The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 790 Thank you for your cooperation
David Stern originally hoped that the stars would gather together in harmony, showcasing the current golden age of the NBA.

Unexpectedly, these star players are all proud and arrogant. They compete with each other on the court and continue to fight off the court, with none of them willing to concede to the other.

The announcement of the 50 greatest stars has already sparked considerable controversy. This time, Jordan and Chamberlain engaged in a public spat during the celebrity lunch, which will undoubtedly lead to another round of heated debates.

It's good to generate discussion and debate, but Stern doesn't want too many controversial topics at the All-Star Game, which is meant to showcase his achievements. It's better to maintain a harmonious atmosphere.

Fortunately, Forrest Gump arrived in time and used his strength and aura to subdue everyone present. The old guys had no objections to his strength and status.

Gan Guoyang is now not only recognized as the greatest basketball player in history, but also the chairman of the players' union, a representative figure in world basketball, and the chairman of one of the four major funeral giants in the United States.

Of course, these are not the most important reasons. What truly made Gan Guoyang gain respect was his work in the players' union.

One of the most meaningful things Gan Guoyang did during his tenure as chairman was to establish a new and larger retirement fund to increase the pensions of these meritorious veterans.

As early as 1964, Oscar Robertson stepped forward to negotiate with NBA owners on behalf of the players to establish a retirement security system for NBA players.

At that time, many NBA players earned meager salaries and had to find part-time jobs to support their families while playing in the league, leaving them with little job security.

In the 60s, some teams couldn't even pay their salaries. Players spent a lot of time and youth on the field, and once they got injured or retired, they were prone to financial hardship.

Oscar Robertson, along with Bob Cousy, led the players in a protest against the league at the All-Star Game, ultimately forcing the owners to compromise and securing pensions for the players.

Back then, a veteran who had played in the league for 10 years could receive a monthly pension of $600 after the age of 65, which was a considerable sum at the time.

More than 30 years later, the NBA has become one of the world's most profitable professional leagues, with a bench player earning more than a veteran player earned in his entire career.

A $600 pension is too little for current NBA players, so during the labor negotiations in the summer of 1996, Gan Guoyang proposed the establishment of a new pension system.

Each year, a portion of the league's revenue is allocated to establish a pension fund to provide retirement wages for players who have served for three, five, or ten years, depending on their age.

The salary level is naturally far more than $600, enough for many veteran players to live a decent life in their later years.

This retirement plan not only involves current NBA players, but also benefits all surviving veterans who have played in the NBA for a certain number of years.

Especially for older players from the 50s and 60s, they didn't earn much money playing basketball their whole lives, and they didn't receive any advertising or endorsement fees.

Apart from a few exceptionally talented and renowned athletes who achieve financial freedom, many others fall into financial crisis or even bankruptcy early on.

Legendary figures like Russell, who won 11 championships, still had to find work in the league in the 70s and 80s. He couldn't become a coach, so he went to work as a commentator and anchor on TV, where he was humiliated by foul-mouthed people like Rick Barry.

Rick Barry wasn't much better off. He played in the All-Star Game's Legends Match with a bunch of old men, exhausting himself just to earn some appearance fees.

Wilt Chamberlain was incredibly successful on the court, but after retiring, he never married or had children. To make a living, he participated in various television programs, wrote his autobiography, and played against this person and that person—all in an effort to earn some money.

There are also Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Dr. J Irving, who were already very successful stars and were not players from the 50s or 60s. They made a lot of money in the 70s and 80s with endorsements, commercials, and movies.

Even after retiring, they still have to come out and fight one-on-one matches to satisfy the curiosity of fans and TV viewers. Ultimately, it's all about making money off their fame. In reality, the one-on-one matches are not very entertaining, and the two old men are exhausted.

(Originally, this matchup was supposed to be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. Wilt Chamberlain, but Chamberlain chickened out at the last minute, so the organizers had to find Dr. J to replace him.)
Professional sports are ultimately a young person's game; the competition is fierce, and it takes a lot of damage to the body. No one can make a living playing sports for a lifetime.

