blazers, questioning whether the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump were playing with the public.
Tang Jianguo was watching all of this closely and thoroughly enjoyed the situation.

This kind of massive, widespread media attention is something money can't buy.

According to USA Today, in recent days, shares of Tang Jianguo's companies, as well as Avia's shares, have risen by more than 100%, increasing the market capitalization by more than $3 billion.

This has fueled speculation that Forrest Gump's comeback may be related to some form of financial manipulation.

By July 6, Tang Jianguo knew that the time was right and they couldn't continue churning the situation.

Continuing to hype it up would only backfire and provoke public resentment. That morning, the Trail Blazers released an announcement: Forrest Gump would hold a press conference at the Rose Garden Arena to announce his future plans for his basketball career.

This news means that Forrest Gump's return is no longer speculation, but a certainty.

All that's missing now is a word from him, an announcement and decision from him to return.

Compared to the extremely low-key decision to retire, his return this time was truly a grand affair, driving the entire city of Portland and Oregon into a frenzy.

Many shops closed, companies gave employees holidays, students skipped school to go home and watch TV, and some schools simply suspended classes and turned on the TV for students to watch the press conference live.

The Oregonians' love and fanaticism for Forrest Gump is indescribable. The faith brought by seven championships and the belief in victory that transcends death are deeply imprinted in the hearts of fans.

A Portland television presenter named the phenomenon that swept the city today "Gumpgasm."

Larry Bird arrived in Portland on the same day, and the team will announce today that he has become the Trail Blazers' head coach.

In the locker room, Bird watched Forrest Gump lose weight over a little over a week, causing him considerable distress, which he initially found incomprehensible.

He even began to have some doubts: Was this really the player he admired? The one who had dominated the league for so many years?

Could it be that during the years he worked with Tang Jianguo, he became an actor in front of the camera, the first person to do anything for traffic?
However, when he noticed how crazy Portland was and how much people were focused on his comeback, he realized that Forrest Gump was right to do it.

He is maintaining the image of a superstar, and he will be scrutinized under a magnifying glass. Every detail, even a loose thread on a suit, will be examined and criticized.

He had to make himself appear flawless, even if that flawlessness wasn't actually that perfect. It was about morale, about confidence, about whether a team could truly unite over the next three years—Bird was determined to coach for only three years, and would not continue after his contract expired, regardless of the results.

So Bird made a decision: he decided not to sign with the Trail Blazers today; he would postpone it until some time had passed.

“I’m not afraid of you stealing my thunder. I don’t need the thunder. I just don’t want to distract people in any way. Today belongs to you, completely and utterly to you.”

"Good luck, Forrest Gump. Actually, even fat guys can play basketball. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

After saying this, Bird quietly left and hid in an office.

The press conference was about to begin, and reporters began to flock to the locker room.

Accompanied by his wife and escorted by Quentin and a group of bodyguards, Gan Guoyang went to the press conference hall of the stadium.

Emerging from the locker room, Gan Guoyang, dressed in an oversized brown suit, walked along the players' tunnel towards the lobby, surrounded by a large crowd.

Reporters' cameras flashed incessantly like machine guns, and high-definition cameras captured every movement and detail of Gan Guoyang from any angle, in all directions, without any blind spots, transmitting it via satellite signals to television screens in millions of households.

After losing weight and dressing up carefully, Gan Guoyang looks flawless.

His suit was custom-made by Kevin Willis's tailoring company; it wasn't expensive, but it fit perfectly, and the fabric was comfortable and seamless.

His hair had been specially styled, just like it was during previous matches—clean, neat, and the look every fan was familiar with.

His face looked more energetic than in the 1993-1994 season, and his eyes shone brightly. Every turn of his head and every micro-expression on his face was captured by the camera.

Outside the stadium, the TV director kept selecting and switching between shots, and couldn't help but think, "Perfect, absolutely perfect, this wait was definitely worth it."

From the dressing room to the press hall, a short distance, Gan Guoyang walked with the flair of a Parisian supermodel, and along that same route, the ratings of various television stations skyrocketed.

The advertisements were sold for very high prices; Gan Guoyang's title as the king of ratings was well-deserved.

Upon arriving at the press conference hall and stepping onto the press conference platform, enthusiastic applause erupted, naturally accompanied by a continuous clicking of cameras.

Seated in the audience were the Portland Trail Blazers' executives, the Portland mayor and the Oregon governor who were invited to the press conference, reporters from various newspapers and television stations, and all the Portland Trail Blazers players.

