The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 810 Old Man
McGrady stayed at Kobe's house until the end of summer. The three unmarried young men trained together with abandon, immersed in the world of basketball.

They were all under 20 years old, a time when they were full of energy and carefree, able to focus all their lives on their beloved careers and dreams.

It was a beautiful and fortunate moment when McGrady was leaving Portland to return to Los Angeles. Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal drove him to the airport, and they were reluctant to part with him.

Kobe was still making threats, saying that when the regular season started and they faced the Lakers, he would teach McGrady a lesson and smash a dunk on him.

McGrady just shrugged with his eyelids drooping and said, "I'll try to get a starting position, and so will you, Kobe. Let's try to get a starting position first."

Although he was a year younger than Kobe, McGrady seemed to have a clearer and more rational view of his NBA future.

Unlike Kobe, who, upon entering the league, dreamed of dominating and replacing Forrest Gump as the king of the league.

McGrady is very down-to-earth; his primary goal is to secure a starting position and establish himself in the NBA and on a team.

The Los Angeles Lakers are a top-tier powerhouse, and Los Angeles is the largest city in the West, where McGrady's future was bright.

After joining the Lakers, he not only received a rookie contract worth over a million dollars, but also a five-million-dollar shoe contract from Adidas.

Adidas is optimistic about McGrady's future appeal to fans and his commercial and market value.

This is the current trend; perimeter players like McGrady, Kobe, and Iverson, who have beautiful and stylish playing styles, are the favorites of new fans.

Although young, superstar centers like Shaquille O'Neal are favored by every team manager and can get huge contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, Adidas was only willing to offer O'Neal a shoe contract worth $50, one-tenth of McGrady's.

Due to their positions and playing styles, the two players have a 10-fold difference in potential commercial value in the sports goods industry.

Centers don't sell shoes, and they can't support the merchandise market.

Gan Guoyang is the only exception; his independent brand Skyscraper has become a cultural phenomenon in the United States.

Every year, Skyscraper releases many versions and styles, usually including a formal version and various commemorative versions.

There's a rainbow version commemorating Gan Guoyang's 60-point performance against the Nuggets in his early years, a masked version featuring Jason the Killer commemorating Gan Guoyang, and a special championship edition for each title win.

There was a Chinese Red Olympic Edition for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, a farewell edition for his retirement in 1994, a comeback commemorative edition for his comeback in 1996, and a four-color supreme edition for winning four statistical championships.

After losing the Western Conference Finals, Avia even considered making a Jazz Snow Mountain or a Three-No-Skip design to commemorate this memorable defeat.

If any other brand did this, releasing commemorative editions for every little thing, it would definitely be seen as a money-grabbing scheme and a shoddy business.

Gan Guoyang's Skyscraper, however, has become a part of popular culture due to his achievements and the pioneering influence of the shoe in its early years.

Many sneaker enthusiasts not only don't mind Skyscraper releasing various commemorative editions, but even feel that the releases are too few and too slow, failing to meet everyone's collecting needs.

Some early, less popular commemorative models have already been sold at very high prices on the market. As Gan Guoyang makes his comeback and continues to compete for the championship, the variety of Skyscraper models will continue to increase.

In late August and early September, Jermaine O'Neal, just like last year, participated in the Trail Blazers' rookie training camp.

He was wearing Skyscraper's 1990 69-win championship commemorative edition shoes, with the number 69 printed on the side.

The sneakers feature a black and white yin-yang design inspired by the Chinese tai chi symbol, which is quite popular among some American consumers.

However, production is not high, and now it costs several times the original price to buy it on the market.

Back then, Jermaine O'Neal couldn't afford them, but after getting a contract through the draft, he immediately spent a lot of money to buy a pair.

He doesn't usually wear them, but the rookie training camp means the new season is about to start, so he wants to wear these shoes to encourage himself.

Like Kobe, Jermaine O'Neal is full of expectations for the new season, but he knows he definitely won't be able to secure a starting position.

His goal is to become a regular rotation player in the paint. With PJ Brown gone, the Trail Blazers' interior rotation has been vacant, and Jermaine O'Neal must fill that gap.

