The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 778 The Fist of Ratings

Shaquille O'Neal is actually not good at fighting.

When he grew to 6 feet 2 inches tall by the age of 12, taller than most adults, it meant that most of his peers would not dare to fight him.

During the fight at school, he was the one who beat the other, to the point that he kicked the boy, causing the boy to have an epileptic seizure.

From then on, O'Neal stopped fighting. He preferred to tease people rather than hit them, since no one would dare to hit him anyway.

Now, Bellman is asking him to hit someone, specifically Forrest Gump. When O'Neal steps back onto the court, he can't believe he's taken on such a terrifying task.

Who is Forrest Gump? He is widely recognized as the greatest fighter in NBA history, and his historical status in fighting is even more solid than his historical status in playing basketball.

Shaquille O'Neal had seen videos of Forrest Gump fighting. Unlike most NBA conflicts and fights, which are just a mess and everyone is just pretending, Forrest Gump was really fighting.

He was a master wrestler and a skilled boxer, fast, steady, accurate and ruthless, one punch after another, each punch like a sleeping pill, never bluffing.

Mike Tyson once commented on Gan Guoyang's punches, saying that if he were to enter the professional boxing world and receive professional training, he would have the potential to become a world-class boxing champion.

Tyson's words were somewhat exaggerated, after all, Tyson and Donald Trump are good friends, and it's normal for Tyson to praise Forrest Gump, who is considered the greatest basketball player of all time.

However, with Gan Guoyang's height, strength, reaction speed, and outstanding physical fitness, if he focuses on boxing, he can indeed make a name for himself in the boxing ring.

Moreover, boxing is not Gan Guoyang's favorite fighting sport; what he truly likes and excels at is wrestling, a more primitive and practical fighting technique.

Every summer, Gan Guoyang insists on spending a lot of time training in wrestling to maintain his flexibility, coordination, and core explosiveness. These are the foundations of Gan Guoyang's physical qualities that enable him to excel both internally and externally on the basketball court.

Shaquille O'Neal must have watched the scene of Gan Guoyang slamming Karl Malone to the ground in the 1992 Western Conference Finals countless times on television.

Before each game against the Utah Jazz, O'Neal would take a look at the game to boost his confidence in facing Karl Malone.

Now, O'Neal wants to find a way to beat up Forrest Gump. O'Neal thinks he must be crazy, and so does Bellman.

"How do I fight him? With my fists? Or wrestling? Or do I have to go up and pin him down? Shit... I wish I had a gun."

"I could punch him first, then press a gun to my forehead and say, 'If you fight back, I'll shoot myself...'"

O'Neal was lost in his own thoughts, while Gan Guoyang was oblivious to what O'Neal was thinking, remaining fully focused on the game.

The second quarter started with both sides playing very closely. Although the Lakers under Bellman's leadership lacked the unity and consistent dominance of the Trail Blazers of yesteryear, they were tactically very well trained.

Kidd is a very intelligent player, and Berman has experience coaching top point guards like Stockton and Terry Porter. His communication with the point guard position has never been a problem.

Bellman strives to build a dynamic tactical system that can be played at any pace, with the point guard as the core. Kidd has a strong ability to break through on the perimeter with a one-step change of direction. After breaking through, whether he attacks the basket himself or passes the ball to his teammates, he is a great threat.

At the same time, he is extremely quick to react, has a strong ability to steal the ball, and is good at counter-stealing on the spot or intercepting kills in the middle, often giving opposing point guards a headache.

It was precisely this all-around skill set, so similar to Magic Johnson's, that made Jerry West willing to tank for a year to secure a high draft pick for Kidd.

Larry Bird deployed the strong Riddle and the young Kobe, using different styles of defense to target Kidd and limit his performance on the court.

Kidd was pressured in a few possessions, but he quickly recovered and responded well with passing, movement, and individual offense.

This helped the Lakers stay close in the score until key players like O'Neal and Agan returned to the court, marking the end of the first half.

Kidd knew O'Neal was back, so it was time to slow down the pace and let O'Neal score a few baskets under the basket.

He just saw Bellman giving O'Neal some pointers, and the coach looked very excited.

