The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 797 Great Players

Unlike the drug and violence scandals that plagued the NBA in the 80s, by the 90s, negative news related to basketball was tainted with the stench of money.

It's not just the NBA; other professional sports leagues, including the NCAA, are all suffering from the erosion of money.

The United States is a strange place. On the one hand, it is the most developed country in the world in terms of capital and the core of the world's finance.

World history since the 1990s has essentially revolved around the United States, with finance and the greenbacks acting as the lubricant for this rotation.

On the other hand, the United States is a much more conservative country than one might imagine. Even many years later, they were still arguing over issues such as abortion, and the influence of conservative religions never disappeared in grassroots communities.

The contradictions and divisions are particularly evident in this short-lived, melting pot of immigrants society, much like the neighborhoods of big cities, where just across the street, there are pleasant and warm communities on one side and slums rife with gun violence on the other.

In the world of basketball, the NCAA vividly demonstrates this contradiction and division. On the one hand, it generates commercial value comparable to the NBA, but on the other hand, it does not pay its players a single penny.

The meager scholarships awarded by the school cannot reflect the value of star players, who will most likely enter professional leagues in the future and earn huge sums of money.

Therefore, countless "flies" surround these highly sought-after players, using money and bribes to establish private connections with them, hoping to cooperate in the future to extract even greater value.

Such incidents were common in the 70s and 80s. In order to maintain the "purity" of the college league, the NCAA strictly prohibited players from having economic ties with schools, professional teams, agents, etc., and would severely punish any such cases.

For example, in 1982, when Gan Guoyang graduated from high school and was preparing to choose a university, he was almost certain that he would go to the University of San Francisco to play basketball and inherit the great mantle of Bill Russell.

As a result, Quentin Daly, a star player for the University of San Francisco, was investigated for alleged rape, which led to a series of incidents involving the University of San Francisco's illegal recruitment of players. Ultimately, this resulted in the University of San Francisco being disqualified from the NCAA and its basketball department being disbanded.

This incident prevented Gan Guoyang from studying and playing basketball at the University of San Francisco, allowing Gonzaga of Spokane to get the job by sheer luck, leading to the most legendary and perfect championship in NCAA history.

Besides the University of San Francisco, other prestigious universities such as UCLA and UNLV have also been punished to varying degrees by the NCAA, all for reasons related to the schools' illegal recruitment practices.

By the 1990s, the economic value of rookie players had become increasingly enormous, and agents were able to make more and more money from them. Some cunning agents even squeezed black star players who didn't know how to manage money dry.

More and more people of all kinds are entering the player agent industry, and various illegal practices are also increasing, with the smell of money and hormones permeating the industry.

On February 17, 1996, a year earlier, University of Michigan basketball player Maurice Taylor was driving a Ford Explorer when it overturned on M14.

What started as a simple traffic accident turned into a surprise discovery during the police investigation. Maurice Taylor had attended a peculiar party in Detroit the previous night, which involved gambling, alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. In addition to him, several players from the University of Michigan basketball team, all of whom were registered members of the NCAA, were also present at the party.

The party was organized by an auto worker named Ed Martin, who worked at Ford Motor Company’s Rouge River plant in the 80s, a time when the American auto industry was suffering from the impact of Japanese cars and the industry was declining.

Martin took a different approach, starting to organize illegal gambling in the factory. While accumulating wealth, he used some of the profits to subsidize auto workers and make up for the income decline caused by the industry's downturn. This made Martin a well-known figure in the area.

This discovery prompted the NCAA's investigation committee to intervene, thus launching an investigation into a bribery case involving the infamous Michigan Five.

In February 1997, as the investigation deepened, Steve Fisher, the coach of the University of Michigan basketball team, was fired by the school for being involved in the scandal, although it was proven years later that he had not committed any major wrongdoing.

In March 1997, the University of Michigan and the Big-ten Conference released their first joint report, which showed that Ed Martin did indeed have close ties with star players on the University of Michigan basketball team from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s.

These include giving cash and various gifts, buying plane tickets for their families, issuing interest-free loans, and providing access to prostitutes—problems that have been prevalent in past investigations of various irregularities.

The investigation did not end with the release of this report; on the contrary, it marked the beginning of a long legal battle. Once-famous University of Michigan stars such as Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, and Jalen Rose were all drawn into the investigation, facing endless questioning, interrogation, testimony, and pressure from public opinion.

At this time, the NBA was in a crucial stage of determining the playoff rounds, and in March the battle between the Trail Blazers and the Houston Rockets for the second seed in the Western Conference became increasingly fierce.