Gan Guoyang participated in the rookie training camp as usual, training with Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O'Neal, Ben Wallace, and a group of other rookies.

This is a traditional custom of the pioneers and will not be easily changed.

Larry Bird did not participate in the rookie training camp; instead, assistant coach Rick Carlisle took his place.

Carlisle was still quite surprised when he met Gan Guoyang – Gan Guoyang was even leaner and more muscular than last season.

This guy changes every year, and quite a bit each time. Just when you think he can't get any better, the next season always brings some surprises.

“You’ve lost weight…how much weight, Sonny?” Carlisle asked.

"Without Slim Rick, I'm still around 275 pounds. I just continued to improve my muscle mass."

As he spoke, Gan Guoyang showed off his strong arms, and Carlisle had no doubt that such arms could punch his head and make it spin 360 degrees.

Many people thought that Gan Guoyang would lose weight and return to the power forward position after Sabonis returned, but Gan Guoyang did not do so in the summer.

When Gan Guoyang made his comeback in 1996, he had already formulated a strategy, knowing that the decline in his explosiveness and speed was inevitable and could only be slowed down, not reversed.

Since strength is still increasing, you must maximize your advantages in weight and strength; it's impossible to lose weight by simply trying to lose weight.

At his wife's suggestion, Gan Guoyang hired a higher-level training team to develop a more reasonable and long-term training plan for his body using modern technology.

Before developing a plan, trainers and medical technology personnel will create a training program specifically for Gan Guoyang based on his playing habits and physical condition.

Teams from the University of Portland and UCLA also created unique training programs specifically for him to further hone his technical details and skills.

Although Gan Guoyang felt that his improvement was limited after a seemingly high-level training session, it is very difficult to improve once you reach the highest level in competitive sports.

In sprinting, no matter how much effort is put into it, various technological methods, or even drugs, the result might only be improved by 0.01 seconds. And that 0.01 seconds is the difference between the champion and the runner-up.

Gan Guoyang also reached this level, and it became increasingly difficult to improve as he progressed, especially as he aged and his body began to decline year by year.

For him, all the hard work and improvement he put in might just mean scoring one more basket, grabbing one more rebound, or making one more successful defensive play each game.

And this extra chance is enough to change the course of a game, or even a series.

With the addition of new players and the return of veterans, the Trail Blazers' roster strength has been restored.

However, Gan Guoyang did not become arrogant because of this, believing that he could win the championship in the new season by maintaining the status quo and leading the Trail Blazers.

The stronger the roster, the more internal conflicts there will be, the higher the expectations from the outside world will be, and the greater the pressure to win the championship will be.

Moreover, on-paper strength does not represent true strength. All three new signings are already over 30 years old and entering the mid-to-late stages of their professional careers.

Sabonis has been plagued by injuries, while Mullin and Blelock both face a critical problem: alcoholism.

If the team is not united and cannot generate enough chemistry, things will get worse than last season.

At this point, Gan Guoyang must become stronger, or at least not regress with age.

In the rookie training camp, Gan Guoyang was not playing on the same level as the others. Carlisle also did not allow him to play on the court, but instead gave him the whistle to be the referee.

"Larry said that making you a referee would give you a completely new perspective on the game. You would not be on your own side, the opposing side, or the fans off the field, but you would be on the field, yet you would have to remain a fair and independent referee. This would give you a new understanding and new insights into the game."

Carlisle said this to Gan Guoyang.

"Rick, you fucking want to slack off, but how come you came up with such a ridiculous excuse to fool me?"

Rick Carlisle smiled without saying a word, focusing most of his energy on building his fluid offense, aside from training and coaching.

He expects the Trail Blazers' offense to reach a very, very high level with the addition of Chris Mullin and Domantas Sabonis.

Instead of relying solely on Forrest Gump like in the 1996-1997 season, which would have made things very difficult in the playoffs.

The week-long newcomer training camp has ended, and this year's batch of newcomers has undoubtedly received the "worst batch" rating.

In fact, the Trail Blazers went home empty-handed in this year's draft, having already traded away their first-round and second-round picks.

