The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 95 Choice
Due to his status, Stu Inman was not allowed to have much private contact with Gan Guoyang and others during his time at the training camp.

If an NBA investigation finds that they had private contact, communication, or even financial dealings with prospective players before the draft, they will be severely punished by the league.

So most of the time, Stu Inman could only sit on the bench on the sidelines and watch the players train on the field as an observer.

The Portland Trail Blazers are currently lacking a center, and their initial target was Patrick Ewing.

They thought that if Ewing had entered the draft in 84 and they had gotten the number one pick, they would definitely have chosen Ewing; if they didn't get the number one pick, they would have chosen Hakeem Olajuwon.

Later, after learning that Ewing was unlikely to run for the presidency, he started following Sam Bowie.

But with Gan Guoyang's sudden emergence, whether You Yin runs for office or not is no longer important.

Sam Bowie was completely outplayed by Gan Guoyang in Final Four and is no longer considered by the Trail Blazers.

During his time at training camp, Stu Inman called Portland almost every day to report on the situation to the owner, coaches, and scouts, and praised Gan Guoyang to the skies.

Portland's management had reservations about drafting Gan Guoyang because he is an Asian, and no Asian has ever survived in the NBA before.

The NBA is a more conservative circle than the NCAA, especially in terms of tactics and personnel. This is because NBA teams face enormous financial pressure, and the draft is a matter of life and death for them. A good draft pick can bring lasting benefits, while a bad pick can lead to eternal infamy.

"I'm sure he hit a super long-range shot at the last minute today. He's got Stockton, Karl and two other country bumpkins whose names I can't even remember, and they've won five or six games in a row, beating everyone else... What?"

"I said, I don't need a center to shoot long-range shots. Am I supposed to sign him to shoot three-pointers?"

"Oh no, that's not what I meant, Jack. I was just saying he's incredibly versatile. His defense is also excellent; Ewing could barely touch him. You watched the game against Georgetown too!"

"I know, but I'm worried about his height and health. Can he handle the intensity of the NBA?"

"My God, this guy's supposed to be a cyborg, but I only found out when I got to training camp that his training regimen is the most intense ever, nobody can compare! And his height is perfectly normal, a solid 6'10", even a little taller. Russell is only 6'9", and we even missed out on Moses back then..."

“I understand, Stu. You're the general manager, so you make the decisions. I'm just expressing my concerns as usual. After all, Asian players always make people worry. Does Larry agree? What's his opinion?”

“Larry has similar concerns, but I don’t think race is an issue at all; we’re not Boston. So I need your support. Anyway, I’ll arrange a tryout in a while, and then you’ll know what level he really is.”

Stu-Inman hung up the phone and let out a long sigh of relief as he lay on his hotel bed.

He couldn't wait for the training camp to end so he could take Gan Guoyang to Portland and let head coach Jack Ramsey and owner Larry Weinberger see just how outstanding this giant really is.

However, he was also a little uneasy. Ramsey, a famous coach, was a typical academic and had always been resistant to those fancy tactics and styles.

There was already some rift between the team's rookie Drexler and Ramsey last year, mainly because Drexler's playing style was more aggressive and not that of a traditional guard, leading to frequent tactical clashes between the two.

Drexler expressed dissatisfaction with his playing time, while Ramsey felt that Drexler was too undisciplined both on and off the court, and that his shooting was unsatisfactory.

"If only Gan could give his shot to Clyde... Oh, and that guy Porter is pretty good too, he shoots really well. Tomorrow's the last day, let's go see how he does."

Inman was very fortunate to be able to come to Indiana for the Olympic selection trials and witness these young talents training and playing firsthand, which would be of great benefit to the Trail Blazers in selecting young players in the future.

Moreover, Inman could vaguely sense that, unlike the 70s, the young people of the 80s were treating basketball in a completely new way and creating new styles of play.

Barkley, Jordan, and Gan Guoyang—these talented players shattered previous perceptions of basketball.

For example, Barkley was only the height of a guard, but heavier than a center, and could play like a forward. When he charged, he was like a tank, unstoppable. Hassell and Dumars tried to stop Barkley during the game, and one of them broke his ribs, while the other was knocked to the ground and stunned for a long time.

