Chapter 994 - 28 Underfoot_2

Quite a number of American fans still support Ah Gan; from 1982 to 1992, for ten years, this guy embodied many people’s youthful basketball memories.

If not intentionally stressed, some people didn’t even consider Ah Gan a foreigner until he clearly stated after the West Finals that he wanted to represent China in the Olympics, and everyone suddenly realized: Ah Gan is Chinese, not American.

This led Jordan to start gaining more support, as he is American, will represent America in the Olympics, and more importantly, everyone hopes Jordan can win a championship.

"Sonny already has 5 championships. If Jordan can get one, I think it would be more balanced, that would reflect the true comparison of their strengths. We hope for a Jordan vs. Ah Gan, like Magic vs. Bird, even Russell vs. Chamberlain, where Chamberlain eliminated Russell in 1967 to win the championship. In short, I think it is time, Michael deserves to win a championship."

Similar opinions appeared in well-known magazines like "Sports Illustrated", "Sporting News", "Sidelines".

"Inside Information", "Sports Center" and other TV programs conducted many interviews with the Trail Blazers and Bulls, hyping up the 1992 Finals.

NBC TV Station interviewed Gan Guoyang and his wife before the game.

Gan Guoyang was, as usual, asked many questions, and this year the questions seemed sharper than before.

"Will you be throwing punches again in the Finals?"

Gan Guoyang’s combat record in the Finals is unmatched, but this question was clearly ill-intentioned.

"Whether I use my fists or not always depends on how my opponent plays. You should ask the Bulls’ players. Last year’s Finals already proved that our competition is intense but very clean, I have no need to throw punches."

Gan Guoyang responded well, emphasizing that his attacks were due to opponents playing dirty, while in fact, he had two major fights, both against the Pistons, and no conflicts against the Celtics, Bullets, or Bulls.

"Why haven’t you taken American nationality? You could completely be an American, which would be much more convenient for you."

This question was also sharp and rude, testing Gan Guoyang’s skill at answering questions.

"America already has many high-level basketball players like me, and having one more of me wouldn’t inherently improve American basketball, the American national team is still number one worldwide. But in China, I can help elevate the Chinese basketball level and the global basketball level a bit. So I keep my nationality in China, representing China in the Olympics, which is more meaningful for basketball’s development."

Gan Guoyang cleverly avoided the pitfalls of race, culture, and politics, keeping the focus firmly on basketball, thus resolving the issue.

Besides Gan Guoyang, Wang Fuxi also accepted an interview. Compared to Gan Guoyang, she was more gentle yet confident and witty, leaving a very good impression on the audience.

But after the interview ended, Wang Fuxi lost her temper and argued with the program’s production crew because she sensed that they were deliberately making things difficult for Ah Gan, with many sharp and rude questions.

"Luckily, my husband responded appropriately; if he had misspoken even once, do you know what the consequences would be? Is this what you want to see?!"

Afterwards, Wang Fuxi decided to exert pressure on NBC TV and the NBA through sponsors like AVIA, asking them not to be so cutting.

Gan Guoyang, in turn, comforted Wang Fuxi, telling her to calm down, "My answers were flawless, they can’t affect me through one or two interviews."

"Besides, these media are becoming more and more reckless and unscrupulous. Do you still remember Michael’s Saturday Night Live last week? That was the worst talk show performance I’ve ever seen; that fool is still not used to such occasions."

While comforting his wife, Gan Guoyang also took a jab at Jordan, whose performance on the show was a disaster.

Of course, Jordan’s on-court performance is far from disastrous; this year in the playoffs his overall performance surpassed Ah Gan.

Against the Knight, Jordan consistently averaged 31 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, plus 2.5 steals, flawless in offense and defense.

No wonder this year everyone hopes the Bulls win the championship; Jordan has fought for 8 years, performed for 8 years, and emotionally, the audience truly hopes he can realize his dream.

Just like in 1990, when everyone expected Gan Guoyang and the Portland Trail Blazers to return as champions, fans’ emotions change every season.

The media sharply sensed the change in audience sentiment and hoped to portray Gan Guoyang as the big villain through interviews, write-ups, and TV programs.

The Warriors who slaughtered the dragon have become the Evil Dragon, new Warriors are about to challenge the Evil Dragon again, what a perfect script.

On June 3rd, the 1992 season’s Finals opened at Chicago Stadium, with the Bulls having home-court advantage, hoping for a strong start to the Finals.

That night, Chicago Stadium was deafening, the grand duel began, and as Gan Guoyang stepped onto the court, the arena erupted in deafening boos.

Gan Guoyang hadn’t done anything wrong, but he’s the one everyone wants to defeat, hence endless boos, a necessary experience on the path to the ultimate goal.

He was expressionless, no external factors could disturb him in the slightest, the only thing that could affect him was his own inner self.

Opposite him, Jordan and the Chicago Bulls readied themselves for battle, having waited an entire season for this moment of revenge.