The Trail Blazers didn't have many resources to develop new talent, so the 1997-1998 season was a season they had to reap the rewards of.

Before the start of the new season, the Trail Blazers still have many problems to deal with, both big and small.

First, Bird suffered a heart attack this summer; in fact, he had an arrhythmia problem during his time as an athlete.

Like Reggie Lewis, this is inherited from his mother, and coupled with his tall stature and excessive exercise, it puts a great strain on his heart.

One day in September, at his home in Indiana, his heart suddenly became irregular, and the situation did not improve until the start of training camp.

Bird didn't delay and immediately reported to the Trail Blazers' management. Buckwalt immediately arranged for the best doctor to go to Bird's home for a consultation to understand Bird's condition.

Before training camp began, Bird returned to Portland and underwent a full examination at a Portland hospital, which confirmed that he did indeed have a congenital heart problem.

After a consultation with experts, it was decided to perform an electric shock therapy on Bird to restore his heart to a normal rhythm.

Bird was given a sedative and lay in bed. Then, a defibrillator was used to deliver an electric shock to his chest, which restored his heart to normal.

The doctor prescribed medication for Bird, instructing him to take it regularly, get plenty of rest, and avoid strenuous work during this period.

This troubled Bird greatly; he disliked taking medication every day, which made him feel like a seriously ill old man.

Furthermore, missing out on the preseason training camp was a significant loss for him, and he was eager to lead the Trail Blazers to redeem themselves.

He was excited about the Trail Blazers' roster for the new season, which could very well lead to a great season like the 1996 Bulls.

The result? Heart disease?

But the Trail Blazers have a precedent: Reggie Lewis died of a heart attack on the court.

They absolutely do not want another coach with a heart condition to collapse on the field.

After learning that Bird had a heart problem, Gan Guoyang took great care of him.

He advised Bird to rest well and come back in December, saying there would be no problem.

"When you come back, you'll find that it makes no difference whether you're here or not," Gan Guoyang comforted Bird.

For health and safety reasons, Bird had to miss the preseason training camp in October, leaving assistant coaches Rick Carlisle and Dick Hart to organize the training.

This is a tough task for Carlisle and Hart, as the team's roster has changed, requiring them to devise new strategies and stabilize the locker room.

Bird bluntly replied, "Let Forrest Gump handle it, he can do it! He's getting paid so much, what's wrong with doing more work?"

So, Coach Gan came online.

In terms of qualifications and ability, Gan Guoyang is more than qualified to be a part-time coach.

No other player on the Trail Blazers entered the NBA earlier than him. Porter, Mullin, and Green were drafted in 1985, Sabonis entered in 1987, and Blaylock in 1989.

Gan Guoyang is already an "old man" who participated in the talent show in 1984, the most senior one.

So, even though everyone knew that head coach Bird couldn't be there because of a heart condition, no one was late on the first day of training camp.

They all arrived at Willamette University Gymnasium on time at 7:30 a.m. and began their first training session of the new season with the sound of the whistle.

Sabonis is back with the Trail Blazers, wearing the number 15 jersey, and he's in a great mood, absolutely fantastic.

In a pre-training interview, Sabonis was beaming with a broad smile.

“I’m so happy to be back here, it’s wonderful, it feels like a fresh start. At my age, it’s not easy to feel this way.”

When he left in 1993, Sabonis was 28 years old, the prime age for a professional athlete.

Having played a supporting role in the NBA, he became an unstoppable force in Europe.

In 1997, Sabonis was 32 years old, almost 33, and his knees were wrapped in thick knee braces.

Regardless of the intensity, any sporting event will inevitably cause physical strain.

He shaved off his fuzzy beard and long hair that reached past his ears, giving him a neat buzz cut, which made him look more mature.

Compared to when he was 28, his waist is thicker, he is heavier, he is slower, and he is more experienced.

He understood Rick Carlisle's instructions almost instantly, as if he were born with the knowledge to know everything about fluid offense.

However, by the end of the first day of training, Sabonis's smile had almost completely disappeared.

He sat on the sidelines, panting, stretching, watching Gan Guoyang still jumping around on the court practicing layups.