Before the incident escalated, the two teams were separated by about 0.5 to 1 win. Whichever team relaxed even slightly could lose second place and fall to third.

With Webber at its core, and supported by Cassell, Robert Horry, Eddie Johnson, Campbell, and Kevin Willis, the Rockets are a formidable force and have shown signs of resurgence this season.

After the scandal broke, Webber was investigated, which affected his performance. The Rockets suffered three consecutive losses in mid-March and were crushed 87-105 in a battle for position with the Trail Blazers, dropping to third in the Western Conference. They had the same record as the fourth-placed Seattle SuperSonics, but were ranked ahead of the SuperSonics due to head-to-head results.

For the Trail Blazers, Gan Guoyang is like a truck with the accelerator floored. With the playoffs approaching, he no longer cares about his teammates' condition; he's charging forward at full speed.

From the end of February to March, Gan Guoyang delivered a series of outstanding individual performances, as if he had returned to his most amazing performance in 1987.

2月21日主场对阵底特律活塞，44分24个篮板球11次助攻，率队大胜。

2月24日客场对阵菲尼克斯太阳，49分18个篮板球9次助攻，4分险胜太阳。

3月3日客场对阵洛杉矶快船，55分12个篮板球7次助攻7次封盖，大胜快船。

3月4日背靠背迎战洛杉矶湖人，沙奎尔-奥尼尔因伤缺席本场比赛，甘国阳51分21个篮板球12次助攻6次封盖2次抢断，一个人把湖人队打烂。

In two back-to-back away games, Gan Guoyang scored 106 points in his lucky home of Los Angeles. This was the third time Gan Guoyang had scored over 50 points since the All-Star Game, and he had made the entire league's interior players tremble.

On the 4th, O'Neal stayed home to recover from his injury and didn't even dare to go to the Great Western Forum, because he didn't want to sit on the bench and watch Forrest Gump play.

As the playoffs approach, Gan Guoyang's performance has become increasingly ferocious, and Western teams are growing increasingly fearful of him.

On March 8th, Shaquille O'Neal's good friend, rapper Biggie-Smalls, was shot and killed in the street due to gang feuds in the rap world.

On the same day, the Trail Blazers defeated the out-of-form Houston Rockets at home, with Gan Guoyang recording a triple-double of 48 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 blocks.

He brought his personal abilities to the extreme, single-handedly suppressing all the instability, immaturity, fatigue, and burnout within the Trail Blazers team.

American basketball media could find no more praise for Gan Guoyang's performance. They could only say: "Enjoy this personal performance feast as he returns to the NBA. The championship is still in doubt, but there will be no second choice for the regular season MVP."

In MVP voting and odds rankings, Gan Guoyang surpassed Michael Jordan and Karl Malone, whose teams had outstanding records, and ranked first without any controversy.

Although the Trail Blazers are not on a winning streak like the Jazz or the Bulls, they are still one of the best teams in the league, with a conservative estimate of 55 to 58 wins.

This result is absolutely excellent. Last season, the Trail Blazers didn't even make the playoffs. This season, Gan Guoyang has returned, and there haven't been any major adjustments or changes to the Trail Blazers' roster.

The trade brought in Riddell, who was just a third-rate scorer, and the draft picked two high schoolers who hadn't even grown up yet. Gan Guoyang is definitely worth an MVP award for bringing the team to this level.

Gan Guoyang didn't think too much about it. After the All-Star Game, he basically immersed himself in the game, spending his time training, resting, maintaining his form, and preparing for the playoffs.

Regardless of the team's roster or the condition of his teammates, Gan Guoyang never slacks off. He will definitely go all out in the playoffs and will not give up like he did in 1994.

He will not allow that to happen again.

On March 10, the Trail Blazers left Portland for an away game in the north against the newly formed Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors joined the league in 1995 along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, a product of the NBA's expansion plan to Canada.

In fact, Toronto was a member of the NBA league as early as its founding stage in 1946, and the Huskies were one of the earliest NBA teams.

Due to poor management, it withdrew from the league early on, and for decades afterward, Toronto tried to return to the NBA.

In 1993, the league officially approved the decision to build a new team in Toronto.

Initially, the city of Toronto wanted to revert to the old and historically significant name of the team, the Huskies.

At that time, the league already had the Timberwolves, and the Timberwolves' mascot, the gray wolf, and the husky were almost identical in logo.

To increase the team's visibility, the new team's formation committee, as usual, launched a nationwide voting process.

