The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 88

Gan Guoyang and Wang Fuxi had a great time in Spokane for two days. Gan Guoyang unusually shortened his training time so that he could spend more time with Wang Fuxi.

Wang Fuxi witnessed firsthand the power of celebrity influence in Spokane. Gan Guoyang himself was a sight to behold in Spokane; wherever he went, people would ask him to take photos with them, and almost every business would offer him discounts or freebies.

The influence of the undefeated NCAA champion is evident. After all, Spokane, although the second largest city in Washington state, is relatively unknown in the United States and has not produced any big names.

They walked hand in hand along the clear banks of the Spokane River, a scene of warmth and tranquility, but the two were arguing about what Gan Guoyang liked about Wang Fuxi.

Even as Wang Fuxi boarded a plane and left, Gan Guoyang maintained his stance, "I just like that you're pretty."

He claimed, "Good personality and all that stuff is a lie; only good looks matter."

Gan Guoyang's theory is that with his abilities and future fame and wealth, he can control and manipulate people of any personality, but he is not Nuwa and cannot mold anyone's face.

So finding something pleasing to the eye is more important than anything else.

Wang Fuxi scoffed at Gan Guoyang's fallacious reasoning.

"What if you meet someone prettier? Wouldn't you break up with me and be with someone prettier?"

"To me, you are the most beautiful, there is no one more beautiful."

Hearing this, Wang Fuxi felt much better. However, after boarding the plane back to Portland, she secretly resolved to kill all the beautiful women who appeared around Gan Guoyang in the future.

After Wang Fuxi left, Gan Guoyang returned to his peaceful campus life.

He continued to take the courses required for his academic credits and maintained his fitness through regular team training.

On April 29th, after the morning training session, Berman approached Gan Guoyang and said that an agent wanted to meet with Gan Guoyang so that the two could have a chat.

Gan Guoyang asked, "Who is it? It's not another one of your second uncle's aunt's nephews, is it?"

The agents that Bellman had previously introduced, Gan Guoyang, didn't seem very reliable.

“Fuck you, don’t slander me. This time, I didn’t contact the agent; Coach Phillips contacted me, and then I came to inform you. This guy isn’t just any agent; he’s a big shot. Don’t talk so casually, you brat.”

In those days, there were no cell phones, no email, and phone calls weren't very convenient.

Finding someone requires going through layers of connections, and finally, verbal notification is required.

Having heard that this was an important person, Gan Guoyang decided to meet him.

The meeting was arranged at the president's office at Gonzaga University. Gan Guoyang thought to himself that the university was indeed a prestigious institution, as the president himself received him.

The man's name was Larry Fleischer. He was a chubby white man with slicked-back hair, glasses, and a serious-looking expression.

He is indeed someone of great importance; being a basketball agent is just one of the most ordinary of his many identities.

His most powerful position is former president of the NBA Players Association, one of the founders of the Players Association (NBPA), and currently the general counsel of the NBA Players Association.

In the NBA labor negotiations that concluded last year in 1983, he battled David Stern for more than three years, ultimately pushing for the introduction of the salary cap system.

However, Gan Guoyang is not someone who can be easily fooled by fame. A big name does not mean a strong ability, and a strong ability does not mean that it is suitable for him.

These famous big-name agents manage numerous celebrities, so it's hard to say how much energy and resources they can dedicate to themselves.

Therefore, although Gan Guoyang showed respect to Mr. Fleischer, he remained very cautious about matters concerning his own future and quickly asked a series of pointed questions:
"Mr. Fleischer, if you were my agent, what benefits would you bring me? For example, in terms of contract size and commercial value development. Also, you know I am Chinese, and historically, no Asian has ever truly played in the NBA. The league is mostly white and black. If I were to experience racial discrimination, how would you handle it? Furthermore, what are your views on the internationalization of the NBA, and what insights do you have regarding the development of the Chinese market?"

Gan Guoyang asked a series of difficult questions, and he waited for Fleischer's answer.

If Fleischer were to merely offer platitudes to appease him, Gan Guoyang would simply pass him over, regardless of whether he was a chairman or an advisor.

Faced with these difficult questions, Fleischer adjusted his glasses, a slight smile appearing on his serious face. Fleischer had long heard of Gan Guoyang's reputation, and he had watched the live broadcast of that epic battle in April; he knew Gan was an exceptionally talented player.

But upon first meeting him, he knew that this person not only had outstanding basketball talent, but also a clear mind, which was very rare among young players who had not yet entered the NBA, especially those black players.