O'Neal's eyes went from confused to clear, clearly he had figured something out, and Shaq should respond.

Kidd and O'Neal's relationship was only so-so. Neither of them was truly convinced of the other's superiority. Kidd thought O'Neal was immature and petty, while O'Neal thought Kidd was arrogant and boring.

However, on the court, the two acknowledged each other's abilities. With O'Neal on the court, Kidd could easily slow down when he wanted to. He could just feed the ball to O'Neal and stand on the perimeter smoking.

The same applies to O'Neal; whenever he was in the right place, Kidd's pass would always arrive in time, allowing him to attack the basket directly without much effort.

Just like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, they are a great team. With proper training and time, the Western Conference will belong to them.

Now they need to team up to challenge the former kings of the West, the Portland Trail Blazers, who became the kings of the West by stepping over the Lakers' corpse. Now it's the Lakers' turn for revenge.

The Christmas battle was just the beginning.

Kidd passed the ball to O'Neal, to the left low post, a position O'Neal was familiar with.

Upon receiving the ball, O'Neal tried to squeeze in with his body, but it was difficult for him to create space. Gan Guoyang held the ball firmly.

O'Neal opted for a forced inside turn, raising his elbow and striking Gan Guoyang in the chest.

The blow was quite forceful; Gan Guoyang felt a tightness in his chest and took a step back.

The referee immediately blew his whistle and called an offensive foul on O'Neal, which angered Gan Guoyang.

“Watch your movements, Shaq, keep your elbows in,” Gan Guoyang said.

"That's how I play," O'Neal said as he went back to defense.

Gan Guoyang thought to himself, "This kid has a temper, that's a good thing."

It seems that Bellman gave O'Neal a nudge during the timeout, which made him a bit angry.

Gan Guoyang thought that O'Neal would gradually develop a temper and play better and better, but in fact O'Neal was just trying to embolden himself.

He wanted to provoke Gan Guoyang so that Gan would make the first move, thus giving O'Neal a better position.

If a fight breaks out later, my teammates and the referee will come and pull me apart, and I can just muddle through it in a few moves.

If O'Neal were to actually take action, whether it's a head-on confrontation or a sneak attack, he'd be afraid of being taken down immediately.

Gan Guoyang and Van Exel executed a pick-and-roll play at the high post. After the pick-and-roll, Van Exel cut to the outside and passed the ball to Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang had a chance to shoot a mid-range jump shot, which is his scoring method, but he chose not to shoot and instead dribbled inside.

He was aiming for O'Neal. The two collided in the three-second zone. Gan Guoyang used his momentum to charge forward, and O'Neal directly bumped into Gan Guoyang from the side.

O'Neal's size and the impact of his side-on collision sent Gan Guoyang staggering and falling out of bounds. It was another foul, O'Neal's second consecutive foul.

Gan Guoyang got a little angry. "You don't have a temper, do you? Are you just deliberately picking a fight?"

If it were a typical inside player, such a collision would send him flying; only Gan Guoyang managed to stay upright.

Even so, half of my body still hurt from the impact.

Gan Guoyang put down the ball, walked up to O'Neal, and asked, "What's wrong with you, Shaq? You can't beat me on the ball, so you're resorting to dirty tricks? Why don't you just hit me?"

O'Neal didn't say anything, but just avoided eye contact, thinking to himself, "I do want to hit you, but I haven't found a good opportunity yet, I'm still building up my emotions."

The referee and players from both sides came over and separated the two. Thorpe grabbed O'Neal and said, "Shaq, calm down. Are you crazy? We can win if we play properly."

O'Neal wiped his sweat and said, "I know, I'm playing well, don't worry about me."

One reason why O'Neal was beaten so badly by Gan Guoyang in his rookie season was that he didn't have a bodyguard by his side to protect him.

Later, the Orlando Magic signed Horace Grant. With Grant on the team, O'Neal had a great helper in both defense and physicality.

After joining the Lakers, Jerry West immediately traded Campbell to the Rockets for Audis Thorpe, showing how much effort he put into acquiring O'Neal.

