The Golden Age of Basketball

After getting in the car, he asked, "Daddy, are we going to compete against that fat Uncle today?"

"Yes, against that fat Uncle. You should either speak English or Chinese, don't mix them."

Gan Guoyang had reminded him more than once, but Gan Wenshan always acted like he couldn't hear.

"Can we lose to fat Uncle? Grandpa said fat Uncle will definitely lose, and will be, um, sad."

Gan Guoyang shook his head, "If Daddy loses, I will be sad too. Aren't you afraid of Daddy being sad?"

"No, if you're sad, Mom and I can comfort you, it's okay."

"Fat Uncle also has a wife and kids. They can comfort fat Uncle too."

"He has a Wife? Oh..."

Gan Wenshan didn't finish his sentence, but his face clearly showed disbelief.

Gan Guoyang thought, poor Barkley, the kid doesn't even believe you can find a wife.

The other child was still young, able to babble some words, but clearly not as clear and fluent as his brother.

After arriving at the arena in the evening, he bade farewell to his family and went to the locker room for pre-game preparations.

Terry Porter was cleared to play tonight, and the continuous rest and treatment made him look in great condition.

In fact, once Porter can perform at a high level, the Suns will have a much harder time.

Because Kevin Johnson struggles when defending Porter.

Porter can blow past John Stockton, and he can also explode and outplay Kevin Johnson in a certain game.

If the fifth game had a healthy Porter, the Trail Blazers would likely win and end the series in Phoenix.

Of course, ending the series in Portland and winning the Western Conference championship in the sixth game is also a great result.

A large number of reporters and media personnel were present tonight, with most of the important figures from Portland in attendance.

Although it's not yet the Finals, reaching the Finals for the fourth consecutive year is still an impressive achievement.

Once in the Finals, the prospect of a four-peat is within reach, and as a prelude, this Western Conference championship match draws a lot of attention.

Before the game started, Gan Guoyang warmed up while blowing bubbles.

On the other side, Barkley was equally relaxed, looking much more at ease than in the first and second games.

Magic Johnson, as a special guest of NBC TV Station, appeared on-site at the Rose Garden Arena.

He left the court, but can't leave completely; like Barry or Russell, he chose a commentary role.

This former king of the West Finals, watching as the new king is about to register, was filled with emotion and had a lot to say.

It's worth noting, Gan Guoyang's two defeats in the West Finals were courtesy of Magic Johnson.

One could say Johnson is a person of unyielding fortune.

The top draft pick, the chosen one, the victor in the NCAA century battle.

In his first year of career, he joined the elite Lakers, who had been in the West Finals the previous season, and got the first draft pick.

The poor boy from Michigan arrived in the dazzling, star-studded Los Angeles, California.

Upon entering the league, he caught Jerry Buss's attention, signed a 25-year super contract, and in his rookie season collaborated with Jabbar to win the championship.

In Game six, Jabbar was absent, Johnson bravely stepped up and played a legendary game to beat the 76ers and lead the team to the championship.

Because the TV station didn't want to miss the FMVP award scene in the broadcast, the league decided to give the FMVP to Magic Johnson.

After that, he never missed the playoffs again, essentially guaranteeing at least the West Finals, if such a person isn't strong lucked, then who is?

Until Ah Gan appeared, Magic Johnson's luck was broken, and after 1985 he never won another championship.

Even so, he twice defeated Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers, seizing the opportunities tightly, both times winning 4-2.

In Gan Guoyang's glorious record, he left two deep imprints.

Perhaps the luck was too powerful, so in another aspect, God took some things away from him.

"Beating Ah Gan is not an easy task, you must be fully focused, and give your best effort; there can't be any slightest relaxation allowed. Even back in 1985, when he was still a rookie, he was already very, very difficult to deal with. By 1986, he was already very formidable and couldn't be defeated by him!"

Johnson held the microphone and didn't hesitate to praise Gan Guoyang.

Although Johnson also has his pride, he's very different from Jordan and Bird.

He's a person who is quite open in his speech, rarely harsh, and very willing to flatter others publicly.

Especially those who truly won him over, he has great admiration, not the type of "I can't beat you but I refuse to accept it."

"1989 was Portland's worst time, worse than now. Yet they were still very competitive in the West, when Ah Gan encountered trouble, Fleisher suddenly passed away. Fleisher was a very important person to Ah Gan, second only to his father from what I know. The grief affected his performance, and Drexler had left Portland, while Sabonis and Petrović hadn't arrived yet, leaving the Trail Blazers and Ah Gan in a very vulnerable state."

"In such a weakened situation, we still gave our all to defeat the Trail Blazers. Honestly, when we won, I was jumping wildly with Jabbar, exactly the same as in 1979 when I played my first NBA game after Jabbar's buzzer-beater. I never thought I'd be so thrilled, more excited than when winning the championship."

"Later, maybe I got carried away by the excitement, we lost the Finals to Detroit, and we never reached the Finals again. But in my view, defeating Ah Gan in the Western Conference Finals remains a significant achievement in my basketball career. As it stands, I might be the only one to do so, and Phoenix Suns and Charles Barkley need some luck to accomplish it."