Although Jordan was a shooting guard, he was no longer just a supporting player to the center. His speed, explosiveness, and jumping ability made him stand out on the court, as if he were on a completely different level from everyone else.

Gan Guoyang has broken the shackles of the oldest position, center. He is agile, energetic, accurate shooter, and can dribble the ball all court, without any of the rigidity often associated with centers. Others like Karl Malone and Kendrick Perkins are no longer the traditional labor-intensive power forwards; they are agile, strong, and aggressive.

On the contrary, Patrick Ewing, the most famous of them all, seemed somewhat old-fashioned and lackluster.

The shadow of Bill Russell's past victories still looms over many, and Ewing, who hails from Boston, has always been considered the next Russell.

Inman had thought so before. He observed Gan Guoyang's playing style, especially his offense, and always thought he was somewhat like Willis Reed. Reed had never beaten Russell when he was in the league, and it was only after Russell retired that Reed led the Knicks to rise to prominence.

But Inman's views are gradually changing; perhaps times have truly changed.

His mind was a jumble of thoughts, and he eventually fell into a deep sleep. The next morning, he got up early to observe the players' morning training session, wanting to pay special attention to Porter.

When they arrived at the stadium, Porter didn't show up. Knight told him that Porter had chickenpox and probably couldn't stay at the training camp. He was going to call Dell Curry, who had been eliminated earlier, to come and replace Porter.

Gan Guoyang was also not at the training ground. Inman asked anxiously, "Where did Gan go?"

"He went to the hotel to take care of Potter. He's just a sparring partner, so it doesn't matter if he doesn't participate in training."

After the four-day short training camp, another group of people were eliminated.

Terry Porter had to leave Indiana due to chickenpox, and Dell Curry replaced him to participate in the final 20-man training camp, from which the final Olympic roster will be selected.

Of course, with 21 people in Gan Guoyang's training camp, and Stockton, Barkley, and Malone all staying until the end, the final choice was undoubtedly the most difficult for Bob Knight.

In fact, even if only 12 of these 20 people were randomly selected to participate in the Olympics, they would most likely still win gold medals.

Ultimately, the choice must be made by taking other factors into account.

Knight and the coaching staff faced a difficult choice, holding meetings for hours on end. Jordan, Ewing, Chris Mullin, Perkins, and Alvin Robertson were the five players who were a foregone conclusion, their abilities were beyond doubt, and the decision had been made from the first day of training camp.

The remaining seven people were in a difficult position. After the meeting, Knight went to see Gan Guoyang again.

Gan Guoyang drove Potter to the airport in the afternoon, contacted his family, and returned after the plane took off. After dinner, he wrote a letter to Wang Fuxi in his room.

Gan Guoyang knew why Knight had come, and he said directly, "With Ewing, Jordan, and the other four, you can win a gold medal no matter who you pick. If I had to say who the most suitable is, I would first rule out Barkley."

"why?"

"Barkley is strong, but the team needs to be built around him; his supporting abilities are average. Besides rebounding, his long-range shooting and defensive coverage are lacking. Also, he can't lose weight, and his personality is both good and bad for the team. Actually, you admire Charles, and I like him too; he's a joker, but you wouldn't choose him."

Gan Guoyang mingled with everyone every day, acting as Knight's eyes and ears; he knew the players very well.

"Do you think John should stay? He's a good player, and you're his teammate, you know him well," Knight asked Stockton.

“Bob, I know you want to keep Alford, but you’re embarrassed to let John go because John is clearly better. It’s just that Alford is more familiar with your system, and now you’re hesitant. If you keep Alford, people will say you’re nepotistic, and if you keep John, you’re afraid you won’t be comfortable using him.”

Alford is a white point guard newly recruited by Indiana University last year. As a freshman, he has performed quite impressively and is the new core of Indiana University, Knight's prized possession.

However, the reason he was able to stay in the training camp was not because of his ability, but more because Knight knew him well and protected him.

Knight felt a little embarrassed by Gan Guoyang's ruthless exposure, but then he thought back to the time he hired a sparring partner, hoping that he would speak frankly and without reservation, not to flatter him.

"Bob, just like how USBWA didn't select me as the best player in the nation, I don't feel it's my regret or loss, because one day they will realize that it was USBWA's loss. The same goes for John, he deserves an Olympic spot."

(End of this chapter)