Chapter 652: Chapter 42: Heart Demon
Gan Guoyang hung up the phone and returned to the Willamette University training gym.
The three-hour morning training had ended, but for Gan Guoyang, his training had just begun.
Because he had a game against the Bulls tomorrow, Guoyang wanted to get himself in the best shape possible.
At lunchtime, Guoyang received a pager message from Jordan and immediately found a phone to return his call.
Gan Guoyang had been considering buying a cell phone—the kind referred to at the time as "brick" phones.
The earliest cell phones appeared in 1973, Motorola’s mobile cellular phone that weighed two kilograms.
By ’83, the first commercial cell phone was available, primarily for businesspeople, especially those in the financial sector.
Such "cell phones" had long charging times, short talk times, and were extremely bulky and inconvenient to carry, not to mention they were expensive, which made them uncommon.
NBA players spent the year flying around and had no business deals to negotiate, so there was no need to carry around a bulky mobile phone, a pager was enough.
However, by the 1990s, cell phones were becoming smaller and more convenient.
Brands like Nokia and Motorola were constantly innovating, and it was believed that practical portable phones would soon be on the market.
When that time came, Gan wanted to buy four—one for himself, one for his wife, one for his old man, and one to gift to Jordan.
In the training gym, the young Trail Blazers players were still training, with Sabonis, Divac, and Petrović among them.
Guoyang waved at Petrović and said, "Pete! I just made a call to Jordan, you know he’s my friend. He just told me over the phone that he’s going to score 40 points on you tomorrow night, and he wants you to be mentally prepared."
Hornacek caught a cold from the wind in Milwaukee and insisted on playing against the Clippers, but after the game, he came down with a fever.
Therefore, he would miss tomorrow’s game against the Bulls, and Beelman was preparing to start Petrović.
Recently, Petrović had performed exceptionally well, scoring a career-high against the Heat.
In the following games against the Bucks and the Hawks, he scored in double figures with high efficiency.
He was decisive in taking three-point shots, daring and able to score, rapidly adding points whenever he came off the bench.
Petrović was getting used to NBA games, and according to the pattern, he would hit a peak in December.
Then in January and February, like most rookies, he would enter a fatigue period, as they hadn’t experienced the long test of an NBA regular season.
By that time, the Trail Blazers’ rich lineup of guards would be able to step up and play their role.
It was now the time for Petrović to improve his game and especially boost his confidence.
When Petrović heard what Guoyang had said, he snorted and without a word, went back to his shooting practice.
Petrović didn’t boast that he would score 40 points, he knew there was a big gap between him and Jordan.
After coming to America, he watched basketball news and magazines every day, and aside from Gan Guoyang, Jordan was the most reported about.
This season, Jordan continued to dominate scoring and was a match for Ah Gan in both ability and popularity.
What mattered most was that he was a shooting guard, playing the same position as Petrović.
Long before this game, Petrović had set Jordan as the target and rival he wanted to surpass, quietly making preparations.
Tomorrow’s start was both a challenge and an opportunity for him, and when he heard Guoyang’s words, he felt both nervous and excited.
Michael Jordan, the strongest guard in America, could even be the strongest guard in the world.
Many players at the same position feared Jordan, just as centers feared Ah Gan.
But Petrović wasn’t afraid; he was the best guard in Europe, and the best in the world was his goal.
After the training, in the locker room, Petrović said to Gan Guoyang, "Sonny, pass me the ball more in tomorrow’s game."
Guoyang laughed when he heard this, "No problem, if you miss shots, I’ll help you grab the rebounds."
"It’s a deal."
"It’s a deal. Remember, if you want to surpass me, you must surpass Jordan first. Once you’ve surpassed him, you’ll be close to me. After all, I’ve told you, the difference between you and me is roughly a Jordan."
Petrović actually thought this made a lot of sense.
The more he played and trained with Guoyang, the more Petrović realized the gap between him and Guoyang.
Just imagine, if the Trail Blazers were without Petrović, there wouldn’t be much difference from now.
But if the Trail Blazers were without Ah Gan, it would be a completely different story.