He couldn't help but lament, "Why did I have to come back and continue training and playing with this guy?"

Sabonis was once again exhausted by Gan Guoyang's intensity, and his ankles and knees started to ache again.

He suddenly recalled the time in 1990 when the Socialist Trio first arrived in Portland and were brought to their knees by Gan Guoyang's intensity during the rookie training camp.

At that time, Petrovich stubbornly refused to admit defeat and insisted on following in Forrest Gump's footsteps.

Now, Sabonis doesn't feel so bad when he thinks of Petrovic.

He saw Kobe on the court wearing the number 8 jersey, and it's said that the guy looks a lot like Pete.

Another person standing on the sidelines, leaning on his knees and panting, is Chris Mullin.

This former training fanatic, this solitary trainer, is having his body ruined by alcohol.

His physical condition is not what it used to be; on the first day of training camp, he was tortured by the intensity of the Trail Blazers and his heart and lungs were about to explode.

Mullin came over to greet Sabonis, and the two sat down and chatted. When Mullin learned that this was not the Trail Blazers' maximum intensity, he felt a little desperate.

He knew that Forrest Gump was always very strong and had amazing, inexhaustible physical strength, but Forrest Gump was still in college at that time, while Mullin could also train all day.

But Mullin didn't expect that even though he was over 30, Forrest Gump's physical fitness was still so good, even better than when he was younger, because he had gained more weight.

Is this the intensity every day?

"Today's is probably the lowest price; it's a small gift from Forrest Gump as we meet."

"Shit... I'm afraid I should retire after this season."

Of the three new veterans, Brelock is in the best training condition.

He entered the league in 1989 at the peak of his career and was full of energy.

Brelock was very quiet, extremely quiet. From the moment he entered the training camp, aside from a brief self-introduction, he barely uttered a single word.

During training, he only communicates with his teammates about the situation on the court, and doesn't talk about anything else; he just focuses on practicing.

The Portland media were clearly very interested in the newcomer and wanted to interview him before practice.

But Brelock only gave the simplest answers to all the questions, and he seemed a little embarrassed.

Even though he was already a well-known backcourt star in the league, Blaylock still seemed like a silent black teenager from Texas.

But silence doesn't mean being obedient, much less that this guy is a good bird.

On the third day of training camp, Brelock got into trouble when he was pulled over by the police for drunk driving.

When the police inspected his vehicle, they not only found unfinished alcohol but also some prohibited leafy greens.

However, because he was a Trail Blazers player, the police did not take him to the police station, but let him go, warned him not to do it again, and notified the Trail Blazers management.

The Trail Blazers have such a large influence in Portland that the police don't want this new recruit to be arrested, as it would affect the Trail Blazers' performance in the new season, and they would be attacked and scorned by the entire city.

Upon receiving the news, the Trail Blazers management immediately took action, warning Blake to stop drinking alcohol and using prohibited substances, something the Blazers have always strictly controlled.

Buckwalt threatened Blake: "If Forrest Gump finds out about this, he'll beat you half to death and make you live on a bladder for the rest of your life."

Gan Guoyang would certainly not do that, but the problem is, Brelock actually believed it.

He might not believe that Forrest Gump would beat him half to death, but he believed that if Forrest Gump knew he had broken the rules, he would definitely take action against him.

This guy wasn't immune to the mental torment he experienced while playing for the Nets and Hawks.

“I…I didn’t mean to, but addiction really…is sometimes hard to control,” Brylock defended himself.

While playing for the Hawks in 1995, Blaylock was arrested in Atlanta for drunk driving and possession of tobacco, but the Hawks later bailed him out.

Brelock is very serious and dedicated in training and playing on the court, and the coaches and team can only discipline him off the court, but they can't really control him.

“Play well with Forrest Gump. Victory and championships can cure all the addictions caused by emptiness and loneliness,” Buckwalt told Blakelock.

Brelock nodded. He worked even harder in training, hoping to reach that level, which was why he came to the Trail Blazers in the first place.

For NBA players, the emptiness and loneliness, coupled with the frustration of constant failures, can indeed erode a person's mental well-being.