Whether it's Thorpe or Horace Grant, they're great at dealing with others, but they're no match for Forrest Gump.

Like Bill Cartwright, Grant is known for his fear of Forrest Gump. Whenever he plays against the Trail Blazers, he falls apart when matched up against Forrest Gump.

With a partner like that, expecting Grant to deal with Forrest Gump during the Magic games was really wishful thinking.

Thorpe was better off than Grant; he and Gan Guoyang were in the same year and had a very good relationship in private.

In the summer, Gan Guoyang will play golf with Thorpe in Florida. It should be noted that Gan Guoyang does not like golf, while Thorpe is a golf fanatic.

Only a few people, such as Barkley, Jordan, Stockton, and Old Tang, could play golf with Gan Guoyang, and Thorpe was one of them.

Their close personal relationship meant that Thorpe was more businesslike during on-court matches and wouldn't actively stand up for O'Neal against Gan Guoyang.

This left O'Neal feeling isolated and helpless. After fouling Gan Guoyang twice in a row, O'Neal felt a bit angry.

He realized that Behrman was right, and that he should be brave and give Forrest a good beating to vent his anger.

“The best way to overcome fear is to face it.” O’Neal recalled what Behrman had told him.

The conflict between the two temporarily subsided. The Trail Blazers took the inbound pass, and Gan Guoyang passed the ball to the outside. Van Exel's three-point attempt missed.

Kidd grabbed the rebound and started a fast break, while O'Neal charged towards the frontcourt, eager to join the attack.

Seeing this, Kidd immediately accelerated, dribbled the ball from the sideline across the halfway line, and delivered a precise diagonal pass to the three-second zone.

O'Neal had charged into the paint like a tank, the ball landed perfectly in his hands, and O'Neal sprang up to dunk.

Gan Guoyang wouldn't allow him to score so easily. He flew up from behind and delivered a powerful block, pinning O'Neal down.

The two most powerful individuals in the NBA clashed and confronted each other directly. O'Neal lost his balance and was pinned to the ground, but the ball was still in his hands.

After landing, Gan Guoyang made a contest for the ball towards the referee. Gan Guoyang hadn't actually committed a foul; it was a very good defensive play.

O'Neal, who had fallen to the ground, finally became furious. He remembered what Bellman had said about how Forrest had been targeting him since his rookie season.

He recalled how he idolized Forrest Gump, only to be deceived upon meeting him with the words "relax," and later beaten so badly that his own mother wouldn't recognize him.

He thought about how Forrest Gump suffered both physical and mental blows every time he encountered him on the field, and he thought about how people said he could never surpass Forrest Gump.

All the dissatisfaction and anger accumulated at this moment. O'Neal was filled with rage and became bold. He threw down the ball, got up in a tumble, and charged towards Gan Guoyang!
O'Neal wasn't a fighter; he didn't have any professional stances. He just spread his arms and pounced on Gan Guoyang like a bear.

Gan Guoyang was discussing with the referee whether to contest the ball or commit a foul when he caught a glimpse of a large dark figure rushing towards him, and heard screams from the audience.

There wasn't much time for Gan Guoyang to react. He instinctively took a step back and then immediately threw a low hook punch!

Gan Guoyang had already decided not to use wrestling techniques in the NBA, as they are sometimes difficult to control and can easily cause accidents.

The power of a punch is relatively smaller and more controllable. Years of boxing training can improve arm strength and explosiveness.

After deciding to make a comeback, boxing training became a weekly staple in Gan Guoyang's training schedule, which left him with deep muscle memory.

A punch was thrown, grazing O'Neal's chin. The punch wasn't very powerful, only a third of his strength was used, but it was very accurate and knocked O'Neal unconscious.

O'Neal felt a sudden darkness engulf him, and he collapsed into a deep sleep. His massive body staggered and lay motionless on the floor, seemingly lifeless.

Everything happened too fast; no one had time to stop O'Neal, and no one had time to stop Forrest Gump from throwing a punch.

Everyone was terrified, even Gan Guoyang was a little scared. "Did I fucking kill O'Neal?"
Kidd was the first to react. When he saw O'Neal being knocked down, he immediately rushed towards Gan Guoyang to take action.