After Petrović left, Divac came over and asked Guoyang, "Sonny, why does Jordan want to score 40 points over Pete? There’s nothing between them... right?"
Guoyang glanced at Divac but said nothing.
Divac immediately had an epiphany, instantly understanding.
Sonny, after this you won’t use the same method with me, will you? Having your friends come..."
Gan Guoyang replied, "No need, you’re the center, it’s my job to take care of you. You need to build up your strength, join me for some weightlifting later."
"..."
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On the evening of December 14th, at the Memorial Coliseum, the Portland Trail Blazers played against the Chicago Bulls.
A heavily anticipated battle before Christmas, it was the 11th face-off between Gan and Jordan.
In their previous matchups, Gan Guoyang led with eight wins and two losses, holding a clear advantage.
Before the game, a large number of media reporters clogged the player tunnels and the locker room corridors.
Unlike in 1985, when fans could access areas near the locker rooms.
Players could walk off the court before and after the game, mingling with the fans.
Now things were different. As the NBA continued to grow, player salaries kept rising, and stars’ influence expanded, the distance between them and the fans also increased.
Only those with press credentials could get close to the players, and the security team was responsible for ensuring the players’ safety.
The reporters were split in half, interviewing Gan Guoyang and Jordan before the game; everyone loved to interview them.
Not only because their matchups attracted high levels of attention but also because the two were good friends, so there were no pleasantries in pre-game interviews.
No matter the seemingly tricky questions the reporters asked, both would respond straight away, without beating around the bush or giving vague answers.
For instance, when a reporter asked Jordan, "Can the Bulls make it to the Finals this season to play the Trail Blazers?"
Jordan responded, "The Bulls can make it to the Finals, but I’m not sure about the Trail Blazers. I think Ah Gan is past his prime."
When Gan Guoyang was asked, "Who do you think will win this season’s MVP between you and Jordan?"
Gan Guoyang answered, "Definitely me. I might even get Most Improved Player. Michael is more suited for the All-Star Game MVP."
A reporter asked Jordan, "The Bulls have been at a disadvantage in previous games against the Trail Blazers. Do you see a change in the situation?"
Jordan said, "The situation has already started changing since last season. They are on a downward slope, and we are the opposite."
When Gan Guoyang was asked, "Did you train with Michael this summer? Do you think he has improved?"
Gan Guoyang remarked, "Yes, I think he’s improved. He’s almost able to see my back now."
This kind of back-and-forth, confrontational dialogue in interviews provided endless material for the reporters and media.
Everyone this season was looking forward to a Finals meeting between Jordan and Gan Guoyang.
The regular-season games were merely a prelude to their ultimate showdown.
After the interviews ended and it was time for warm-ups on the court, they became good friends again, dribbling and chatting at mid-court.
Unlike Barkley, who didn’t have many interactions with them off-court, Jordan had his own private circle.
Their friendship was that of confidantes on the basketball court, mutual admirers, opponents, a case of the only two heroes under the heavens.
It was similar to the relationship between Russell and Chamberlain.
Phil Jackson saw all of this.
Ever since he became the head coach for the Bulls, he was concerned about one thing.
That was Jordan and Ah Gan’s relationship being too good, preventing Jordan from performing at his best.
Every time facing Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers, Jordan already played exceptionally well.
But Jackson believed that was still not the best Jordan.
Because he lacked hatred, lacked the killer instinct, he didn’t hate Ah Gan.
By contrast, when facing Isiah Thomas, Jordan held resentment.
This kind of resentment could engulf the court, could annihilate the opponent.
Inexplicably with Ah Gan, Jordan was too gentle; his killer instinct wasn’t fully triggered.
This was the problem Jackson was constantly pondering, how to make Michael hate Ah Gan.
Jackson wasn’t Larry-Brown. He wouldn’t pull Jordan aside and say, "Don’t talk to Ah Gan. Don’t be friends with him."
That would only backfire, so Jackson needed another way.
Otherwise, Jackson was certain that Ah Gan would become the eternal demon in Jordan’s professional life.
Forever.