Moreover, many star players earn a lot when they are young, but they also spend a lot. It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. Many of them fall into financial crisis after retirement.

The new pension plan promoted by Gan Guoyang was a godsend for many veterans. After the agreement was reached and officially implemented, more than one veteran player called Gan to express his gratitude.

While this pension may not be as high as their income during their playing days, it provides veterans with a stable source of income in their later years, allowing them to maintain a basic level of dignity and respect in their lives.

If you're willing to make money based on your fame, you can; if you're not, or if you're not capable, we guarantee you won't end up homeless and destitute.

Moreover, this pension fund also includes medical insurance, which can reimburse a significant portion of medical expenses, making it a boon for the elderly.

So when Gan Guoyang asked, "Who opposes?", who could actually utter the word "oppose"?

After the celebrity luncheon ended, the veterans left in twos and threes, leaving only Gan Guoyang and David Stern, who hadn't finished eating, in the restaurant.

Stern wiped his mouth and said, "Thank you, Sonny, for ending this boring argument. I hope our alliance can remain united and harmonious from now on."

Gan Guoyang said, "Would that still be the NBA? The league needs competition and buzz. If everyone's too harmonious, who's going to watch our games?"

"That's something performed on stage. In private, we're all friends, not enemies, right?"

"Everyone is making more and more money, and maybe it really will continue like this in the future. We're all brothers, we compete on the field, but cooperate off the field."

Stern smiled and said, "If you were to always be the president of the players' union, the league would definitely be stable and prosperous."

Gan Guoyang said, "Please, David, I'm just a player. I just want to play well. It's just that I promised Larry back then. If Larry were still alive, I wouldn't have become chairman. I'm Chinese, not American. Many people have already opposed my decision to become chairman. Let whoever wants to do it do it. I've already transferred the vice chairman position to Robinson. He's a good man."

Stern said, "A good person isn't necessarily a good chairman, Sonny. You've done a lot of work for this day. It wouldn't be good to give up halfway, would it? In the 98 negotiations, there were many things to be finalized. Who understands the intricacies of the process better than you? Look at MLB and NFL, they've both suffered from negotiations and lockouts. Everyone's having a tough time. The NBA has finally gotten to this point. If the union comes out and causes trouble, disrupts order, and ruins the games, that's not what I want to see."

Although it was only 1997, David Stern was already preparing for the major negotiations in the summer of 1998.

Ten years ago, in 1987, Larry Fleischer and David Stern began early preparations for labor negotiations.

At that time, the owners were unprepared, and Stern was ambushed by Fleischer at the 1988 Chicago All-Star Game, ultimately resulting in a major defeat and compromise for the owners.

Today, the capitalists, represented by Stern, are powerful and well-equipped. Although they were attacked again in the 1996 negotiations and had to compromise, the formal negotiations in 1998 will be very different.

Of course, Stern didn't want the two sides to fall out, as that would benefit no one.

Forrest Gump is certainly a formidable opponent, but he is also very intelligent and won't do too many things beyond the bounds of reason.

In negotiations involving huge interests from multiple parties, it's not that we're afraid of a smart opponent, but rather that we're afraid of an opponent who is either mentally unstable or stupid.

You can negotiate with a smart person; at worst, you can concede some benefits, and in the end, everyone will be happy.

People who are mentally unstable or stupid can't make sense of things, and they end up exposing themselves, leaving everyone in a mess.

The NBA is a place that has no shortage of self-righteous lunatics and energetic but brainless idiots.

Both of these types of people are extremely destructive, and if they were to gain control of the players' union, negotiations would inevitably end in a lose-lose situation.

Stern was confident of winning, but he didn't want to ruin the current favorable situation; he wanted the NBA to continue to be stable and prosperous.

“You are someone we trust, and we feel at ease having you as our partner.”

Is this a compliment or an insult?

