The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 78 Interview
The Gonzaga players celebrated their victory in the locker room, singing the English version of the song "Unity is Strength," which Gan Guoyang had taught them.

At the time, the Bulldogs didn't have their own anthem and shared an old song, "Washington and Lee Swing," with many other universities. The song was from 1910 and had a very old-fashioned jazz feel that was impossible to sing.

On the contrary, the song "Unity is Strength" that Gan Guoyang taught everyone was catchy, had an inspiring melody, and had a good meaning in the lyrics. It was established by Dan Fitz as the unofficial team song, and they sang it whenever they had a chance.

Reporters and fans packed the locker room and surrounding area, and many wanted to know what song the bulldog was singing.

Dan Fitz told reporters that it was a religious song that meant taking pride in Jesus Christ, uniting around Him, and gaining the glory of a championship.

Fitz wasn't lying; the adapted version of the song does indeed include the line "With Jesuit pride," which fits the school's Catholic background.

However, after the celebration, Fitz declined the reporters' requests for interviews, saying that the students were very tired and needed to go back to rest. He said that he might have a chance to chat with the reporters tomorrow, but definitely not tonight.

Together with Berman and Deron, he escorted the players away from the Poly Stadium back to their hotel. On the way, he reminded all the players that they could not accept interviews from reporters without permission, could not speak carelessly, and had to follow the coaching staff's instructions.

Back in their room, Fitz, Bellman, Deron, and the rest of the coaching staff gathered for a meeting.

They first had a simple celebration, opening a bottle of sherry and taking a small sip.

Dan Fitz has a good alcohol tolerance, but his face turned red after just one sip; he was genuinely excited and happy.

He quickly calmed down and told Bellman and the others his thoughts: "Next, we'll be playing Georgetown, and I have a feeling we're in trouble, a lot of trouble. We need to develop a contingency plan to deal with this. What are your opinions?"

Everyone knew what Fitz meant. Georgetown was a team rife with racial controversy. Since John Thompson took over the team, this black team had been frequently embroiled in racial disputes.

Gonzaga is a white team; apart from Gan Guoyang, all of them are white.

In 1984, racial antagonism remained strong in American society, especially after Reagan took office, whose conservative stance led to a resurgence of racial discrimination.

Georgetown University, with its predominantly Black student body, has faced discrimination across the country, especially against its Black center Patrick Ewing, who has been ridiculed for his appearance and intelligence.

For example, during a game against Providence University last year, a fan held up a sign that read "Ewing can't read," and John Thompson led his team to walk off the court in anger; during a game against Villanova, a fan held up a sign that read "Ewing is an ape."

Thompson's response to such discriminatory slogans and remarks has always been extremely tough. Under his leadership, Georgetown has become extremely belligerent, with frequent fights, and Ewing is known for his vicious elbows and fists.

This series of actions established Georgetown's Hoya team as a menacing force, characterized by their hostility towards the media, isolation from information, and constant anger before each game.

People coined a term to describe them: "Hoya Paranoia".

"Hoya Paranoia, everyone knows that term. They're trying to create a terrifying atmosphere for the game. All teams feel fear before playing against them, which negatively impacts the players' performance. I think we should do the same as them, refuse media interviews, and avoid getting involved in racial issues. The players are still kids; just focus on playing the game well."

Berman believes the team should remain silent as much as possible, avoid getting caught up in the media storm, and not be exploited by the media.

Deron Williams and others agreed with Berman's assessment, but Dan Fitz disagreed, saying, "I also said before the last game that we should solve problems with basketball. But Gan said that instead of waiting to be defeated, we should take the initiative. As a result, we won. Thompson is creating this kind of pre-game trap, making people hesitate and panic."

"So what do you think we should do? Hold a press conference and call them all apes?"

"Are you crazy? Of course not. Georgetown is a black team, and we are a white team. No matter what we say, we will be at a disadvantage. That's the most insidious thing about Hoya Paranoia. They are invincible from the start because they are in the right. And we, even if we are academically excellent and play seriously, will be the bad side, the ranchers, the plantation thugs."

"So we should keep quiet and not get involved. Georgetown is not invincible. Win the game, and nobody cares about black or white."

“But we’re not all white, we also have a yellow guy. Our King in Yellow, Gan.”

Fitz downed the sherry in his glass in one gulp, a sly smile spreading across his face.

The next morning, while the team was having breakfast in the cafeteria, Fitz told Gan Guoyang that ESPN's well-known anchor Dick Vitale would be interviewing him at 10 a.m., and asked him to prepare a little.

"An interview? Why would you want to interview me?"

"Why should I interview you? You're the president of the NCAA, the number one superstar. If I don't interview you, who else am I supposed to interview?"

“I know I’m a celebrity. That’s not what I’m asking. What I mean is, why did I agree to be interviewed by him?”

