The Golden Age of Basketball

After returning to Portland, Gan Guoyang felt uneasy in his heart.

He was in Portland, flying all over America, while his father was in San Francisco.

Although living with his uncle's family, there was ultimately no one around for personal care.

He suggested finding someone to marry again, but Gan Youwei firmly refused.

One has to know, the line of elderly women in Chinatown wanting a twilight romance with Gan Youwei could stretch to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Even those much younger than Gan Guoyang were equally willing to be Ah Gan's stepmother.

But Gan Youwei wouldn't even consider it. Whoever brought it up at home, he'd get upset with them.

For one, he was loyal to his past affections and didn't seek anything else.

For another, like Gan Bingguang, he didn't want to trouble his child.

Imagine what kind of jokes a big star like Gan Guoyang would draw in the entertainment-driven America with a stepmother younger than himself.

Over the years, as Gan Guoyang kept winning championships, he accumulated immense popularity and fame, thus also offending many people.

Needless to say, fans in Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Washington all "despise" Ah Gan?

At Gan's Restaurant in the Tenderloin District, there were almost daily reporters lurking, hoping to dig up some scoop.

For his son, Gan Youwei would undoubtedly "keep himself clean."

Even if he were dashing and flirtatious, an older man pursuing a younger woman, in American society it would matter little.

It'd be little more than newspapers, TV, and talk shows making jokes, nothing illegal.

But Gan Youwei wouldn't do it; he was never that kind of person.

His mind was focused on running the restaurant and cooking.

In recent years, his largest hobby outside of work was watching basketball games.

Initially uninterested and clueless about basketball, he began subscribing to sports magazines.

Every issue of Sports Illustrated, especially those with his son on the cover, he'd display prominently in the restaurant.

He subscribed to paid channels like ESPN and CBS and watched the games daily without fail.

In his spare time, he'd go to nearby high schools to watch students play, learning the ins and outs of basketball.

He did this so that every time he called his son or visited Portland, he'd have topics to chat about.

Besides his own son, his favorite player was Chris Mullin.

Mu Lin often came to Gan's Restaurant to eat, and he loved the Sweet and Sour Pork made by Gan Youwei.

He enjoyed his life in San Francisco, closing the restaurant every two months to visit his grandchildren in Portland.

So, no matter how often Gan Guoyang hoped his father would stay with them for extended periods in Portland, Gan Youwei never agreed.

He couldn't leave behind the restaurant he had run for over ten years and didn't want to inconvenience his son and daughter-in-law.

However, what surprised Gan Guoyang was that shortly after returning to Portland, Gan Youwei called him.

"Guoyang, I want to stay at your place for a while."

"Sure! How long do you want to stay?"

"I don't know, how long can I stay?"

"Stay as long as you want. But what about the restaurant?"

"Ha, would the restaurant really be unable to run without me? If the Portland Trail Blazers don't have you, they might not win a championship, but they still have to play."

"That's right, someone will always manage the restaurant. You're tired, it's perfect for you to come here. I'm not at ease with you staying in San Francisco anyway, your grandchildren miss you..."

With his father finally willing to live with him, the weight on Gan Guoyang's heart was lifted.

Thus, in December, Gan Guoyang could focus all his energy on the court.

Without Gan Guoyang, the Trail Blazers suffered defeats in Chicago and Cleveland.

The Trail Blazers, lacking an inside advantage in both games, lost quite decisively.

The offense was still okay, with Petrović and the returning Porter and Lewis providing firepower during the regular season.

But on the defensive end, without Ah Gan's rim protection and defensive rebounds, the experience was vastly different.

When Ah Gan was there, his teammates didn't worry about defense; they just concentrated on their matchups.

Help defense, rebounds, Ah Gan did it flawlessly. If the opponent missed, they quickly launched a fast break.

Now, without Gan Guoyang and Sabonis, the inside had two rookies.

Help defense was late, rebounds were lost, players were left unguarded, leaving holes in the Trail Blazers' three-second zone.

If the defense faltered, it soon affected the offense.

Fewer counterattacks, fewer fast breaks.

With an unstable defense, the offense naturally struggled.

After two consecutive losses, the Trail Blazers returned to Portland for a good rest.

After a two-day break, Gan Guoyang returned to play against the Bucks on December 8th.

In the Rose Garden Arena, the game itself held no suspense.

The Bucks were no longer the iron-willed defensive team of the 80s.

After Don Nelson left, the Bucks gradually fell apart.

With Ricky Pierce traded and Jack Sikma retired, the Bucks became a bottom-feeder.

In the summer of 1991, the Bucks signed Moses Malone.

The once-dominant king of offensive rebounds had become a journeyman mercenary.

As age sapped his explosiveness and energy, Malone's playing style lost its power.

His form and performance declined year by year, from a 25+15 superstar to a 20+10 solid star.

Last season, he'd already regressed to a 15+9 role player, still contributing to the team.

But this season, Moses Malone suffered from a herniated disc during the October training camp.

After enduring it for a while, he couldn't continue and had to undergo surgery in November.

Due to the surgery, he would miss most of the season's games.