[{"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-1350":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},1444767,1896,"Chapter 1350 - 23: Tomato_2","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1350",1350,"\u003Cp>Originally, Little O’Neal was going to go as well, but he said he had family matters, and with a game tomorrow and needing to fly out for an away game, he decided not to go and left with Kobe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A frustrated Van Exel then turned his attention to Ben Wallace, who was waiting for a ride. This seemingly honest big black guy was the most silent and low-key player on the team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Van Exel sized him up and said, \"Hey, wanna go out? You should be over 21, right? Got your ID?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ben Wallace shook his head and said, \"I’ve got a workout planned tonight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite having the least playtime on the court, Ben Wallace never relaxed his training discipline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was waiting for a chance, a chance to shine brightly on the NBA stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shit!\" Van Exel waved his hand vigorously, not interested in dealing with these young guys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One after another, none of them wanted to go out, either doing homework or working out. What do you guys want to do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are you really trying to hit the championship? But isn’t winning a championship also for earning more money and having more fun?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Van Exel felt perplexed. He noticed that ever since Ah Gan returned, the whole team’s atmosphere had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Ah Gan never expressed opinions or thoughts about the players’ private lives, once off the court and out of the training gym, he wouldn’t interfere with anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his presence subtly influenced something; everyone would still have fun, but their mindset had shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the former hedonistic lifestyle, living one day at a time, to sneaking in leisure after completing the tasks on the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The difference in mindset was significant—the former easily leads to degradation, while the latter gives a sense of relaxation and joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that he couldn’t find any young people to have fun with, Van Exel lost interest and decided to go home to accompany his son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His father couldn’t provide companionship due to imprisonment, and now that he was a dad himself, he should spend more time with his child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, Little O’Neal was driving Kobe home. Some time ago, Gan Guoyang gifted him a brand new 1996 Jeep Cherokee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A big car like this is very suitable for the towering statures of NBA players. Little O’Neal saved on buying a car—though it was not Gan Guoyang who bought it, it was the local dealer who, knowing that Ah Gan intended to gift a car, proactively offered it. Hence, Little O’Neal had to participate in a few sales events organized by the dealer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the road, Little O’Neal asked Kobe, \"Are you really going home to do homework? We’re professional players now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little O’Neal hated doing homework the most; if he enjoyed doing homework, he wouldn’t have skipped college and directly entered the NBA.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kobe was different; he said, \"Yes, I’ve been studying business courses all along. In the future, I’ll have money, but I won’t be playing forever. I need to manage and grow that money to ensure a comfortable life for my family and myself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this aspect, Kobe was much more farsighted compared to Little O’Neal or most young NBA players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, coming from different family backgrounds, many players who suddenly rose from poverty couldn’t break away from their original upbringing environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thing they did after getting money wasn’t investing or structured spending, but rather splurging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only would they spend lavishly themselves, but also give money to their many relatives and friends around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, when you were down and out, these relatives and friends supported you and helped you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it’s time for them to reap rewards, spending tens to hundreds of thousands of US dollars quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is just one part; once they have women and a bunch of illegitimate children popping out from nowhere, expenses would increase even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kobe’s parents educated him well in this regard, and his upbringing made him aware early on of how to handle wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the car, Kobe shared with Little O’Neal his future wealth management plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to secure the biggest contract in the League and have his own signature shoe and brand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He planned to invest in high-tech and cultural industries, becoming a shareholder in renowned companies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ultimately, he aimed to turn himself into a cultural icon that one day his name alone would generate significant earnings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just like Ah Gan, where having his name and picture would wield influence, and people would willingly pay for him. I ask you, how did you get this car?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kobe asked Little O’Neal, who was driving, leaving Little O’Neal a bit bewildered. He didn’t expect Kobe to have such ideas and ambitions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew each other before the draft, entered the NBA together, arrived at the Trail Blazers together, and trained and played together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little O’Neal was younger than Kobe, but he always felt he was slightly ahead of Kobe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He made appearances before Kobe, scored before Kobe, hit doubles faster than Kobe, had more playing time than Kobe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Kobe attracted more attention from the outside world, Little O’Neal believed he was steadily progressing forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since Ah Gan constantly encouraged and praised Little O’Neal more, while often criticizing and admonishing Kobe, giving Little O’Neal a slight sense of superiority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when the two happened to discuss deeper contents and topics, Little O’Neal realized Kobe was smarter and more insightful than he imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, many things Kobe talked about, Little O’Neal couldn’t quite grasp; his mind was a muddle except for basketball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh...this car, Ah Gan gave it to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did Ah Gan spend any money?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh...no, actually it was the dealer who gave it to me, I need to attend some events for them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Without Ah Gan, would the dealer directly gift you a car? Why didn’t they invite Ah Gan to participate in the events?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",986,"2026-06-06T01:41:52.877Z",1,"novelbin.me","3b7c45d7c1b331a53ed76fcc80231449acb2ced4b30fed4f8ab0c16bc07df016","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1001","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1349",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]