The Golden Age of Basketball

There are several unsolved mysteries in Gan Guoyang's career.

For example, in the 1984 Christmas game against the Rockets, who threw that punch?

As time goes on, the significance of that punch has been increasing.

Because apart from that, you can't find any instances of Ah Gan getting hit in the NBA.

Another example is the overtime three-pointer against the Bulls in the 1992 Finals—did he step on the line?

Without high-definition camera replays, this shot remains controversial, but in the end, the Trail Blazers won the championship, making this question irrelevant.

Anyway, Gan Guoyang always said he didn't step on the line; it was just the shadow of his shoe touching the three-point line, and the referee was overreacting.

In the 1992-1993 season, another mystery in Gan Guoyang's career came from off the court.

Michael Jackson claimed in an interview that Gan Guoyang was the most talented dancer he had ever seen among basketball players.

"He learned the moonwalk very quickly, his movements were very graceful, he is very talented."

Jackson was not stingy with his compliments for his good friend, as he was preparing for another global tour.

Reporters were thrilled to get this information and immediately sought out Gan Guoyang, who firmly denied it.

"No, it doesn't exist, I can't."

Gan Guoyang never talked about having a dance talent.

He also refused to perform dance in any public venue, claiming he couldn't.

"Michael was just flattering me, he couldn't bear to criticize me, that's all," Gan Guoyang explained.

Later, before the season started, Gan Guoyang and Jackson co-produced a music video, for which Jackson wrote a dance song titled "Gump."

It was their first collaboration in a music video, taking only one day to shoot, wherein Gan Guoyang showcased a bit of the moonwalk, but it was hard to tell his dance talent from it.

Meanwhile, the slender Michael Jackson clearly lacked basketball prowess. The naive him simply lay on Gan Guoyang's back, and the strong Gan Guoyang leaped up with Jackson on his back, dunking the ball, a classic moment in music history.

As the regular season was about to start, Jackson began planning his new global concert tour, preparing to leave America for his journey.

At their parting, Gan Guoyang personally saw Jackson off at New York airport and "warned" him, "Michael, don't tell anyone I have a dance talent, please."

"Sonny, you should have confidence; you dance well, your strength and coordination are great... just that..."

"I know, I'm too strong; it doesn't look like dancing, more like Chinese Kung Fu. Kung Fu is a form of dance anyway!"

Jackson laughed heartily, patting Gan Guoyang's shoulder, saying, "Sonny, you're too used to competing with others, without competition, you don't quite know how to control yourself. Dance is about competing with yourself; muscles aren't for resisting outside forces but for curbing oneself."

"Sonny, you're about to compete for a fourth consecutive championship. People often say that at a certain level, your greatest enemy is yourself. Maybe dancing will do you good."

Jackson's words were not without reason. As the Trail Blazers were about to embark on their fourth consecutive championship journey, their greatest enemy was indeed themselves.

Especially for Gan Guoyang, regarding his skills, experience, and stamina, he had reached a peak that no one could match.

Every time he trained alone, he often felt at a loss, like drawing a sword and being bewildered by his surroundings.

At this moment, Michael Jackson and Gan Guoyang could particularly understand each other.

They both reached a "vacuum" in their respective fields.

No one around could come close to them, yet there was noise everywhere.

It's like standing amidst a thousand people, yet feeling utterly alone.

As they parted, the two hugged each other tightly. Gan Guoyang reminded Jackson once more, "No matter what happens, if you need help, come to me first; I'll always be there. I know you've been encountering troubles, and sometimes when things need settling, be decisive, Michael."

Jackson said, "I know, you too, Sonny. Wishing you another championship."

Both embarked on their own journeys.

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The Trail Blazers started their preseason training camp in late October.

As a team with multiple championship experiences, everyone in the Trail Blazers knew how important a good training camp was for the entire season.

Bobby Berman still remembers that 1989 training camp, where Ah Gan, Petrović, Sabonis, Divac, and others gathered for high-quality training.

This made the 1989-1990 Trail Blazers unbeatable, achieving an incredible 69 wins and dominating through the playoffs.

At that time, the team's lineup hadn't reached its peak, but good chemistry, everyone working together, and excellent training leading to good form helped them achieve a smooth championship season.

In the following two years, they encountered some problems and difficulties, but with Ah Gan's strong underpinning ability, they navigated through and reached success.

When this training camp started, having been tempered by the Olympics, Beelman led with greater confidence, meticulously planning training in hopes of vying for the fourth consecutive championship in the new season.

But on the first day of the training camp, Beelman encountered a problem, and it's a difficult one to overcome: injuries.