"Of course I'm praising you! Think it over carefully. I've said it before, the secret to the development of the sports industry is dictatorship. You can be the president of the players' union while you're playing, and you can be the president of the union after you retire. We can maintain a stable partnership."

With no one around, Stern's words were quite blunt.

Firstly, he is a straightforward person, and secondly, he is now in a position of great power and has no scruples.

After finishing the last piece of steak on his plate, Gan Guoyang wiped his mouth and said, "I will think it over carefully, Mr. President. The NBA is indeed fortunate to have you."

Stern smiled and nodded, but Gan Guoyang added, "But you're lucky to have met me, Michael, Hakeem, and Charles, and this group of players. Remember to applaud and cheer for us tomorrow night."

Stern's face darkened again. Forrest Gump was still as unruly as ever, but with him around, many things, whether domestic or overseas, were indeed much easier to handle.

Although Gan Guoyang disliked some of Stern's dictatorial style, he knew in his heart that Stern was indeed a person who could protect the entire league from harm.

In the jungle society of America, he personally nurtured the NBA into a behemoth, making it an apex predator and preventing it from being devoured by even bigger beasts. All NBA players should thank him.

After leaving the restaurant, Gan Guoyang took the elevator back to his room to rest before attending the All-Star Night Rookie Challenge, Slam Dunk Contest, and Three-Point Contest that evening.

This year, the league canceled the previous Legends Game. The old guys just couldn't take it anymore, and with their retirement pensions, they had no motivation to keep showing off.

The league had a brilliant idea: since the old guys weren't working, they'd bring in the young ones. Rookies would definitely have more motivation to perform than the veterans, and the games would be more exciting.

On the one hand, the league can promote some new players and prepare for future publicity, and on the other hand, it doesn't have to worry about players getting injured or sick and has to be careful.

Replacing the Legends Challenge with the Rising Stars Challenge was indeed a brilliant idea, in line with the NBA's development strategy—to look forward, not backward.

As for the Slam Dunk Contest and the Three-Point Contest, their appeal is declining as fewer and fewer stars participate.

It has been preliminarily determined internally that this year will be the last Slam Dunk Contest, and new events will be designed next year to attract fans.

Of course, the league hasn't decided on the specific projects yet, but in short, the dunk contest has become a billboard for kids to increase their fame.

Stern considered inviting Gan Guoyang and Jordan to participate in another dunk contest, but the two stars were no longer interested in competing.

Losing is shameful, and winning brings no benefit, so who would participate?
As soon as Gan Guoyang entered the elevator and arrived at his room on the 15th floor, the door opened, and a man rushed in, almost bumping into him. Gan Guoyang quickly stepped aside and discovered it was an old acquaintance, Pistons center Bill Laimbeer. The guy was wearing a fleece-lined suit and sunglasses, looking quite respectable.

"Woh! Hello Sonny! It's nice to meet you!"

"Fuck Bill, what are you doing here? Are you an All-Star? Are you one of the Top 50?"

Gan Guoyang's barrage of questions made Lambiel somewhat embarrassed. He took off his sunglasses and said, "Cleveland is closer to Detroit. I... I just came to watch the game."

Gan Guoyang had no connection with this guy and was about to leave when Lambiel stopped him and said, "Hey Sonny, I wanted to ask you, does your company have any needs for packaging materials?"

"Packaging materials? You mean my construction company, or my funeral company? Construction companies don't need packaging, but funeral companies package coffins and urns. So, you're in that business?"

“Oh no, no, no, I’ve been running my own packaging company all these years. You have many businesses, so you can contact me if you need anything.” With that, Lambir handed Gan Guoyang a business card.

It says "Lambill Packaging Company" on it, so it seems this guy went into business after retiring, but judging from his tone, he probably wasn't very successful.

Gan Guoyang accepted the business card and said, "I'll consider it, but you'd better switch to making coffins; that way, our cooperation will be closer. Good luck, Bill."

After saying this, Gan Guoyang left the elevator. Lambiel personally escorted Gan Guoyang out before entering the elevator and going downstairs.