Most young Black players are influenced by their parents and relatives, lacking their own opinions. Although they are dominant on the court, they are just like children off the court, leaving everything to the adults.

If the parents are sensible and farsighted, they will rationally grasp their children's future and choose a safe path for them.

But that's only a minority. Most Black players' parents and relatives are short-sighted and greedy. In their eyes, their children are just money trees. They want to monetize them as quickly as possible while they still have value so as to improve their family's life.

For example, why did Moses Malone skip college and go straight to professional basketball? It was because his family was extremely poor, and his mother desperately needed money.

When Malone signed with the Utah Stars, the contract included a clause stipulating that he would pay his mother a monthly allowance of $500, a housing subsidy of $25000 paid in installments, and a one-time signing bonus of $10000.

Moses Malone later achieved great success in the NBA, but if he had gone to college and honed his skills there, his achievements would likely have been even greater. However, reality defeated him.

Fleischer had learned about Gan Guoyang's family background. His single father was the head chef of a well-known Chinese restaurant in San Francisco, which was famous in Chinatown. However, they were obviously not a wealthy family. It was said that the restaurant's fame was built on Gan Guoyang's basketball skills.

With the support of Chinese capital, he doesn't have to worry about tuition and living expenses. However, the sponsorship can only reduce his living costs, ensuring he has enough to eat and wear.

Therefore, he was born into a typical ordinary family, and his father's profession as a Chinese chef was even considered to be at the lower end of the social ladder.

However, from the conversation, Fleischer could sense that Gan Guoyang was very rational and had a clear plan and ideas for his future. The questions he asked were also very sharp and to the point, rather than simply focusing on how much money he could make.

Based on this alone, Fleischer gave Gan Guoyang a very high score, and he was very interested in signing Gan Guoyang as one of his players—he doesn't sign just anyone.

Players he has previously signed include Bill Bradley, John Havlicek, Bob Lanier, Willis Reed, Jerry West, Mike Dunleavy, Lenny Wilkens, Earl Monroe, Paul Silas, and others.

In recent years, he has been busy negotiating with the NBA league and team owners as a legal advisor, so his work as an agent has fallen behind, and he has not signed any new generation stars.

With the salary cap agreement finalized last year and David Stern officially taking office as NBA commissioner this year, Fleischer can finally free up his time to focus on the next generation of players and resume his work as an agent.

After the NCAA Finals, Gan Guoyang was the player he was most interested in and the first one he met with, and it turned out that his judgment was correct.

Fleischer was prepared for these questions. He cleared his throat and said:

“Mr. Gan, I’ll call you ‘Mr.’ from now on because from the moment you decided to enter the NBA draft, you became a truly responsible adult for your words and actions. Your questions are all very good, and I will answer them one by one.”

"Regarding the contract, starting next season, the NBA will implement a salary cap system, which will limit player salaries. As you know, I was involved in the entire salary cap negotiation process, and I know all the details. If I were to act as your agent and sign the contract with the team, they wouldn't be able to use the salary cap to deliberately undercut your contract. They wouldn't get a single penny; you would get the maximum benefit."

"In terms of commercial value, I know the marketing heads of all sports brands in the United States. I have been involved in most of the NBA's commercial plans from its early days to the present. Although I don't have a talent for business, I can give you the best guidance."

"Racism is a serious issue. I'm good friends with many Black players, and I treat all races equally. I also have very good Asian friends. On this point, I assure you, the NBA is a very inclusive league. Although David Stern is a madman, he won't have a problem on this point."

“I would also like to add that you are from China, while my father, Maurice, was of Russian descent and was a Communist Party member.”

"You also mentioned the international market, the Chinese market. Oh, you really have foresight, and you've come to the right person. My next plan is to develop the NBA's international market and international players. This is the future trend. I've been to many countries and organized union players to play there. I've been to China. In '79, the Washington Bullets visited your country and played a game, which I organized."

"I've also taken the players to Mexico, Brazil, Yugoslavia, and the vast African continent, where there are people who love basketball and where there is fertile ground waiting to be developed. China is the same; it has the largest population in the world and is a place with enormous potential. And you, Gan, you will be an iconic figure, a true national hero, and that is what I hope for."

Fleischer spoke eloquently, offering ample persuasive arguments with his eloquent speech and unparalleled qualifications.

After saying this, he opened his arms to Gan Guoyang, indicating that he was welcoming Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang asked him one last question: "Do you dislike David Stern?"

Fleischer shrugged and said, "Every time I see him, I want to pluck that tuft of beard off his face."

Gan Guoyang smiled, stepped forward and hugged Fleischer, and the two reached a cooperation agreement.

(End of this chapter)