“For various reasons, you need to create some buzz; everyone wants to know about you. Then, you need to say some good things about our school, you know what I mean? Gonzaga University is a good school.” Gan Guoyang stared at Fitz for a while and said, “Are you trying to make me say that Gonzaga isn’t a racially discriminatory school, that God teaches us to treat everyone equally, and that Chinese people like me are treated equally, right?”

Fitz patted Gan Guoyang on the shoulder forcefully and said, "You are so understanding, Gan."

Gan Guoyang shook his head and said, "I don't think you've treated everyone equally, that's not the truth."

Fitz grew anxious and said, "What are you talking about? How come we didn't treat everyone equally?"

"Giving me a single room is excessive hospitality."

"Fuck, next time I'll revoke your private room privilege!"

At 10 a.m., Gan Guoyang, as arranged by Fitz, was interviewed by Dick Vitale.

Dick Vitale is an ESPN host who focuses on college basketball. He was a former NBA coach who coached the Detroit Pistons before being dismissed due to the Bob McAdoo trade—the draft picks he sent out indirectly led to the Celtics forming a frontcourt trio of Parish, McHale, and Bird.

Although his coaching career was unsuccessful, he shone brightly in the broadcasting field. After trying his hand at several ESPN live programs, he won the hearts of viewers and listeners with his eloquent language, sharp insights, and passionate enthusiasm.

He is not only a broadcaster but also an excellent reporter with close relationships with many college basketball figures, which allows him to have direct contact with popular teams and players, providing firsthand information and opinions during his commentary.

Last night, he contacted Fitz through several connections, hoping to conduct an exclusive interview with Gan Guoyang.

Fitz had the same idea, so he agreed, which led to this one-hour personal interview.

Dick Vitale, accompanied by a photographer, a makeup artist, and a set-up worker, set up a simple interview set in Gan Guoyang's room. The two then sat down and chatted about topics related to personal life, basketball, college, and racial identity.

Apart from Vitale, Gan Guoyang, and the photographer, there was no fourth person present.

Fitz, Bellman, and others waited outside the room. Dick Vitale said it was uncertain whether the interview would be broadcast; if the content and effect weren't good, it might not be aired.

To Fitz’s surprise, the interview, which was originally scheduled for one hour, was extended to one hour and forty minutes. It was past lunchtime when Vitale and the photographer finally came out of the room, and beads of sweat were visible on his bald head.

Fitz hurried forward and said, "Dick, how was the interview? Not bad, right?"

Vitale looked complicated and said, "I guess it won't be able to air."

Fitz was surprised and asked, "What's wrong? Did Gan say something inappropriate?"

Vitale shook his head and said, "No, he's right. He's the best athlete I've ever met. But... you know, sometimes things that are too good or too bad aren't really suitable for television."

Patrick and I have known each other for a long time, back in 1981 when Ewing was in Pittsburgh for the Dapper Dan High School All-Star Game. He got into a fight and hit a kid... He always seemed angry, both on and off the court. He didn't seem happy at all.

When we interviewed him after the game, Patrick was very aggressive… He wasn’t easy to talk to back then, and he seemed arrogant and willful on camera. I’m glad they didn’t air that interview; airing something a seventeen-year-old like that would only leave a bad impression.

...Before the 1984 NCAA Elite Eight, the match between Georgetown (a Black team) and Gonzaga (a white team) sparked considerable debate. Although many people said that basketball is just basketball and has nothing to do with race, everyone was divided into two camps based on skin color, just like the 1966 match between Kentucky and the University of Texas at El Paso.

I interviewed Gan the day before the match. He was already a legend, but he was mysterious, as mysterious as his dark eyes. We all know what an amazing player he is, but nobody really understands him, just like his populous homeland that nobody really understands.

I interviewed him for an hour and a half, though the original interview time was one hour. We talked a lot, and in great depth about some issues, about our country, their country, about black, white, yellow... To be honest, his depth and sharpness shocked me; it was hard to believe he said so many insightful things. When I came out of the room, my professional instincts told me that this interview couldn't be broadcast.

Because we are a basketball program, not a political talk show, his remarks were not problematic and seem very correct today, but at the time they would have caused a lot of unnecessary controversy and would have steered the program astray.

From that day on, I went from being a supporter of Ewing to silently supporting Gin in my heart. I was impressed by him. And the subsequent events proved that my "betrayal" was correct, haha.

—Excerpt from "Just Your Average Bald, One-Eyed Basketball Whacko Who Beat the Ziggy and Became and PTPer", co-authored by Dick-Vitale and Curry-Kirkpatrick, published in 1988.

The daily update times remain 9 AM and 10 PM. If there's a third update, it will be around 3 or 4 PM. My cold is still progressing; I'm getting older, so recovery is slower.

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(End of this chapter)