[{"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-1158":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},1444682,1896,"Chapter 1158 - 19: The Gap in Levels (Part 2)","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1158",1158,"\u003Cp>Waking up and going straight to the arena for the game, only to play terribly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s said that the casino was opened by the Trail Blazers’ owner, Tang Jianguo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan is a super VIP customer there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the All-Star game, there’s another thing that’s been tormenting Jordan’s nerves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Richard Escinas, the guy who previously tried to collect debts from Jordan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s been contacting publishers lately, wanting to publish a book about Jordan’s gambling scandal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan received this message from Nike and immediately called Richard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Richard stated that he’s short on money and needs to publish a book to relieve some debt issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manuscript is ready; it’s just a matter of when and which publisher will take it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan knows this guy wants to extort some money from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the book is published, the playoffs will certainly be dominated by public pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Jordan is not just a basketball player, but also a husband and father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He endorses sports brands worth billions, backed by numerous advertisers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any bit of personal image damage means huge losses in US dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan doesn’t want to give Richard money, he hopes Nike will use its resources to suppress this guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least not publish this book in 1993 where it could become a headache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Richard, smart as ever, found the publisher behind Tang Jianguo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Tang has been publishing books non-stop since 1987, maintaining a speed of two books per year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He publishes faster than the Trail Blazers win championships.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His reader base is those who love to read celebrity gossip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Richard finding Old Tang is a perfect match, and he has targeted the powers behind Ah Gan and Avia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Old Tang and Ah Gan want to nix Jordan, publishing the book is practically guaranteed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan has no choice but to call Ah Gan, asking his brother for another favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang had already helped Jordan once, never expecting the trouble wasn’t cleaned up completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adhering to the principle of helping people to the end, Gan Guoyang persuaded the publisher to hold off on the book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As leverage, Gan Guoyang agreed to give the future rights to his autobiography to Random House.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under such conditions, Random House happily agreed, temporarily tossing Richard’s manuscript into the waste pile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the allure of Ah Gan’s autobiography is immense, far exceeding Jordan’s gambling revelation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang doesn’t lose out either since Random House is a giant in American publishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They have managed countless celebrity autobiographies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Handing over the autobiography rights to them is definitely no problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Random House, to demonstrate sincerity and finalize the matter, agreed to pay Ah Gan a $500,000 signing bonus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang promptly signed the contract; $500,000, why not take it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through handling Jordan’s issue, Gan Guoyang conveniently settled the matter of his future autobiography.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in his heart he tells himself, he’s going to play at least ten more years; the autobiography is a far-off thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First take the money and start spending it; his funeral services company is expanding massively, so funds are quite tight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the evening of March 28, at the Rose Garden Arena, Trail Blazers vs. Bulls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another fierce Gan Qiao battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang’s absence last time made this matchup highly anticipated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the regular season nearing its end, the battle for playoff spots and rankings is heating up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strong teams are gradually wrapping up experiments with their rosters and tactics, presenting their best for playoff preparation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers welcomed Petrović back, who will be starting tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His left knee is wrapped in a thick brace, protecting his partially torn cruciate ligaments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coaching staff advised him not to return for this match, suggesting to wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait for a relatively weaker opponent to practice a bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Petrović is stubborn, unwilling to wait any longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, he just wants to return against the Bulls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strong opponent can ignite his fighting spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Trail Blazers camp, Petrović’s drive and determination surpass even Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang occasionally shows a bit of fatigue, revealing tiredness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Petrović doesn’t show a hint of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s only in his fourth year in the NBA, far from reaching his peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he has three championships, he’s lacking a lot in personal honors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This season he made the All-Star team, which is a significant achievement for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His next goal is to make the All-NBA team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He doesn’t want to rest much, nor miss the opportunity to showcase his talent against the Bulls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing Petrović’s intense desire to compete, Beelman has no choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beelman watched Petrović grow up and knows his ambition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Petrović returned after a month, wearing his number 44 jersey again at the Rose Garden Arena, he received a warm applause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the regular season winds down, the Trail Blazers gradually cleared injury concerns, and the team is overall healthy now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The starting lineup of Porter, Petrović, Gan Guoyang, Lewis, Sabonis has solidified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is expected to be the Trail Blazers’ main lineup throughout the playoffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This lineup has a very sharp offense, especially their outside shooting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All five players can shoot, posing unprecedented challenges to opposing defenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The defense has noticeably declined compared to the past, Petrović’s spot can be considered so-so and not too exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lewis at the three position compared to two has lost height and wingspan advantages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang and Sabonis continue to swing between four and five positions, depending on the specific match circumstances.\u003C\u002Fp>",906,"2026-06-06T01:41:51.304Z",1,"novelbin.me","4f2605fbd484431320d341dd522ced68ce1902f560162c704996fbfa38497722","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1308","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1157",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]