The Golden Age of Basketball

The position truly achieved in the game can win sincere support.

On the phone, Ewing asked Gan Guoyang many questions.

Gan Guoyang answered them all one by one. Towards Ah Gan, Ewing was not at all arrogant.

Gan Guoyang was equally willing to guide this sometimes pathetically naïve guy.

During the most important phase of his life, he was "caged" by Thompson.

Not only was his basketball skill suppressed, but also much of his personality development.

In this regard, as the director of a psychiatric hospital, Gan Guoyang had much to teach him.

After hanging up the phone, Gan Guoyang glanced at the time; it was already very late.

He suddenly sighed, wondering why he had been so chatty recently.

Why care about these things? Each of them is a millionaire.

What kind of lives they lead has nothing to do with me, right?

Why do I feel like an old man saying goodbye to friends?

The very next day, after Gan Guoyang finished a game against the Indiana Pacers, he gave Reggie Miller a good lesson.

That night, he received a call from San Francisco; his great-uncle had passed away.

Thus, Gan Guoyang took a leave of absence and couldn't go to Chicago.

The Trail Blazers will face the Chicago Bulls without Ah Gan.

This is the first time since the 1986-1987 season that the Gan-Jordan battle failed to materialize.

Since the 1986 season when Jordan missed the regular season and the Gan-Jordan match didn't happen, every year thereafter, the Gan-Jordan matchup has been as grand as a Christmas game.

Each encounter attracted countless fans' attention, and the two always delivered spectacular performances.

The fans were thrilled, tickets were sold out, and ratings soared.

This time around, the League had already started hyping the encounter between the two in Chicago early on.

The 1992 Finals between the two teams was explosive; it was expected that each meeting this year would be like a clash of titans.

However, when the Trail Blazers' plane landed at Chicago Airport, reporters didn't capture Ah Gan's figure.

Shortly after, the Trail Blazers' spokesperson announced that Ah Gan would miss the game against the Bulls due to personal reasons.

As soon as this news was released, the ticket prices at the Chicago Stadium plummeted; even the scalpers couldn't sell their tickets.

In a pre-game interview, Jordan expressed his disappointment, saying, "It's such a pity, really such a pity."

Of course, Jordan knew why Gan Guoyang was absent, so he meant it in two ways.

Expressing regret over Gan Guoyang's absence and also over his loss of a significant family member.

The Bulls' situation this season was fairly good; in November, their situation was the opposite of the Trail Blazers with an extremely grueling schedule.

After playing a few home games, they faced a seven-game road trip; the League didn't seem to regard Bulls players as human.

Under such a tough schedule, the Bulls also achieved an 8-3 record in November.

Within the team, Buck-Williams further aged, and his starting position was completely replaced by Horace Grant.

Phil Jackson gave Pippen and Jordan more rest, allowing them to skip practice sessions.

Because the Olympics had drained a lot of their energy, they needed to maintain their physical condition for the new season.

However, this drew Horace Grant's discontent.

With a big mouth, he complained to reporters that this was a double standard and special treatment.

Even until now, Grant has not understood that there really is no fairness in the NBA.

Grant even felt that Pippen, who qualified for the Olympics, became arrogant.

Their friendship thinned, and their once-close relationship gradually neared its end.

Like the Trail Blazers, the Bulls also faced injuries; Parkson and Cartwright both underwent surgeries.

The Bulls still aim to compete for the championship, but the roster that failed twice consecutively was already on the verge of breaking.

Jordan relied on his formidable abilities to ensure the Bulls' championship competitiveness.

But the southern Miami is growing into a huge threat, a very huge threat.

On December 4th, the Bulls faced the Trail Blazers without Ah Gan.

The Trail Blazers put up resistance but lacked the inside advantage; without the Twin Towers, they were easily handled by the Bulls.

91:108, the Bulls easily claimed victory.

After losing the game, people finally felt the importance of Ah Gan to the Trail Blazers.

In the 1992-1993 season, whether he was there or not, they were essentially two different teams.

The backbone and soul of the Trail Blazers were contained within that man's body.

And at this moment, Gan Guoyang was attending his great-uncle's funeral in San Francisco.

According to his last wish, everything was kept simple, low-key, and to avoid any trouble.

After the memorial service, his ashes were taken back to his hometown island by his grandson Gan Guohui to be buried in the ancestral grave.

From then on, his spirit returned to his hometown, completing his short yet long life.

After sending Gan Guohui on the plane back to their hometown from San Francisco, Gan Youwei seemed sad and lost.

He said to Gan Guoyang, "Son, when I'm gone, remember to take me back to the hometown too, bury me next to your mom, so I can see the sea."

"Dad, what are you talking about, it's still early for that, don't think about it."

"It has to come, needs to be thought about."

Gan Guoyang pondered on what he would do without his father.

A wave of fear overtook him, more terrifying than anything else.

He forced himself not to dwell on it, hastily leaving San Francisco.

He returned directly to Portland, preparing for the next game.