The Golden Age of Basketball

Until July 6, Tang Jianguo knew the timing was right; it couldn't be dragged out any longer.

Continuing to stir things up would only backfire and cause public backlash. That morning, the Trail Blazers released an announcement: Gan would hold a press conference at the Rose Garden Arena to unveil his future plans for his basketball career.

With this announcement, Gan's return was no longer speculation but a certainty.

What's missing now is just a word from him, an announcement and decision that he has decided to return.

Compared to the extreme discretion during his retirement, his return this time was truly grand; all of Portland and Oregon went wild.

Many shops closed, companies were on holiday, students skipped school and went home to watch TV, and some schools even suspended classes to let students watch the live broadcast of the press conference.

The Oregonian's love and frenzy for Gan is indescribable; the faith brought by 7 championships, the belief in victory beyond death, deeply imprinted in the hearts of fans.

Portland's TV host named today's city-wide phenomenon "Gumpgasm."

Larry Bird arrived in Portland on the same day; the team would announce today that he has become the head coach of the Trail Blazers.

In the locker room, Bird watched Gan lose weight over more than a week, making himself quite uncomfortable, and initially, he didn't quite understand.

He even had some doubts: Is this the player he admired? The one who dominated the league for so many years?

Could it be that during the years of collaboration with Tang Jianguo, he had turned into an actor in front of the camera, the first one to spare no means for traffic?

However, when he noticed how crazy Portland was, how much people were paying attention to this comeback, he realized Gan was right to do this.

He was maintaining a super idol image, he would be placed under a magnifying glass for repeated observation; every detail, even the threads on his suit, would be taken out for critique.

He had to make himself look flawless, even if this perfection wasn't truly perfect.

This was about morale, about confidence, about whether a team could truly unite over the next three years—Bird was determined to only coach for three years, regardless of the results after the contract expired.

So Bird made a decision, deciding not to sign with the Trail Blazers today, to delay and sign later.

"I'm not afraid of being overshadowed by you, I don't need the limelight; I just don't want to distract people's attention. Today belongs to you, completely and utterly to you."

"Good luck, Gan. Fat guys can actually play basketball too, don't take too much burden."

Having said these things, Bird quietly left and found an office to hide in.

The press conference was about to start; reporters started rushing towards the locker room.

Gan Guoyang, accompanied by his wife and escorted by Quentin and other bodyguards, headed to the stadium's press conference hall.

Leaving the locker room, along the player corridor, Gan Guoyang was dressed in an oversized brown suit and walked towards the hall surrounded by many people.

The reporters' cameras flash like machine guns "click-click" without stopping, high-definition cameras capture every movement, every detail of Gan Guoyang from any angle in full, transmitted via satellite signal to thousands of TV screens in households.

After the weight loss and careful grooming, Gan Guoyang looked impeccable.

His suit was specially tailored by Kevin Willis's suit company, not expensive, but very well-fitting, with comfortable and flawless fabric.

His hair was specially styled, treated exactly like during the previous matches, clean and sharp, the look every fan was familiar with.

His face looked more spirited than in the 1993-1994 season; his eyes radiated vibrant energy, with cameras fully capturing every turn of his head, every slight expression on his face.

Outside the stadium, the TV station's director kept screening and switching the shots, feeling, "Perfect, absolutely perfect, this wait was definitely worth it."

From the locker room to the press hall, in just a short distance, Gan Guoyang walked with the demeanor of a supermodel from Paris, and this stretch caused the ratings of each TV station to soar.

Advertisements were sold at a very high price; Gan Guoyang's title of the king of ratings was well earned.

Arriving at the press conference hall and stepping onto the press conference stage, enthusiastic applause erupted, naturally accompanied by continuous clicking sounds.

Seated below were the Trail Blazers' high executives, the invited Mayor of Portland, Governor of Oregon, reporters from various newspapers and TV stations, and all the Portland Trail Blazers players.

At the moment Gan Guoyang stepped onto the stage facing everyone, everyone stood up to cheer for him, and the applause was continuous.

Below the stage, Kobe Bryant and Jermaine O'Neal sat together; they stood up along with the crowd.

Before the draft conference, Kobe and Little O'Neal, the two youngest candidates, had already become good friends.

High school players entering the draft were highly controversial at the time; they were considered immature and impatient; the public opinion was not friendly towards them.

Thus, the high school players faced a lot of pressure, and at this time, two people of about the same age, embarking on this difficult path together, easily formed a friendship.

More unexpectedly, the Portland Trail Blazers, without any prior signs, used the 9th and 10th consecutive picks to acquire Kobe and Little O'Neal.