Especially those stars who, when they first entered the league, had lofty ambitions and wanted to make a name for themselves, and did indeed make a name for themselves, but ultimately failed to achieve victory.

When the championship is always out of reach, when time passes day by day and year by year, when one's prime years are quickly gone, and when peak performance is gone forever, feelings of anxiety, resentment, and regret can easily lead a person to make irrational choices.

October 25th has arrived, the preseason is underway, and the new season is getting closer and closer.

On the South Coast, in Miami, Charles Barkley stayed with the Heat to begin his 14th season.

He knew his chances were dwindling, and he knew the Heat's chances of winning in the 1998 season were slim.

Although the team acquired PJ Brown from the Trail Blazers, the problem is that the Heat lost Hakeem Olajuwon.

After some deliberation, Hakeem Olajuwon went to New Jersey and joined the Brooklyn Nets.

The Nets were not a championship contender; they were simply a team backed by a big city. In the summer, the Nets were acquired by owner Paul Allen for a hefty sum.

After failing to acquire the Trail Blazers in 1988, Allen had been looking to buy an NBA team and finally got a chance to enter the game after almost 10 years.

Signing Hakeem Olajuwon was just one small step in Allen's NBA plan, as the Microsoft mogul was eager to create a new storm in the NBA.

With Hakeem Olajuwon gone, the burden of supporting the team's interior defense suddenly fell on Charles Barkley's shoulders. He originally came here to ride on Olajuwon's coattails!
Now that's settled, Hakeem Olajuwon is gone, and Clyde Drexler, though not officially retired, is practically retired; he's lost all ambition.

All that's left is Tim Hardaway. Can he really make a splash in the East and challenge the Chicago Bulls or the Trail Blazers?
Barkley was depressed and extremely anxious because his relationship with his wife had become strained again since coming to Miami. Maureen disliked Miami and believed that his constant travel was not good for their child's development.

With the new season about to begin, Maureen returned to Phoenix with her daughter, leaving Barkley alone.

Just like at the 1992 Olympics, everyone brought their families, but Barkley was alone.

Barkley and his teammates frequented bars, enjoying their time alone and relaxed.

On the 25th, the Heat played an away game in Orlando. After the game, Barkley and Drexler went to a bar to drink with girls.

As a result, they got into a conflict with some local young people. Barkley wasn't going to do anything, but he couldn't resist the constant provocation from the two women next to him.

"Aren't you going to do anything? Just let them go like this?"

"Why don't you do something? If you don't take action, I will!"

Barkley was already in a bad mood, and with the woman stirring things up, he finally lost control.

He picked up a young man named Lugo and threw him through the glass window.

The glass window was smashed, and the young man named Lugo had his arm artery slashed, causing him to bleed profusely.

Fortunately, a police officer rushed forward and pressed on the wound; otherwise, Barkley would have been charged with manslaughter.

A champion? He'll be spending the next decade or so in prison.

Ultimately, through money and legal intervention, Barkley was acquitted.

He privately signed an agreement with Lugo, paying him $75000 to settle the matter.

On October 31, the Trail Blazers hosted the Miami Heat in the opening game of the 1997-1998 season.

Barkley, who used to always visit Gan Guoyang's house for a big meal before the game, didn't dare to go this time.

He was afraid to face Forrest Gump because of the absurd things he had done and because he had grown to almost 300 pounds.

Instead, Gan Guoyang took the initiative to call Barkley, first cursing him a few times, then saying, "You should hire bodyguards. Believe me, you won't have an easy time during this period. Also, protect your wife and daughter and don't let anyone attack them. Quentin has some connections; he can introduce you to someone."

Barkley received nothing but negative comments after the incident, and even his close friends couldn't defend him. They could only advise him to hire a bodyguard to protect himself and his family.

Barkley didn't know what to say, and Gan Guoyang didn't give him a chance to say thank you before quickly hanging up the phone.

Listening to the dial tone on the phone, Barkley sighed. He felt he really should grow up a bit.

Although he had thought about this countless times and made countless efforts in the past, and achieved some results, when will he truly grow up?
If he doesn't grow up soon, he'll really get old.

(End of this chapter)