Gan Guoyang didn't hold back, delivering a light, straight punch that struck Kidd squarely in the eye socket, turning Kidd's eye into a distorted mess.

Kidd immediately covered his eyes and stopped jumping. Only then did the others seem to wake up from a dream and all gathered around to check on O'Neal's condition.

Gan Guoyang's two punches were relatively light. Given his strength and years of training, a full-force strike could easily have caused serious injury.

Just like when Kermit Washington punched Tomjanovich, he didn't control his strength and almost killed him.

Gan Guoyang didn't even intend to hit O'Neal; it was a completely subconscious punch.

Since his brutal beating of Karl Malone in the 1992 Western Conference Finals, Gan Guoyang has stopped fighting. During the two seasons from 1992 to 1994, Gan Guoyang didn't have any physical altercations with anyone—or rather, no one dared to have a conflict with him.

Moreover, as the children grow older and play more physically, the NBA's punishment for on-court violence becomes increasingly severe. As the first player in history to achieve this, Gan Guoyang needs to set an example.

Like tonight's Christmas Day game, his son will definitely be watching his match on TV, and his little daughter might be watching too. He doesn't want to throw a punch in front of his children.

But Gan Guoyang didn't want to be beaten in front of the child, so when Kidd rushed up, he didn't hesitate to throw another punch, and no one dared to step forward.

The Lakers' team doctor came to check on O'Neal. Fortunately, he was still alive. However, a thorough examination is needed to determine if he has any concussions or other problems.

The human chin has a very rich supply of vagus nerves, and a severe blow to the chin can cause loss of sensation.

Gan Guoyang's punch wasn't particularly powerful, but it was very precise and the angle was tricky, giving O'Neal a restful sleep.

The team doctor checked O'Neal's dilated pupils and had a stretcher brought over to carry him away.

O'Neal slept peacefully until he was taken back to the locker room, showing no signs of waking up.

He looks very tired.

Kidd's left eye was swollen like an egg, and he went back to the locker room with an ice pack on it.

The fans at the scene remained calm, and many took out cameras and video cameras to take pictures.

NBC host Bill Walton, when explaining this sudden event, also calmly stated:
"Most NBA brawls are like chaotic bar fights, a complete mess from the court to the stands. Only the brawls that Forrest Gump was involved in... or let's call them one-sided beatings, everyone was always calm and collected. Because you already know who the winner is, who the loser is, and that everyone will be fine in the end, so what's there to get excited about? It's like a pre-ordained trial, the outcome is already clear, everyone is just waiting for the gavel to fall. 'Bang!' Case closed!"

Walton is a die-hard Gary Bloomer fan. He showed no sympathy for O'Neal after he was beaten, and instead praised the fans who were the victims for their composure.

But Walton was right; by the end, people had become quite indifferent to Gan Guoyang's fighting.

In 92 in Salt Lake City, when Gan Guoyang tackled Karl Malone, the local fans didn't react much.

They acted like, "Oh, you guys had a fight. Are you alright? If you're alright, that's fine. Keep playing, buddy."

This made Karl Malone very sad and angry. He felt that someone had to stand up for him and seek justice.
Today, Jason Kidd showed everyone the consequences of seeking justice, but Kidd certainly demonstrated extraordinary courage and loyalty.

After reviewing the video, the referee knew that O'Neal had lunged at Gan Guoyang first and that Gan Guoyang was acting in self-defense, but he still called a malicious foul on Gan Guoyang on the court and ejected him from the game.

Gan Guoyang was very upset. He didn't want to fight, and now he was having a hard time explaining himself to his wife, children, father, and David Stern.

Back in the locker room, Gan Guoyang called home to explain the situation. Wang Fuxi complained a bit, but still supported her husband.

"If you don't throw a punch, O'Neal will pounce on you. Can you handle a 300-pound fat guy? One punch will be too light."

Gan Wenshan also rushed over and grabbed the phone, saying to Gan Guoyang, "Dad, Dad, you hit O'Neal, you can't hit me again when you come back!"

