Chapter 940 - 7 Challenger_3

The rumors had long reached his ears—it was Ah Gan, Jordan, Stockton teaming up to pressure the committee not to take him to Barcelona.

Originally, Isiah Thomas had hoped his good friend Magic Johnson could give him a hand, but it turned out Johnson was like a clay Bodhisattva crossing the river, unable to save himself.

He was directly hit by AIDS, withdrawing from basketball, and whether he himself could participate in the Olympics was a big question mark, let alone helping Thomas.

The more Thomas thought, the angrier he became. After losing in a blowout to the Trail Blazers on the 17th, he walked out of the court without saying a word.

Back in the locker room during an interview, Dennis Rodman suddenly aimed his vitriol at Gan Guoyang, saying: "Ah Gan is an anomaly in this league; many people sympathize with and are curious about him because of his skin color. During his rookie season, when he first joined the league, everyone was amazed—a single Asian making it to the NBA? Incredible. But in reality, everyone gave way to him. Back when he faced the Pistons for the first time, he body-slammed Lan Bi’er; I think that behavior was completely outrageous."

"And in the years since then, how many people has he hurt? How many fights has he been in while playing in Detroit? Yet somehow, he’s become the most popular guy, just because he won championships and put up great stats. This is a distortion of our societal values—truly kind and hardworking people don’t get the respect they deserve. A minority individual, riding the halo of his skin color, always has people protecting him. This is the beginning of society’s downfall."

Dennis Rodman’s remarks sparked an uproar, and when Isiah Thomas was asked what he thought about Rodman’s statement, Thomas responded with, "We’re a country that values free speech."

Soon, accusations emerged, alleging that Thomas was the mastermind behind Rodman’s remarks, as Rodman typically wouldn’t say so much or speak with such pointedness.

When Gan Guoyang saw Rodman’s comments, he had already left Detroit—he smirked dismissively and flipped the newspaper to the next page.

Of course, this didn’t mean Gan Guoyang was letting Rodman or Thomas off the hook. In fact, by January, a massive campaign in the media took aim at the Pistons, Rodman, and Thomas, completely denouncing the negative effects of the "wild basketball" ethos they had fostered in the 1980s.

Gan Guoyang’s immense influence in media and politics, combined with his vast resources, forced Thomas and Rodman to issue public apologies, retracting their racially charged comments.

From that point forward, the Detroit Pistons fell into complete decline, and the stage for championship contention in the 1990s never again featured them.

[March 4, 1992, I broke the Pistons’ single-game rebound record.

That day, we faced the Indiana Pacers, and I fiercely grabbed 34 rebounds.

Before anyone could react, I had already anticipated the trajectory of each ball.

At that time, I was battling Ah Gan for the season’s Rebound King title, and I shattered Bob Lanier’s rebounding record.

I was proud to break his record—I couldn’t control myself and burst out crying.

After the game, a reporter asked me if breaking the record was the greatest achievement of my life. I answered, "No, this is not my greatest achievement. My greatest achievement is that I changed my destiny."

That statement was true at the time and remains true today.

Whenever significant events happen to me, I always reflect on my birthplace and marvel at how I didn’t end up a criminal.

Each time, memories flood back, and this is one of the reasons I wear my emotions on my sleeve.

In Detroit, I understood that basketball games were sacred and serious—players always strived to play their best, and everyone had their role.

We were the "Bad Boys," playing rough and tough. But for those who truly understood basketball, there was beauty in it—every night, everyone gave their all, fighting as if it were life or death.

The NBA today feels like an expanded version of the All-Star Game. Players only care about dunking and showing off, wanting to appear on ESPN’s nightly highlights.

Teams are also feeding into this mindset. If you visit any NBA arena, you’ll realize what’s happening outside the basketball court.

Basketball seems to have been relegated to second place—blaring music, dance squads, and stunt performances dominate the scenes. During timeouts, people bounce off trampolines to dunk, others dress as gorillas to dance—the spectacle is endless. All of it cheapens the value of the game.

In 1992, I faced numerous challenges as I fought for the Rebound King title, but there was always one annoying guy blocking my way—even grabbing 30 rebounds wasn’t enough to surpass him.

Yes, Ah Gan. Even to this day, I hate him. Everyone in Detroit hates him.

But I also have to admit—he is a true basketball player, exceptionally serious, dedicated, and a magnificent athlete.

I’m being serious—it’s not just empty words.]

—Excerpt from Dennis Rodman’s autobiography *"Bad as I Wanna Be," published in 1999.*