The moment Gan Guoyang stepped onto the stage and faced everyone, everyone stood up and cheered for him, with continuous applause.

In the audience, Kobe Bryant and Jermaine O'Neal sat together, and they stood up along with the crowd.

Before the draft, Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal, the two youngest draft candidates, had already become good friends.

At the time, the participation of high school players in the draft was highly controversial. They were considered immature and eager for quick success, and public opinion was very unfriendly towards them.

Therefore, high school students face a lot of pressure when running for player. At this time, it is easy for two people of similar age who have embarked on this difficult path together to form a friendship.

Even more unexpectedly, the Portland Trail Blazers, without any warning, used the 9th and 10th picks to select Kobe Bryant and Jermaine O'Neal.

Both players were stunned when the Trail Blazers made this decision.

Especially when news broke during the draft that the Trail Blazers had traded for number 9 before the Dallas Mavericks acquired Kobe.

Jermaine O'Neal knew the Trail Blazers would draft him with the 10th pick, and his heart was pounding uncontrollably.

Is he going to play alongside Kobe Bryant and start his professional career together?

Will the Trail Blazers select him with the number 10 pick? Or have they changed their minds, since no team would select two high school players in a row?

Jermaine O'Neal was in a state of extreme inner turmoil, but fortunately, there were only two minutes between the 10th and 9th picks, so it didn't torment him for too long.

When David Stern announced, "The Portland Trail Blazers select Jermaine O'Neal with the 10th pick from Oakley High School," O'Neal finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After going on stage to shake hands with Stern and put on the Trail Blazers' hat, Jermaine O'Neal came down and gave Kobe a warm hug; both of them were extremely happy.

In fact, they had no idea what would happen in the NBA, what they would face, or what hardships they would endure.

They don't need to have any concept; they just need to enjoy it, to enjoy the vibrant power that hope brings, the kind of joy that's like being filled with sunshine and fresh air.

Soon, Gan Guoyang invited them to dinner in Portland. Meeting their idol made the two young men ecstatic. Kobe was like a lively magpie, while Jermaine O'Neal was more nervous.

To their surprise, their arrival actually became two important factors in Gan Guoyang's return to the alliance.

The rumors of "I'm Back" are both exciting and nerve-wracking. Kobe has been talking to Jermaine O'Neal on the phone every day for the past few days, and the two are speculating about whether Forrest Gump will make a comeback.

The two showed different attitudes towards Forrest Gump's comeback.

Kobe was mostly excited. Forrest Gump had always been his idol, and playing alongside him on the Trail Blazers was a dream come true.

Jermaine O'Neal remained nervous and apprehensive about the future, because his position was the same as Forrest Gump's, and once Gump returned, he would not be able to compete with Gump for playing time.

It's said that playing basketball with your idol isn't necessarily a wonderful thing; once the filter is shattered, you'll find that weeds grow rampant beneath the halo.

Before the press conference began, Jermaine O'Neal asked Kobe, "Kobe, if Forrest Gump really comes back, will we still get playing time?"

If Gan Guoyang returns, the Trail Blazers will definitely aim to contend for the championship rather than rebuild.

What championship experience could two inexperienced high school students possibly have? They might not even have time to level up.

In fact, in order to quickly assemble a championship roster, the two would even be used as bargaining chips to acquire experienced veterans.

If that's the case, then being drafted by the Trail Blazers would be a complete disappointment.

Kobe, however, was very confident, saying, "Of course I can. I will not only get playing time, but I will also become the core of the team."

O'Neal sighed, thinking to himself, "Kobe, you're really confident. I thought you were joking when you said that at dinner last time, but it turns out you're serious."

However, when Jermaine O'Neal and Kobe Bryant attended Gan Guoyang's press conference together, they felt the attention and enthusiasm from the entire city of Portland, Oregon, and even the whole of the United States.

When they watched Gan Guoyang, like a god, walk through the player tunnel into the press conference room surrounded by people, they were deeply moved.

As they were caught up in the emotions, they stood up uncontrollably and expressed their excitement with thunderous applause.

At that moment, Jermaine O'Neal had only one thought in his mind: "This is what a real man should be like!"

At the same time, Kobe was thinking, "He can be replaced!"

Gan Guoyang waved, and the scene gradually quieted down. He cleared his throat and announced to the world:

"I will return to the NBA court as a Portland Trail Blazers player and continue to fight for victory and championships!"

The stadium and the entire city of Portland erupted in jubilation as their basketball emperor returned to his loyal Portland.

(End of this chapter)