“Dad didn’t want to hit anyone, hitting is wrong, but Mom is right, it’s hard to control your fists when a big fat man weighing over 300 pounds rushes at you.”

After making the call, Gan Guoyang decided to go to the Lakers' locker room.

At the stadium, none of the Lakers' security personnel dared to stop him, and Gan Guoyang walked straight to the home team's locker room.

"How is Shaq?" Gan Guoyang asked the Lakers' team doctor, Gary Vitti.

Gary Vitti has worked for the Lakers since 1984. He entered the league with Forrest Gump and was then the Lakers' team doctor and trainer.

“It’s nothing serious. Sonny, you hit someone again,” Vitti said helplessly.

"He lunged at me, and I couldn't do anything about it. I didn't want to be pinned down. I also didn't want to lift him up and slam him to the ground—that would be too horrible. Giving him a punch to put him to sleep for a bit, that's a good idea, isn't it?"

Vitti remained noncommittal, at which point Jerry West and Lakers owner Jerry Buss also arrived in the locker room.

Bass glared at Gan Guoyang, wanting to ask why he was there, but after looking at Gan Guoyang's fists as big as sandbags and O'Neal lying there, he ultimately didn't ask.

In a confined indoor space, fists often have more power than money or social status, especially given the immense force of those fists.

West pulled Gan Guoyang aside and said, "Sonny, you...sigh...you're too impulsive. Why did you hit someone again?"

Gan Guoyang didn't explain. He just patted West on the shoulder and left the Lakers' locker room, knowing it was not a place to linger.

Before leaving, Gan Guoyang saw Kidd sitting in a chair with ice packs on his eyes and said, "You've got guts, Jason. Gary didn't misjudge you."

The Gary that Gan Guoyang was referring to was Gary Payton, Kidd's older brother.

Kidd didn't say anything; he didn't know why he rushed forward.

He and O'Neal usually had a very ordinary relationship, but when he saw O'Neal lying motionless on the ground after being beaten, he was still furious and wanted to go up and take revenge.

Unfortunately, he ran into Forrest Gump, and one punch brought him to his senses; his punches were incredibly fast.

After Gan Guoyang left the Lakers' locker room, O'Neal suddenly opened his eyes and woke up.

"Forrest Gump is gone?" O'Neal asked.

Everyone in the locker room was startled. West quickly asked, "Are you alright, Shaq?"

"I felt like I was sleeping very soundly, and then... I woke up and heard Forrest talking. Shit, I didn't dare open my eyes. Did I fight with him?"

"No, you got hit."

Jerry Buss was furious and said, "Why did you pounce on him for no reason? Don't you know who this guy is?"

O'Neal rolled his eyes at Buss, thinking to himself, "I'm the one fighting on the court, and I'm the one getting beaten up. What are you getting so worked up about?"

Are you afraid that if I get hurt, I won't be able to make money for you?
Shaquille O'Neal and Jerry Buss were not like Magic Johnson and Buss; he always kept his distance from Buss.

Moreover, although O'Neal loves to have fun, he doesn't hang out with Buss much. This is his principle in dealing with people: don't get too close to your boss.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to hit him. What's so great about him? From now on, I'm not afraid of him anymore. I've fought with Forrest Gump before."

“It’s about getting beaten up,” West reminded him again, but O’Neal pretended not to hear.

The second quarter ended quickly, and Bellman and the Lakers players returned to the locker room to check on O'Neal's condition.

O'Neal stood up and told everyone, "I'm fine, I'm great, I can still play in the second half!"

Vitti reminded O'Neal that he should get a concussion check and also have his jawbone checked.

O'Neal, however, said he was fine, absolutely no problem, and that Forrest Gump's punch couldn't possibly do anything to him.

He absolutely has to make an appearance.

"Was Forrest Gump ejected?" O'Neal asked Bellman.

"Absolutely, definitely, you didn't betray me, did you?"

"Of course not, I didn't say anything."

Although O'Neal took a punch, his physical abilities allowed him to withstand it.

And after being hit, O'Neal suddenly felt very proud, "I'm someone who went head-to-head with Forrest Gump!"

