[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-golden-age-of-basketball":3,"chapter-the-golden-age-of-basketball-the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1144":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Golden Age of Basketball",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1444561,1896,"Chapter 1144 - 16: Evil Dragon_6","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1144",1144,"\u003Cp>This time, Stockton and Gan Guoyang lifted the AMVP trophy together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stockton had a smile on his face and said, \"It’s been almost 10 years since we last lifted the cup together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, 10 years have gone by so fast, John.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last time they lifted the cup together was at the 1984 NCAA finals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since then, they’ve been playing for different teams, but their friendship has never been interrupted, and it’s even gotten closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>David Stern joined them for a photo, bestowing them the title \"Star Among Stars.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Stern whispered to Gan Guoyang, \"You want to snatch this MVP too? You should know who it was originally meant for.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The league had been prepared before the game that as long as the Western team won, the MVP would go to Stockton and Malone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the game, the stars would play along to ensure Malone and Stockton got the best stats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as the game went on, both sides got serious, and Gan Guoyang took control of the game unceremoniously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang scored the highest points, so giving the MVP to Malone wasn’t appropriate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simply put, just award it to Ah Gan and Stockton; after all, there was precedent before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang glanced at Malone nearby, who had an unhappy expression, and said, \"Some say MVP is earned through skill, so of course, I had to earn one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Besides, I didn’t take the MVP from Portland last year; it was given to Charles, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Snatching the MVP in person is even more interesting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>David Stern rolled his eyes at Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, David Stern was somewhat troubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s been in office for almost ten years since 1984.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Players like Ah Gan and Jordan have followed him through and witnessed the major development of the NBA.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially Gan Guoyang, who won six championships, becoming Stern’s hallmark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the NBA image is deeply tied to a Chinese person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The international situation in 1993 was different from the 1980s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Americans were genuinely the world’s top power, ready to fight whoever they disagreed with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After successfully ending the Gulf War, Clinton took office in 1992, and they turned their sights on Somalia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Americans began interfering in Somalia’s internal affairs, playing the role of world police.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The national confidence was exceedingly inflated, and the NBA, as an American league, had its top player a foreigner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Gan Guoyang was regarded as a star cultivated by America, his participation in the 1992 Olympics shattered many people’s \"illusions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter who cultivated him, he’s a true Chinese player who would compete for his country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The previous \"Anti-Gan Alliance\" was among players, limited to on-court rivalries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this season, it was evident that more and more city fans joined the \"Anti-Gan\" cause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before and after the All-Star game, ESPN conducted a poll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The survey showed that over eighty percent of respondents said they didn’t want to see Ah Gan and the Portland Trail Blazers win anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Support for Gan Guoyang was still strong; wherever he went, there were crowds and enthusiastic cheers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But within a larger, quieter group of fans, Ah Gan was no longer the brave challenger against everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had become a complete Evil Dragon, someone everyone secretly hoped to defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Gan Guoyang knew this, but he didn’t mind being an Evil Dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One must become a dragon, just like a slave who plucks a golden branch, fighting a lifetime to protect it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He accepted his fate on the court long ago, committed to and loved this game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the All-Star game, the players had two days to rest and adjust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, to defeat Gan Guoyang, the Evil Dragon, the Phoenix Suns made a trade before the deadline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Suns sent center Sam Bowie and two first-round picks to get John Salley from the Pistons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Suns traded for Bowie initially to deal with Ah Gan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Bowie’s performance dropped significantly this season; injuries eventually eroded his fragile legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Phoenix, his playing time decreased, and he was no longer a fit for Paul Westphal’s faster, more agile system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pistons were preparing for a rebuild; Bowie was just to balance salaries, with the picks being key.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Suns went all out, hoping to build a better team this year to challenge the Portland Trail Blazers’ dominance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both the Western Suns and the Eastern Heat sensed the Trail Blazers’ vulnerability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This year could be the best chance to overthrow Ah Gan’s terrifying reign; teams began recruiting aggressively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By contrast, the Trail Blazers stayed put, making no significant adjustments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerry West’s main work during this period was to rescue Jerome Kossie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To restore the Trail Blazers’ reputation in the community and stabilize team morale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang knew that the current situation was more dangerous than the first three-peat in 1988.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, although there were serious internal conflicts, everything from top to bottom smelled rotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in 1988, the Trail Blazers were very young, and the players had great conditions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only problem was the laid-back attitude and divergence brought by the championship—sure enough, Drexler left after the win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, in the playoffs, except for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Trail Blazers didn’t face any notable opponents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This season, the situation was different; the players were no longer young, with their conditions fluctuating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of objective decline was far worse than decaying mindset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minds can be quickly turned and gathered together, a victory, a speech, can all have effects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only objective conditions, the players’ state and level, once dropped, they’re truly down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Terry Porter, Jerome Kossie, and Sabonis weren’t in their best state for various reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luckily, Petrović and Lewis, these two energetic forces, grew into All-Stars this year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kept the Trail Blazers very competitive in the West.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the most fundamental is still Ah Gan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His health and condition are everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the All-Star break, the Trail Blazers conducted routine health checks on Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the check, the team doctor said, \"Ah Gan could reject paying health insurance with this report, it’s a complete waste of money.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body parts were working well; muscles, joints, were all in good shape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Years of battles of course left some injuries, but none were serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some minor injuries even made certain parts stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nietzsche’s saying \"What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger\" was undoubtedly well-proven in Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good physical health alone wasn’t enough; Gan Guoyang also underwent psychological health checks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trail Blazers specially invited Dr. Ogilvy, who used to work with the team, for a conversation with Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Gan Guoyang first joined the Trail Blazers in 1984, Dr. Ogilvy tested him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The test results then showed Gan Guoyang scored the highest, an unparalleled king-level athlete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Jack Ramsey resigned and left, Dr. Ogilvy also left Portland and went to San Francisco.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He taught at San Jose State University, providing sports psychology services for the San Francisco 49ers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Dr. Ogilvy always said he never met any player comparable to Ah Gan again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang first caught up with the Doctor, then chatted a bit about life and matches, and finally did the test.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, Dr. Ogilvy gave the results, saying \"Ah Gan, you’re still very healthy and psychologically strong. Over the years, you’ve hardly changed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Still, there’s a bit of change; I’ve gained many rings.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha, I hope there will be more. But I want to ask you... have the rings become your anxiety?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Anxiety? Rings, you mean, like those dragons guarding treasures, worried about the rings being stolen.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly, the test shows you’re fine. But... I have some intuition telling me you have some deep anxiety.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang fell silent for a moment and replied, \"Doctor, I do have areas of anxiety, but not for the rings.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not for the rings?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I love championships and victory, but they won’t become my shackles. I enjoy the process of chasing championships, not holding onto them unwilling to let go. What I truly hope to keep is...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang was silent, and Dr. Ogilvy didn’t press him any further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held Gan Guoyang’s hand, saying, \"Now is everything. Hope to witness your successful summit again, Ah Gan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang smiled and tightly grasped the Doctor’s hand as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the All-Star game was over, the playoffs were near.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a month and a half left, Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers were set to launch another assault on the championship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’ve reached the summit time and again, so what’s the meaning of continuing to climb?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s actually just like mountain climbing; you climb it simply because it’s there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The championship is there, how can one not strive for it?\u003C\u002Fp>",1443,"2026-06-06T01:41:50.199Z",1,"novelbin.me","ec4c0212658c5fb30989ddc3e57b2d3897f7bb93772e1b441f4a98296b54723f","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1145","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1143",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]