Gan Guoyang's guess was correct; the packaging company that Lambir and his father jointly funded was not very successful.

This company, located in Detroit, primarily manufactures corrugated cardboard boxes, and many factories and businesses in the Great Lakes region require cardboard packaging.

The problem was that in the late 90s, although the US economy was booming, the growth was not in traditional manufacturing, but in trade, finance, and technology.

The Detroit area is rapidly declining, businesses are struggling, and with no products being produced, his packaging paper is naturally useless.

While Gan Guoyang did not pursue a career in the booming technology sector, he thrived in the funeral industry, becoming one of the four giants in the US funeral industry.

In addition, in the sports industry, Skyscraper has become the most well-known personal sports brand in the United States, with huge global sales.

Moreover, there are many different types of products, including various commemorative and special editions, which have become collectibles for some collectors, and the brand has a great influence.

Lambiel thought that if all your shoes used my packaging boxes, even just some of the orders from the Michigan area, it would be enough to make him eat his fill.

Little did he know that Forrest Gump would ask him to make a coffin. Lambiel sighed, thinking that he should try to find Coach Behrman to put in a good word for him, maybe it would be useful.
-
On the evening of February 8th, the All-Star Weekend pre-game events, the Slam Dunk Contest and the Three-Point Contest, were held at Cleveland Gund Arena.

On that day, heavy snow fell in Cleveland, and fans braved the wind and snow to come to the arena to watch and support their favorite stars.

Although no big-name stars played tonight, this group of young stars is very popular among fans.

For example, Kobe Bryant and Michael Finley participated in the Slam Dunk Contest, while Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby, and Kittles were among the Rising Stars Challenge contest participants.

The first event was the Rising Stars Challenge, the first of its kind in the league's history, which garnered significant attention.

It was from this Rising Stars Challenge that the league began a conscious and proactive star-making campaign.

While previous NBA stars needed official and media support, back then it was more often unconscious or natural.

By 1997, investors realized that star players could be packaged; while talent was an innate foundation, packaging and promotion were equally important.

A great basketball idol can bring in extremely lucrative benefits, including sneakers, advertisements, endorsements, film and television works, as well as a variety of commercial and community activities.

The NBA needs idols, star players, and especially rising stars, because the turnover rate of professional players is very fast. Today people like A, tomorrow they will like B.

Moreover, fans grow up quickly from generation to generation. This generation of fans likes Jordan and Forrest Gump, and the new generation of fans needs new idols.

With profits at stake, capital and related groups are motivated, and the NBA naturally needs to provide a stage for tomorrow's stars. The Rookie Challenge is undoubtedly the beginning.

For this All-Star Game, the league will not issue special All-Star jerseys; instead, players will wear their own team's jerseys.

This year's games were held in Cleveland, so the Eastern Conference teams wore their home team light-colored jerseys and the Western Conference teams wore their away team dark-colored jerseys (later, because the Lakers' home jerseys were yellow and easily confused, the Western Conference teams continued to wear their away team dark-colored jerseys).

The same applies to the Rising Stars Challenge, where players wear their own team jerseys, creating a colorful and vibrant scene that perfectly matches the style of the 90s.

The league's main consideration in doing this is money; the All-Star Game helps promote each team's jerseys and makes them sell better.

In the late 90s, the aesthetics of NBA jerseys truly reached a peak. Whether it was the use of color or the design of the logo, they were stylish, attractive, and eye-catching.

Each team boldly adopted cartoon designs, gradient colors, stripes, and highly saturated color blocks, making this batch of jerseys a classic in the hearts of fans.

The coaches for this year's Rising Stars Challenge are quite interesting. In order to match the atmosphere of the 50th anniversary celebration, the league invited two renowned veteran coaches to the two rookie teams: Red-Headed Coach Auerbach from the Celtics and Red-Headed Holtzman, the former championship coach of the Knicks.

This put immense pressure on the young players on both the Eastern and Western Conference rookie teams, as these two veteran coaches were more experienced and prestigious than their own team's head coach.