Ultimately, they chose the popular name "Raptors" because Steven Spielberg's blockbuster "Jurassic Park" was showing worldwide at the time, sparking a dinosaur craze, and the new team could capitalize on this wave of popularity.

Like any other new team, the Raptors will naturally have to go through a painful rookie period.

In 1996, they got the second pick in the NBA draft and selected Marcus Camby from the University of Massachusetts.

The Raptors chose Camby for a simple reason: he's like Forrest Gump.

His height, wingspan, playing style, and even his draft position are all such a perfect match for Forrest Gump.

At the University of Massachusetts, Camby led his team to the NCAA Final Four, making him a key contributor to the school's success.

The Raptors' head coach commented that Camby can play like a guard, and he can often make some outside offensive moves, drive to the basket or shoot for points.

All of this made the Raptors dream of soaring to new heights like the Trail Blazers did after acquiring Forrest Gump. And the Raptors' general manager was none other than Isiah Thomas, the former Pistons star who almost got elbowed to death by Forrest Gump in the Finals.

No one understands Forrest Gump's power better than Thomas, and he looks forward to Camby's growth, even if he can only reach 70% or 80% of Forrest Gump's level.

But facts have proven time and again that while Michael Jordan may have a backup, there will never be a second Forrest Gump.

Like many "second Forrest Gumps," Camby could only achieve a superficial resemblance, not a true likeness, let alone a replication of his performance and dominance.

Putting everything else aside, Camby started getting injured and missing games just one month into the season, showing that the two are not on the same level in terms of physical endurance.

His influence on the court is incomparable to that of rookie Gan Guoyang—the fact is that, to date, among all NBA centers, very few have had a season better than Gan Guoyang's rookie season. Perhaps only Hakeem Olajuwon surpassed Gan Guoyang's rookie year in his MVP season.

Of course, Camby is a talented second overall pick. After struggling to adapt at the beginning of the season, his performance improved significantly in February and March.

He consistently scored high points in the game and performed well in rebounding and blocking shots, effectively anchoring the Raptors' paint.

As a result, the Raptors' record didn't plummet to the bottom and miss the playoffs, but they weren't exactly pushovers either.

Just as Camby's performance was getting better and better, and his ranking for Rookie of the Year was getting higher and higher, he encountered the same problem as Chris Webber.

In March 1997, Camby was found to have accepted $28000 from two sports agents during his college years. As a result, his alma mater, the University of Massachusetts, was stripped of its 1996 NCAA Final Four status and was subject to further investigation, potentially facing disqualification from future competitions and admissions.

This kind of thing happens repeatedly, and fans have become used to it. They don't care whether the stars take money from their agents in private.

As for the University of Massachusetts' record being stripped, that has nothing to do with Camby, who is now a Raptors player.

The problem is that as more and more details are revealed in such investigations, Camby's image and reputation suffer a devastating blow.

The two agents described Camby as a greedy, lecherous, and brainless athlete who constantly asked his agents for money to fund his extravagant lifestyle.

Camby defended himself to the police, saying that his agent had been sending him money and gifts to his family, and had been visiting him during holidays to show concern for them. Now he was turning around and saying that he was greedy.
In this dog-eat-dog style of mutual attacks, the more famous party is often more vulnerable to being hurt. Who cares about the character of a basketball agent? However, as a representative figure among the 1996 rookies, Camby's words and actions will be strictly scrutinized by fans and the public.

Moreover, during the defense, Camby had to admit to some of his misconduct. For example, in December 1995, when he was a junior in college, he, a friend, another player on the University of Massachusetts basketball team, and a woman brought by their agent had a sexual encounter in their dorm room, resulting in a foursome.

The woman was a tenant of the agent Spears apartment. She was taken to the school and had sex with three students in exchange for a $250 rent reduction.

There were several similar instances of pimping, which quickly led to the collapse of Camby's public image, and he faced criticism and pressure from all sides in Toronto.

On the 10th, the game day, Camby tried to show his prowess again in the game against the Trail Blazers, overshadow Forrest Gump, and gain relief from public opinion.

As a rookie, if you can outplay Forrest Gump in a game, let alone the 4-man roster, even if you go to New York and take on Stern, you'll still have fans supporting you.

Unfortunately, Gan Guoyang had no intention of giving young people a chance to showcase themselves and release pressure; he only wanted to make things worse and teach them a lesson.

The first three quarters of the game were quite intense, with the Raptors playing at home giving their all. The two sides traded leads and scored points quickly.

