The Golden Age of Basketball

On March 29, 1993, at the 65th Oscar ceremony held in Los Angeles, Clint Eastwood's film "Unforgiven" won four awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

This former Western film superstar, in the '90s when Western films were completely desolate, achieved great commercial and artistic success with a "anti-Western" Western film.

In the film, the classic elements of Western movies—chivalry, exquisite marksmanship, beauties as heroes, high noon duels—were all overturned.

The protagonist, once a killing demon, finally relies on his past murderous instincts to kill the wicked town sheriff in a chaotic and ugly bar shootout.

Eastwood claims this will be his last Western film as his movie career goes, and the Golden Age of Western movies is over.

However, Hollywood movies are entering a true Golden Age in the '90s, and they will spread their influence across the world.

Gan Guoyang was invited to attend this award ceremony, and his tall figure stood out at the Los Angeles Music Hall.

As the regular season nears its end, the Trail Blazers have basically given up on the pursuit of the top spot in the Western Conference.

They are very likely to finish the regular season in either second or third place in the Western Conference.

Recently, they had back-to-back away games in Los Angeles, facing the Lakers and Clippers.

Between the two games, he happened to have time to attend some social events.

Sitting next to Gan Guoyang was the Trail Blazers' owner Tang Jianguo.

This year, Old Tang's focus is on his business and various social events.

He doesn't seem as invested in basketball as when he first took over the Trail Blazers.

Otherwise, the Trail Blazers wouldn't have made little progress in player acquisition this summer.

Three consecutive championships are already the limit of Old Tang's bragging, and the marginal benefit of a fourth championship is very low.

Gan Guoyang complained to Old Tang: "Are you planning to sell the team, Donald? If you don't want to do it anymore, just say so, I'll help you find a good buyer."

Old Tang leaned in and whispered: "Why do you lack confidence in me? We've already won three championships together, you gotta believe in my loyalty to the team, to Portland."

"You always talk better than you act… I think you shouldn't do basketball or casinos, you might as well make movies. This field is also very profitable."

Gan Guoyang said it casually, but Old Tang got intrigued. He turned and said to Gan Guoyang: "Sonny, I think this idea is actually not bad. How about we partner up and make a movie? Or, we could shoot a biopic about you."

"A biopic? I'm not dead, what kind of biopic are you talking about?"

"Your story with six championships is enough for a biopic! But it's hard to find an actor to play you. Why not act as yourself? I'll play myself too. We'll start filming from the defeat in the 1989 Western Conference Finals. I bought the team, and together with you, rebuilt the Trail Blazers to achieve a second three-peat! I think the second three-peat is even more exciting than the first."

"Biopics don't make money. If we're filming, we might as well make a regular movie."

"Basketball-themed movies don't make money either, Sonny. Unless you make a Kung Fu film?"

"Who says basketball-themed movies can't make money? We could make... make a live-action animated film. Like 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit,' combining real people and animated characters."

"Hmm... with you saying this, it sounds interesting? But what to shoot, how to incorporate your story?"

"Um... like, a bunch of aliens come to Earth, wanting to abduct animated characters. They make a bet, using a sport to decide the outcome, and they choose basketball. These aliens cheat, and go to the real world to steal the abilities of NBA players. They steal from Ewing, Barkley, Jordan, Bogues, Johnson, and form a super strong team to defeat the team of animated characters. The animated characters wonder what to do? They decide to invite the world's strongest basketball player to help them win, preventing alien enslavement, so they find me, asking me to help defeat the aliens. After struggling repeatedly, I agree, but face many difficulties, like how to play basketball in an animated world? And facing Barkley, Ewing, Jordan, while my teammates are animated characters. Finally, I realize in the animated world I can do anything, so I go on court and defeat them all, score 100 points, save the animated world, and subsequently save the entire world. Because the aliens' next plan is to enslave all of humanity~"

Gan Guoyang explained the whole plot, leaving Tang Jianguo stunned.

"How is it, Donald?" Gan Guoyang asked.

"Oh, it sounds quite trashy."

Gan Guoyang shrugged, that story really is quite trashy and very clichéd.

"But, but if it can actually be shot, it could indeed make money. Kids would surely love watching such a movie, it's fun enough and interesting enough. How did you think of it, Sonny, are you perhaps a genius?"

"No, it's because AVIA has been co-producing ads with Warner Animation Company. Didn't you see my latest Skyscraper ad, completed with animated characters, like Bugs Bunny? My son loves watching it, I will wait in front of the TV to see myself appear with Bugs Bunny. He likes Bugs Bunny more."

After the Oscar ceremony ended, Gan Guoyang politely declined Tang Jianguo's party invitation, wanting to return to the hotel to rest.