However, the two veteran coaches seemed quite calm. When the DJ introduced the players to the field, Red-haired Auerbach took out his reading glasses from his pocket, put them on, and squinted at the field, looking like an old man reading a book or newspaper.

Holzmann remained calm; despite his white hair, he was still very energetic and commanded his group of young boys with ease.

The rules of the Rising Stars Challenge are different from those of a regular NBA game. It adopts rules similar to those of the NCAA, with two halves of 15 minutes each. There is no limit to the number of fouls, meaning that no one can be ejected.

If the score is tied at the end, the game will go into overtime.

The rules for overtime are that whoever gains a three-point lead first wins.

Unlike other nervous rookies, Kobe was very excited; he knew his chance to shine had come.

Representing the Western team, he was finally able to unleash his full potential in a match free from the constraints of a system, veterans, and coaches.

As for who the red-headed guy is? Who cares who he is, nobody can stop me from scoring!
Kobe scored 31 points, the highest in the game.

However, the Western team still lost the game 91-103. The MVP was awarded to Allen Iverson, who scored 19 points. He still took the lead over Kobe.

Iverson not only won the MVP award, but he also sported the iconic black cornrows during the game. This hairstyle, like Gan Guoyang chewing gum and Jordan wearing underwear, will become a new fashion trend in the NBA.

All of this frustrated Kobe; not only did he not receive the same level of accolades, but his hairstyle also didn't fare as well.

Iverson already had cornrows, while Kobe's afro was an outdated hairstyle from the 70s.

An hour later, in the dunk contest, Kobe showcased his skills, defeating Finley and many other opponents to win his first NBA honor: the dunk contest championship.

The result was good, but the process wasn't exactly pleasant.

Because the league has tentatively decided that this will be the last dunk contest, they have invited heavyweight judges.

Legends like Julius Erving, George Gervin, and Walter Frazier sat on the judging panel.

Kobe, eager to prove himself after losing the Rising Stars Challenge, almost failed to advance past the first round, but he managed to adjust and narrowly escape.

In the final, he started from the left side of the basket, switched hands between his legs, and then slammed the ball in, setting the entire arena ablaze.

With that spectacular dunk, Kobe won the championship. He ran to midcourt and showed off his not-so-developed muscles to the audience.

At that moment, Kobe tasted victory, honor, and cheers. His parents and Forrest Gump were applauding him from the stands.

For Kobe, who had been suppressed for most of the season, spending most of the games on the bench and performing only moderately, this dunk contest championship was just as valuable as the home victory against the Bulls, providing him with fuel and confidence.

In another exhibition three-point contest, Bulls guard Steve Kerr won the championship with an outstanding performance of 22 points, bringing the first day of All-Star Weekend's pre-game performances to a close.

On February 9th, the All-Star Game culminated in a special event: at 2 PM, stars from both the Eastern and Western Conferences gathered at Gund Arena to celebrate the league's 50th anniversary.

Before the game, Gan Guoyang received a red leather jacket from the league, which was the clothing prepared for the players during the halftime "conferment" of the 50 greatest players award.

David Stern personally gave him the leather jacket.

Gan Guoyang shook his head and said, "Damn it, why do we have to wear leather jackets? Can't we wear suits or formal wear? And why am I dressed in red like Michael? I should have gotten a special gold one!"

The league is not going to make any special arrangements; everyone will be treated equally. Of course, they won't give Gan Guoyang a special gold leather jacket. Even Magic Johnson only wore purple, not gold.

Stern reassured Gan Guoyang: "Tonight we'll let you go on stage last and enjoy the most cheers, how about that?"

"Forget it, David, I was just kidding. These formalities don't matter to me. Just stop suppressing the Portland Trail Blazers and let us play normally."

"Sonny, how could I possibly suppress you? I've always supported you, and I've always hoped to work with you to make the NBA stable and prosperous."

Gan Guoyang pondered for a moment, then shook hands with Stern. Stern smiled and said, "Thank you for your cooperation, Sonny."

(End of this chapter)