In the fourth quarter, Gan Guoyang suddenly stepped up his game, leading the team on a 14-2 run and using playoff-level offensive and defensive intensity to destroy the Raptors.

The Trail Blazers secured a 99-89 victory in Toronto, but Camby's performance of 5 points and 4 rebounds left him sullen and desperate on the bench.

Camby, who had just graduated from college and entered the NBA, realized that the world of professional teams was far more complicated than it had been in college.

In college, he only needed to focus on the basketball court and play well; nothing else would be a problem.

Once you get to the NBA, you realize that on-court issues are only part of the problem. Off-court troubles can drive you crazy. Promises, friendships, and intimacy can vanish overnight, transformed into sharp blades aimed at you.

Every foolish thing you did in your youth will, at some point in the future, take its revenge on you in some way.

However, to Camby's surprise, at the post-game press conference, Gan Guoyang, who easily scored 35 points, was asked by reporters about the recent issues concerning young players. Instead of taking a critical stance like many veteran players, he stood up to encourage young players to restrain themselves and fiercely criticized the NCAA's double standards.

"The NCAA makes so much money off these players every year, yet they don't pay them a single penny in salary and forbid them from having any financial dealings with any companies or teams. They themselves enjoy what is arguably the largest economic benefit in the entire American sports industry. To maintain this exclusivity and monopoly, they've established an investigative body akin to a secret service, constantly digging into players' private financial dealings and punishing schools, agents, and players. I want to ask, is America still a free country? I want to ask, what substantial harm do these players cause to society and the basketball industry by obtaining angel investment through their talent and ability? Why does the NCAA committee act like a hyena, frantically investigating every rumor and tracing back to the past? Is it just to maintain the so-called purity of 'amateur sports'? If you value purity so much, why sell broadcasting rights to TV stations at exorbitant prices? Why not just broadcast them for free to viewers and collect donations to sustain the games?"

Gan Guoyang's criticism immediately caused a stir in the American basketball community, not because what he said made any sense—someone had said the same thing before—but because of his status and position.

Similarly, a fan's complaints and grumbles will not achieve any results, but for someone of his status and position to say such things would be a huge challenge to the NCAA, because many fans and young players would stand on his side.

As expected, young NBA players who played in the NCAA and those who had just entered the NBA spoke out in support of Forrest Gump's criticism of the NCAA, saying that the NCAA was a vampire, a black factory and plantation that exploited the value of college players.

David Stern even secretly called Gan Guoyang and praised his remarks over the phone.

“Good job, Sonny! That was a nice straight punch! You’re winning over the young players, which is good for you in controlling their future contract options.”

"Fuck you, David. I'm not that insidious. I'm just telling the truth."

"OK, OK, you're just telling the truth. I'm just stating a fact."

In many people's minds, the NCAA is like the NBA's youth training institution, cultivating fresh blood for the professional league.

That's not actually the case at all. The NCAA and the NBA are on equal footing, and they are competitors.

The NCAA was established earlier than the NBA, and in its early days, the NBA often competed with NCAA college teams for market share and fans.

In some places, like Kansas, the NBA can't compete with the NCAA because fans there prefer college basketball and aren't interested in professional basketball.

Therefore, Kansas, a city with a large basketball market, saw several attempts to host the NBA come to nothing, and eventually all the teams moved to places where the NCAA's dominance was not as strong.

The competition for talent between the two sides has intensified in recent years. High school prodigies like Garnett, O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant skipped college and went straight to the NBA, which was a huge loss for the NCAA.

Therefore, the NCAA has been constantly promoting the idea that there are many drawbacks to high school players going directly into the NBA, and that the NBA should raise the minimum age for young players to participate in the draft to ensure that they can go to college.

Behind this is actually a competition for talent. The NCAA also needs talented players to attract fans and expand the market; otherwise, how can they sell tickets and broadcasting rights for high prices?
Gan Guoyang's remarks and the ensuing public outcry were exactly what Stern wanted. During this period, the NCAA has been constantly investigating young players and digging up old stories, causing widespread anxiety in the league.

At this point, someone needs to step up and deflate the NCAA's arrogance. Players like Jordan and Ewing are graduates of prestigious universities and are as docile as little dogs in front of college coaches. How could they possibly stand up and attack the NCAA?

Moreover, these veterans already disliked this new generation of players, so it's even less likely they would stand up for them. It's already a sign of high character that they didn't jump out to suppress them.

