Chapter 799 - 23 The Power of Opposition_2

Some fans blindly attacked him, even targeting his pregnant wife, completely ignoring the fact that Luca wasn’t American at all, he was of Italian nationality, his father was Slovenian, and he had absolutely nothing to do with Iraq or the Gulf War.

Luca couldn’t withstand such public violence and ended his basketball journey at West Holden University prematurely, returning to the Italian league instead.

Because of this incident, protests occurred elsewhere, but the numbers were small and scattered, failing to create any significant impact.

Gan Guoyang knew that if he participated in this rally and was exposed by the media, it would definitely cause an uproar.

Even though he was a Chinese person who had nothing to do with the war, seeing the treatment of Mark Luca, he would surely be attacked by the American public as well.

Honestly, the lack of common knowledge among ordinary Americans is terrifying; many support the Gulf War but probably couldn’t even locate the Gulf or Iraq on a map.

As for how Saddam rose to power, the intricate relationship with America, and how to view the true intentions behind America waging war – they have no understanding, nor do they want to understand.

Unlike the Vietnam War, this time America waged a "just" war with the approval of the United Nations and alongside troops from multiple nations.

The patriotic fervor within America was uncontrollable and not something that could be influenced by one or two anti-war rallies.

"I think you’re right Bill, but once war begins, rationality for survival is lost."

"Sonny, you’ll face the same issue later on, will you wear a warm-up jacket emblazoned with the American flag?"

"No, I won’t, I am Chinese."

"But some people will think you’re against the war, and they won’t care about that detail."

While the two were chatting, the rallygoers were dispersed by the Portland police, and conflicts erupted at the school gates.

Gan Guoyang let Bill Walton get in the car first, then he got out and communicated with both sides to remain calm.

The moment Gan Guoyang appeared, the situation calmed down instantly. Whether they were students or police, their attention shifted from the rally to Ah Gan.

After a short while, the entrance to Willamette University turned into an impromptu fan meet-and-greet, as everyone came forward to ask for Gan Guoyang’s autograph and take photos with him.

The police chief in charge of the dispersal operation even grabbed a coffee with Gan Guoyang and asked, "If I’m unwilling to wear the warm-up jacket with the American flag sewn on before the game, would I be arrested by the police?"

The chief quickly responded, "Oh no, at least not in the Portland area, absolutely not, America is a free country. Plus, you’re Chinese, you can choose your own jacket."

"I hope so. I support a just war, but people also have the right to choose not to support it, as long as they don’t cause any destruction, right?"

"Hmm... hmm... that’s somewhat reasonable."

In the end, the conflict was resolved, and Gan Guoyang invited the police and students to visit the training gym to watch him train.

This event was much more interesting than the anti-war rally, and without much thought, the students all ran off to the training gym.

Walton, sitting in the car, witnessed the whole process. He shook his head and sighed, "Young people have less and less spirit of struggle nowadays, each of them turns into a star-chasing fan. Michael Jackson and Ah Gan are the modern youth’s spiritual narcotics..."

Though he said this, when commentating the games on NBC, Walton was a die-hard Gan Guoyang fan, as staunch as they come.

Walton was right on one point, as the war heat intensified, the atmosphere within the United States grew increasingly feverish, now spreading to the NBA courts.

After a three-day break, on January 22, the Trail Blazers hosted the visiting Boston Celtics at their home court.

Before the game started, the staff placed the American flag at the bottom right corner of the backboard, and the Trail Blazers’ warm-up jackets also had the flag sewn on the right chest.

Of course, foreign players on the Trail Blazers’ team like Gan Guoyang, Petrović, and Sabonis did not have the flag sewn on, they had their freedom.

Besides the NBA, the NFL also began placing the Star-Spangled Banner on player helmets to align with the current American patriotic mood and support for the war.

America is a country that highly venerates military power, an unabashed war machine, merely masked by a veneer of freedom and prosperity.

After a period of rest, Petrović and Reggie Lewis returned to the rotation.

Tonight, Petrović will face his former good friend Divac, and Reggie Lewis will go up against his former team, the Celtics.

The Celtics, after going through summer trades, signings, and coaching changes, had overcome a talent crisis and found new vitality this season.

Before this game, the Celtics firmly held the league’s top spot with a record of 30 wins and 8 losses, and everyone exclaimed that the Green Army had returned.

The trade involving Lewis, Divac, and Hornacek was initially thought to help the Trail Blazers, making their road to defending the title easier.

Unexpectedly, it now seems that the Celtics are the big winners.

Divac and Hornacek fit in perfectly with the Celtics’ system.

Both embody an unselfish style of play, one inside and one outside, revitalizing the Celtics’ aging front and backcourt.

The Celtics’ new coach Chris Ford reorganized the team’s offensive and defensive system, opting for a Twin Towers strategy with Divac + Parrish and relegating Kevin McHale to the bench as the sixth man.

McHale, who was the team’s sixth man when he first entered the league, had returned to his familiar role.