The Golden Age of Basketball

Coach Dan FitzGerald was a man of legendary character, and one of the most interesting people I've ever met. He always brought his wealth of knowledge and irrepressible Irish personality to the court, never stopping talking, even when he was driving... When he drove, he would constantly look back at the backseat and gesture, rather than watching the road.

I think the coach drove by braille, using his ears to listen for horns and relying on the road's tactile cues to keep the car in the right lane... When I first arrived at school, I heard one of the "Fitz Quotes" at the training ground, "The best thing about a freshman is that they become sophomores!" However, Fitz didn't say this when Gan first walked onto the training court.

———Excerpt from John Stockton's autobiography "Assisted," published in 2012.

On July 5, the head coach of Gonzaga University's basketball team and the school's athletic director, Dan FitzGerald, accompanied by assistant coach, nurse, psychologist, bus driver, carpenter, and mechanic Steve DeLong, G-Prep's legendary star Terry Kelly, and two staff members of the Education Committee, visited Gan's Restaurant in the Tenderloin District.

Joining them was "English teacher" Cap Raven, who was the facilitator among them.

In March of this year, after the NCAA season officially ended for 1981-1982, the University of San Francisco announced the closure of its basketball department.

As a strong team in the Bay Area, the University of San Francisco temporarily became a "clearance sale junk shop," with many West Coast universities coming to San Francisco to pick players.

Dan Fitz was born in San Francisco, had studied and played basketball at San Francisco State University, and later transferred to UCLA where he graduated.

Having learned from a classmate from UCLA that the Chinese player named Gan had refused the Golden Bears' invitation, he immediately contacted Raven to arrange a meeting.

These West Coast basketball figures all had intricate connections, and Cap Raven was certainly not just a simple English teacher.

The first time Gan Guoyang met Dan FitzGerald, he was deeply impressed by his wide Irish jaw, prominent nose, and his hearty laugh.

Gan Youwei prepared a large table of dishes to entertain the guests at the restaurant, and they couldn't stop praising Gan Youwei's culinary skills. FitzGerald said, "We should invite Gan's father to our school's cafeteria to be the head chef, which could significantly boost its appeal to students, hahaha!"

After the meal, they got down to business. FitzGerald offered Gan Guoyang very generous terms, including a full scholarship, living allowance, a promise of a core position on the team, as well as care for his family, and so on.

"However, our school's funds are limited, and this year the Disciplinary Committee is very strict, so we may face some restrictions on certain expenses."

FitzGerald also spoke frankly, with the recent examples of the University of San Francisco and UCLA right before their eyes. (More than a decade later, Gonzaga would indeed face a ban for financial issues, for which FitzGerald was responsible.)

Gan Guoyang felt the sincerity of Gonzaga University, and after the meal, they all went to the YMCA gym, where Steve DeLong and Terry Kelly conducted a simple trial for Gan Guoyang.

The trial included tests of basic skills as well as physical strength, speed, explosiveness, coordination, and balance.

DeLong was a white coach with a mustache and a neat appearance, as if he were a retired officer from the Marine Corps.

Unlike the talkative FitzGerald, DeLong was expressionless and seldom spoke, his demeanor unchanged from beginning to end.

Upon arriving at the gym and seeing Gan Guoyang, his first words were, "I hear you've got outstanding strength, which is great. Many people don't value strength enough."

Gan Guoyang nodded and said, "Strength is the foundation of technique, and it can reduce the risk of injury."

For the first time, surprise showed in DeLong's eyes; he hadn't expected Gan Guoyang to have such awareness.

In the basketball world at that time, many players shunned strength training, believing that increased muscle mass would affect their touch and flexibility.

Steve DeLong was one of the first college basketball coaches to conduct professional strength training for players.

However, Gonzaga University was a virtually unknown school in the national basketball scene, and their coaches naturally didn't have much influence.

In the subsequent tests, Steve DeLong and Kelly worked together to set some movement requirements for Gan Guoyang, conducted physical fitness tests, and then Kelly also went one-on-one with Gan Guoyang in offensive and defensive drills.

Twenty minutes later, Steve DeLong walked over to FitzGerald with the forms, and FitzGerald quietly asked, "How's the test? He seems pretty good from what I can see."

Delong murmured softly, "We hit the jackpot; those UCLA folks must be idiots."

"Don't say that—I graduated from UCLA. But they really are being foolish right now."

Fitzgerald took the measure chart handed over by Delong, glanced at it, and his eyes immediately widened as he exclaimed, "This is a high schooler? With these stats, he wouldn't have any problems playing in the NBA."

"That's more than enough. Plus, his skills are quite solid, and he has ample physical strength. And I'm certain he's a guy with a strong will."

"How can you be so sure?"

"It's a feeling you get around your own kind. You don't have it."

"What's that got to do with me? Why drag me into this?"

Although Fitzgerald and others were quite satisfied with the test results, Gan Guoyang was still undecided about whether or not to go to this obscure school, located in the small northwestern city.

Fitzgerald's recruiting work was not over; he then invited Gan Guoyang and Gan Youwei to visit Gonzaga University, to personally experience the school's environment and decide whether to study and play basketball there.

Gan Guoyang thought that since arriving in America, he had never taken his dad on a trip, as he had always been busy in the restaurant, dealing with grease and smoke every day, and hadn't had a single day off.

Maybe he should take this opportunity to take Gan Youwei out for a change of scenery while also checking out Gonzaga University for himself.

Gan Youwei initially didn't want to go, but thinking that this decision would affect his son's future, he decided to go along and have a look.

So, after a bit of preparation, Fitzgerald and his group took Gan Guoyang and his father on a plane to the City of Spokane, located at the border of Washington State and The State of Idaho.

What Gan Guoyang didn't expect was that, when the plane landed at Spokane International Airport and they walked out of the airport, he saw a welcoming party meant for him.

The group consisted of representatives from the school's athletic department, officials from the City of Spokane, and Gonzaga students clothed in blue and grey. They held up a huge banner with red background and yellow lettering that read, "Welcome to Gonzaga University in Spokane, Gan."

The warmth and grandeur of the scene took both Gan Guoyang and Gan Youwei by surprise.

Gan Youwei even blurted out, "Son, just study here. It'd be so embarrassing if you didn't."

Among the large welcoming party, a familiar face appeared; he walked up to Gan Guoyang and shook his hand firmly.

"Welcome to Spokane, Gan."

Gan Guoyang's face showed surprise—wasn't this Coach Belman?

How did you end up at Gonzaga University in Spokane?

"Bobby, did you switch sides again?"

"What the hell are you talking about? I only signed a one-year contract with Beiqiao High School. Gonzaga University invited me to be the coach of the team."

Only then Gan Guoyang realized just how much preparation Gonzaga University, even the City of Spokane, had done to recruit him.

An official from the City of Spokane even read a formal proclamation, declaring the day of Gan Guoyang's arrival as "Sonny Gan Memorial Day."

In that moment, Gan Guoyang decided to stay in Spokane and bring victory to this place.

[Next to the library, a statue of Bing Crosby stands forever, representing for decades the essence of this Jesuit school nestled within the tree-shaded community on the north bank of the Spokane River. However, next to the school's gymnasium, the sculpture of Ah Gan holding up the championship trophy embodies the spirit of Gonzaga University today.]

——Excerpt from "Tales from the Gonzaga hardwood," published in 2004 by Dave Bolin.