It has to be Forrest Gump, the biggest trash talker in league history, president of the players' union, NCAA champion, the god of Gonzaga, and a foreigner at that, so he has no psychological pressure when it comes to criticizing the NCAA.

At the time, the NCAA was in the midst of its national tournament, and the games were in full swing. Forrest Gump's outburst put the entire committee in an awkward position.

However, they dared not retaliate too forcefully, because they had already sensed something ominous, and if they said the wrong thing, there could be disastrous consequences.

Therefore, the NCAA chose to remain silent, not to respond, and to postpone the investigation, allowing young players like Webber and Camby to finish the regular season before discussing it in the offseason.

Gan Guoyang's words and actions earned him the support of the league's rising stars, many of whom had been his fans since childhood, which further enhanced his prestige.

Stern is right. Forrest Gump's existence is indeed very meaningful in promoting the stability and prosperity of the league.

Do you think Storrs, Connecticut is remote?
You could try Oshkosh, Wisconsin, about 90 miles from Milwaukee, where the Bucks hold their training camp.

I don't want to seem petty. I know there are many people who would trade lives with me without hesitation and become an NBA star.

But I want to say that playing in the NBA isn't as great as people make it out to be.

Hotel. Practice. Hotel. Practice. You know what I mean.

Oshkosh's life is just a repetitive cycle. It didn't become any more glamorous after the season started. Those parties, luxury cars, and celebrities—if this is the life of a professional basketball player, it belongs to other cities, not Milwaukee.

Normally, I feel like I don't belong in this alliance at all.

We can't attract large crowds at home, and we don't have Milwaukee Bucks fans cheering for us on the road.

The Green Bay Packers owned the city and the state, and they played in Milwaukee until the mid-1990s.

I felt like I was back in high school, when rugby was a popular sport. Whenever my teammates and I ran into acquaintances on our way to practice, our conversations usually went something like this:

"You guys are so tall, you must be on the basketball team."

"Yes, that's right."

"So you guys are Marquette University players?"

"No, we are Bucks players."

"Oh, not bad, not bad."

Then they left without any further incident.

After every game at Bradley Center, I would order a pizza and then go home to watch The X-Files.

Do you think I don't know how to have fun?

On the road, we are often the ones who get the most playing time.

All anyone knows is that Milwaukee is where Lavigne and Shirley live. Every time we go on stage, we hear that sitcom's theme song.

When I played, I wasn't very happy; I was just doing my job in a routine manner.

Looking back, it wasn't much different from my early days at the University of Connecticut, where I was constantly trying to find a way to fit in.

However, there is one very different thing about the NBA: here, you can only rely on yourself. This is different from college, where there are many things that can distract you and prevent you from thinking about the struggles you are going through.

Your shooting was terrible tonight? No problem, you don't have to think about it anymore. You still have exams to study for.

The NBA is much harder. I don't understand the system, I don't understand offense, I don't understand the rules. Defense? Forget about it.

Seriously, how am I supposed to guard Reggie Miller, Mitch Richmond, Dell Curry—Stephen's father, Michael Jordan, and that number 11 from Portland?

Okay, I would never be the primary defender against Portland's number 11, but playing against him would be a nightmare for any young player, especially in 1996.

Ever since I checked the Bucks' schedule at training camp and noticed that I would be playing at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland one day, I've been looking forward to this day.

I told myself, this really happened, I would witness that miracle on the field.

That night was surreal. I was doing stretching exercises when the Trail Blazers jogged onto the court, and Forrest Gump was the last to appear.

He was stronger and more imposing than he appeared on television. People were right; he was like a god. If you knew everything about him, you would feel an urge to kneel before him.

I stared at him blankly, not quite coming to my senses, when I found myself standing with him in the center of the court, and he was about to jump the ball... Oh my god, he was walking towards me!
“Ray,” he said, extending his hand, “welcome to the NBA.”

"Thank you," I said. That was all I dared to say at the time; I didn't dare say anything else.

My face was probably expressionless at the time, because I was afraid that if I said too much, I would be subjected to Forrest Gump's mental attack.

Many young players were driven to the brink of collapse by him.

But I was thinking to myself, my God, Forrest Gump knows my name!
I bet he glanced at the scouting report before the game, so of course he knew my name.

Later, during my rookie season, I realized that Forrest Gump was indeed a devil on the court, but if you didn't mess with him, he was a very good person.

And off the field, his encouragement and support for young players won the hearts of many; he was a great player.

—Excerpt from Ray Allen's 2014 autobiography, *From the Outside*.

(End of this chapter)