It's a strange psychological shift; even though you've been knocked unconscious by a punch, it feels like some kind of honor.

If O'Neal were to be knocked down by some nobody with a single punch, he would be absolutely humiliated and furious, and he would definitely want to get revenge somewhere.

But being knocked down by Forrest Gump was different. In the NBA, only notorious villains were worth Forrest Gump's attention; he never fought nobodies.

Now that O'Neal has taken a punch, he can be included in that category too.

So, O'Neal returned to the court in the second half.

Cheers erupted in the Great Western Forum arena, as if welcoming the return of a hero.

Only being beaten by Forrest Gump could produce such an effect.

Shaquille O'Neal was somewhat moved when he saw Kidd's swollen eyes.

It turns out that when he got beaten up, Kidd was the one who would stand up for him.

As a result, their relationship changed and became much more harmonious than before.

Without Gan Guoyang, the Trail Blazers immediately fell apart.

Especially in the paint, PJ Brown was completely outmatched by O'Neal.

O'Neal was on fire in the third quarter, scoring repeatedly in the low post.

Furthermore, he drew three fouls from PJ Brown in one quarter, keeping PJ Brown on the bench.

Seeing that the paint was about to collapse without Forrest Gump, Bird had no choice but to bring in a combination of Jermaine O'Neal and Ben Wallace.

Two rookies still couldn't stop O'Neal from wreaking havoc in the paint. O'Neal Jr. looked as thin as a ribbonfish next to O'Neal.

But the two did not sit idly by; instead, they made O'Neal and Thorpe look rather awkward in some rounds.

Especially Ben Wallace, despite his significant height disadvantage, relied on his keen defensive instincts to deliver three blocks in his limited playing time!
This seemingly ordinary young man has never stopped honing his skills since joining the league, quietly waiting for his opportunity to arrive.

Tonight, the conflict between O'Neal and Gan Guoyang unexpectedly gave him the opportunity to play, and Bird remembered his performance.

Ultimately, the Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 102-98 at home, securing a victory in the Christmas Day game.

After the fight, Gan Guoyang's punch still caused quite a stir, and the league office severely condemned Gan's violent behavior.

"This is not the first time Agan has used violence on the field, and we have tolerated it time and time again. This time we will impose a severe punishment."

Stern was determined to transform the NBA into a place of violence-free, drug-free, and family-friendly middle-class society. Gan Guoyang, as the league's top player, repeatedly launched powerful attacks, each time slapping Stern in the face.

However, despite saying that, when you look at the ratings—the Lakers vs. Trail Blazers ratings surged again the moment Forrest Gump threw his punch, far exceeding the ratings of another game, the Bulls vs. Heat.

Moreover, during the chaotic ten-minute period when Gan Guoyang knocked down O'Neal and punched Kidd, advertising fees were once again temporarily inflated to exorbitant prices.

Gan Guoyang's punch even affected the combat sports market, causing ticket prices for some boxing matches in late December and early January to rise by 40 percent, because "Gan's punch sparked people's interest in watching boxing matches."

Seeing these results, even sociologists are curious as to why Forrest Gump's violent behavior always has more positive than negative effects.

People even jokingly called Kermit Washington's punch "the punch of evil," while Forrest Gump's punch was "the punch of justice" and "the punch of kindness."

Of course, for the NBA and broadcasters, Gan Guoyang's punch is a "punch of ratings" and a "punch of money".

Calculations show that the salary cap only increased by $100 million from the 1995-1996 season to the 1996-1997 season, indicating that the NBA's revenue growth was limited.

With Forrest Gump's return in the 1996-1997 season, the salary cap was projected to increase by as much as $400 million by the 1997-1998 season, assuming no new broadcasting contracts were signed.

The ratings and financial impact of Forrest Gump is unparalleled; even his hitting or farting smells good.

Ultimately, the league made a lot of noise but did little, fining Gan Guoyang a sum of money and suspending him for three games, and that was the end of it.

Gan Guoyang's 1996 was also suspended, forcing him to spend his final days resting instead of playing on the field.

1996 has passed, and 1997 is just around the corner.

(End of this chapter)