The Golden Age of Basketball

Here, Gan Guoyang can enjoy some peace and quiet without being harassed by journalists and the media.

It wasn't until the early hours that Gan Guoyang left, as Nada had asked him to stay the night.

However, Gan Guoyang decided to return to the hotel, not wanting to miss tomorrow's training.

Quentin drove Gan Guoyang back to the hotel, and just as he got out of the car and into the elevator, he encountered a group of local police officers.

The police recognized Gan Guoyang, and he asked what was happening.

A female officer said, "Someone reported that a player from your team raped a girl."

"What? Rape? Who? What's going on?"

Gan Guoyang was shocked; how could such a thing happen?

When he got upstairs, the police headed straight for the players' rooms.

Minutes later, Jerome Kossie was handcuffed and taken to the police car.

The matter didn't end there; soon, two more staff members from the Trail Blazers were arrested.

They were the team's trainer and medical staff, charged with the same crime of rape.

Gan Guoyang didn't fully understand what had happened until the next day.

Apparently, Kossie and the two close staff members ran into three 15 or 16-year-old girls at a shopping center near the Marriott.

They hit it off and invited the girls to the hotel that evening, where they had relations.

But after the incident, one of the girls called the police, claiming she was raped.

So the police came to the hotel to arrest Kossie and the other two staff members.

This incident immediately caused a sensation in the media, as if Kossie were convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

That night's game, the entire Trail Blazers team performed poorly, and the whole Salt Lake City stadium was filled with boos directed at them.

Some fans even held up signs labeled "rapists," as if the entire Trail Blazers team was involved.

There was no way around it; the Trail Blazers were prominent in the league with two consecutive championships, so any minor issue would be magnified.

Especially such a serious crime as raping minors, rumors, attacks, and slander came flooding in.

The Trail Blazers lost the away game 109-115.

After the game, Stockton approached Gan Guoyang, saying, "I know people in the Utah police; I'll help you ask about the situation."

Gan Guoyang nodded and said, "Let's get Jerome bailed out first."

With Stockton's help, the Trail Blazers' legal team went to the police station and bailed out Kossie and the two staff members.

When Kossie saw Gan Guoyang, he looked completely exhausted, clearly not having slept well.

Who knows if he underwent any intense interrogation techniques at the police station.

Kossie said he hadn't slept all night and didn't know why things turned out this way.

Gan Guoyang asked Kossie, "Did you really rape them?"

Kossie quickly denied it, "No! It was consensual!"

"You had relations?"

"Yes... yes..."

In the past, when the Trail Blazers went to away games, the players were usually well-behaved.

There were occasional incidents, like the veteran Kenny-Carl back then, who would seek out call girls.

After those veterans retired and Gan Guoyang took the lead, incidents like these became much rarer.

Of course, NBA players are known for their strong desires, so expecting them to abstain completely is unrealistic.

But for Kossie to cause such a big commotion, end up in the police station, and face charges was a first.

"Head back to Portland first, and leave the rest to the lawyers. Then, think carefully about how to explain this to your girlfriend."

Kossie went back to Portland with the team, facing all kinds of problems awaiting him.

Salt Lake City might initiate a grand jury to review the case and convict him.

The Trail Blazers' lawyer aimed for an out-of-court settlement, hoping to simplify the matter.

Due to the case, Kossie, who was already in average form, became even more distracted from training and games.

His starting position was replaced by Mali Ali, and the other two staff members faced salary cuts as punishment.

Originally, returning from Salt Lake City, everyone was supposed to have a peaceful Christmas.

But the whole team was thrown into turmoil and unrest because of Kossie's incident.

Most notably, the local community in Portland showed hostility toward Kossie.

Some women's groups protested at the training ground and stadium, demanding the Trail Blazers fire Kossie and the two staff members.

The Trail Blazers had to engage in crisis management, with Tang Jianguo stepping forward to apologize to the public and assure them of an explanation.

Gan Guoyang, as the team leader, also had to make a statement, assuring that if charges were proven, there would be no cover-up.

These matters undoubtedly impacted the team's morale and focus.

After Christmas, the Trail Blazers suffered a home defeat to the Seattle SuperSonics.

Having stolen a win in last season's playoffs, the SuperSonics were even stronger this season.

Like the Jazz, their defensive system had matured, with Payton and Kemp already forming the core.

This was a highly destructive team, aggressive in both offense and defense.

Just like their coach George Karl, a mad dog of a man.

To face a team like this, focus and strong will were paramount.

The unfocused Trail Blazers suffered a defeat, dropping to fourth in the Western Conference standings.

Kossie's case dragged on until February 1993, just before the All-Star Game, when there was finally a conclusion.

After two and a half weeks of investigation, the Salt Lake City prosecutor decided not to file criminal charges against Kossie and the two staff members.

Although no one said it publicly, many in the league believed the main reason for not pressing charges was Utah being one of five states where statutory rape complaints were limited to minors under 14.

In the end, Kossie escaped, avoiding imprisonment.

But the incident dealt a severe blow to the Trail Blazers.

The Trail Blazers suffered a setback from the event, disrupting their good momentum.

By the All-Star Game, their record had fallen to 31 wins and 16 losses.

Though still solidly in third place in the Western Conference, they were only half a game behind the Spurs and the Jazz.

In the past, the Trail Blazers would usually be far ahead of the competition at this time of the year.

The media bluntly stated that this year's Trail Blazers might replicate their 1989 outcome, ending their successive championships amidst internal and external troubles.

In the Eastern and Western Conferences, Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley were delivering MVP-level performances, leading the Heat and the Suns to top their divisions.

However, Gan Guoyang remained calm, exceptionally calm.

He just quietly played each game well, adjusting his form.

He had no interest in participating in public debates.

In late December, Gan Guoyang reached a milestone by scoring his career 20,000th point, becoming the second fastest in league history, only behind Chamberlain.

A few weeks later, however, Jordan surpassed Gan Guoyang, reaching 20,000 points in fewer games.

Neither made any special comments about this.

These things were no longer their concern; they were both focused on June.