Chapter 946 - 9 Friend_3

Two hours before the start of the game, Johnson was surrounded by reporters in the locker room, bombarded with a barrage of questions, many of which were related to health and AIDS.

Johnson maintained a smile, telling everyone that no matter what happens, he stays positive and optimistic. As long as he has the support of family and friends, he can overcome any difficulty.

Gan Guoyang, Jordan, Thomas, and others all became supporting characters tonight, willingly so, as Johnson deserved a retirement performance.

When the game started, Johnson represented the West Team in the starting lineup, and the 20,000 fans on site erupted in the loudest cheers and applause.

Johnson held back tears as he stepped onto the court, followed by a hug with Isiah Thomas, his great friend and rival, breaking down their barriers.

The game quickly began, and both sides were playing without intensity, as the theme of tonight was to have fun with Magic Johnson.

Speaking of fun, no one plays better on the basketball court than Johnson, with his no-look passes, exaggerated high-knee dribbles, and dazzling layups.

Of course, Johnson’s three-pointers were particularly outstanding tonight. The star who was once criticized for his poor shooting had developed a decent mid-to-long-range shot in the latter part of his career.

This guy may be flashy, but he truly put a lot of effort and dedication into basketball.

The West Team took an early lead, and the Eastern Team was just going through the motions as Thomas, Jordan, and Pippen took turns guarding Johnson.

Gan Guoyang also kept making plays for Johnson, setting up pick-and-rolls and alley-oops, winning rounds of applause from the crowd.

As the game moved into the second half, the West Team had an insurmountable lead, with the outcome no longer in doubt, and everyone was just part of the show to highlight Magic.

Most people’s attention was on Johnson’s flashy dribbling and incredible passes, and no one noticed that from the third quarter on, Gan Guoyang and Jordan were continuously talking.

They started whispering and gradually escalated into an argument on the sidelines as others played.

"You have Richard’s IOU, but you didn’t tell me. Why? To hold it over my head and threaten me? No wonder you warned me against gambling that time..."

"Threaten you? What do you have that I would want to threaten you with, Michael? Am I short of money or championships? Are you joking? I was warning you, and it was a friendly reminder."

"You should have told me about this sooner instead of keeping it from me all along!"

"I also have a responsibility to Richard; he trusted me, so I should keep his secret!"

"Whoa, who are you, the godfather of the Buccari family?"

"I’m your friend, Michael, but if you think I haven’t been helping you, then we’re not friends anymore. Do you know who kept all the media off your back and who has been working to shield you, persuading the league not to investigate this matter? Think about it, Michael!"

The two had a dispute over a $1.2 million IOU.

Initially, Jordan didn’t really intend to blame Gan Guoyang, but once he got fired up, he couldn’t control it.

He held a grudge, one that had been brewing since losing the 1991 finals.

Rationally, he knew the Bulls and himself were not as good, but emotionally he felt Ah Gan had stolen his glory, and they were the best of friends.

Jordan knew it made no sense; championships are won by oneself, and Ah Gan and the Trail Blazers were just stronger. They should win the championship back this year.

But emotions are often uncontrollable, which was rare for Jordan.

Gan Guoyang was also angry. He had been striving to quietly help Jordan, persuading media friends not to exaggerate.

Gambling is a small to big matter; if kept quiet, the public would soon forget, but Jordan was relentless.

Their argument caught the attention of referees, players, and fans, prompting officials to separate the two.

Gan Guoyang glared at Jordan, while Jordan’s eyes dodged. Until the end of the game, they didn’t speak again.

In the end, Johnson unsurprisingly won the All-Star MVP, concluding a perfect farewell performance.

His three-point shooting left a deep impression.

But both Gan Guoyang and Jordan were very frustrated.

Back home, late at night, Gan Guoyang received a call from Jordan.

The two hadn’t talked on the phone for a long time.

"I’m sorry, Sonny... Maybe I need your help," Jordan apologized, seeking assistance.

Gan Guoyang accepted Jordan’s apology and said to him, "If you don’t want to pay off so much at once, you can try gambling again to reduce the debt."

"But it could also increase; my debt is really..."

"You could gamble on something else, or bring me along; my golf skills are better than yours."

Though Jordan was reluctant to admit it, Gan Guoyang’s golf skills were indeed quite high; the notion of unbelievably strong success wasn’t just talk.

"Don’t wait any longer; in the next couple of days, Richard will be in Portland. Get Barkley involved too. Maybe he can share some of it."