Chapter 742: Chapter 3 You Are Brave_3
Gan Guoyang said, "Don’t rush to make a decision, and don’t overthink it. Remember, the world is always changing. Be patient. Things will get worse, but they will also get better. I believe the friendship between you and Vlade is genuine, but a person cannot escape their position and cannot reverse the larger environment and trends. The only thing we can control is this basketball in our hands."
Speaking, Gan Guoyang tossed the basketball to Petrović, and the two continued practicing in the gym.
Gan Guoyang had no intention of easing the tension between Divac and Petrović.
Their discord was not a personal one, but an ethnic conflict, which outsiders cannot influence.
Gan Guoyang had a deep understanding of this and would not waste effort in vain.
Instead of trying to get Petrović and Divac to reconcile, he thought it better to let them not interfere with each other and focus on playing basketball.
Off the field remain indifferent, and on the field cooperate normally—such a scenario is not impossible in sports, and is even common.
For example, the Celtics’ core players Bird and McHale did not like each other; they never spoke off court and were not friends.
But on the court, their cooperation was seamless and they were in sync as teammates.
Also, the relationship between Jordan and Pippen wasn’t great either; whenever Ah Gan and Jordan did something together, Pippen was nowhere to be seen.
In NBA teams, it’s common for players to not get along or be friends, but it often doesn’t impede playing well.
Divac and Petrović both loved basketball, and Gan Guoyang believed they could keep off-court issues from affecting their on-court performance.
So after talking to Petrović, Gan Guoyang planned to find a time to have a good talk with Divac.
However, the next morning, when Gan Guoyang was the first to arrive at the gym, he found someone else had arrived even earlier—it was Jerry West.
"Hey! Jerry! Why are you here so early? Did your wife kick you out and you’ve nowhere to sleep? Or is our general manager warming up, getting ready to come back to play?" Gan Guoyang joked with West.
West’s face showed no smile, and he got right to the point, "Sonny, I’m planning a trade."
"A trade? What, you’re sending me to the Lakers?"
"..."
"That would get me killed by Portland fans. Is it a trade involving Divac?"
Mentioning Divac, Gan Guoyang’s heart sank, "Are you planning to trade Vlade?"
West nodded, "You’ve seen the situation at training camp. The conflict between Divac and Petrović is hard to reconcile. This isn’t something that can be solved with a hug and sharing feelings. It’s an ethnic conflict."
Gan Guoyang said, "But that doesn’t mean they can’t cooperate well on the court. Keeping it cool off the court and playing well on the court is totally feasible."
"Indeed it’s feasible, but our perfect locker room atmosphere would be ruined, and their relationship would be a ticking bomb. I have friends in Europe who have messaged me saying that a civil war in Yugoslavia is only a matter of time, and a national war could likely erupt between Serbia and Croatia. This isn’t just a simple case of not getting along or having different temperaments, do you understand, Ah Gan?"
Gan Guoyang fell silent; West was right.
The situation in Yugoslavia was tense, with Croats and Serbs viewing each other with hostility.
If a civil war broke out later, their relationship would no longer be a simple ’disagreement.’
"Currently, the situation in Yugoslavia isn’t very severe and international attention is limited. Trading one of them before the conflict fully erupts is the best solution. If we wait until it erupts to deal with it, firstly, the team atmosphere would be completely destroyed, and secondly, the players’ trade value would greatly decrease. So, now is the best time."
"Then... why Vlade?"
"Sonny, you should know why, we have you and Arvydas! Vlade is excellent but in Portland, he might not reach his full potential. Going to another team could be a good thing for him, like with Mason."
Jerry West’s reasoning made sense, and Gan Guoyang understood.
But he was a sentimental person; of the Eastern European trio, Divac was the youngest and most lively.
He was humorous and fun, and despite having the worst English, he talked the most, serving as the team’s merry-maker.
No one disliked him; having him at the training camp always brought joy, and everyone would be disappointed and sad if he left.
It’s imaginable that the person most upset would be Petrović, knowing it was because of him that Divac had to leave.
West saw Gan Guoyang’s hesitation; knowing how sentimental he was, he patted Gan Guoyang on the shoulder, "Sonny, you know, that’s how the NBA is. Not just Vlade, no one stays in one place forever, not even including you. Maybe one day you’ll also want to take flight."
Gan Guoyang knew West was right; actually, the management didn’t need to inform the players when making decisions.
But West respected Gan Guoyang, knowing he was the team leader, so he had to be informed.
"I trust your professionalism, Jerry."
"Right, I’ll try to complete the trade before the preseason training camp starts, to minimize the impact of Vlade’s departure on everyone."
Gan Guoyang knew, since Jerry West had informed him, that the preparations for the trade were almost complete, just short of the final step.
Thus, Vlade Divac’s departure from Portland was ticking down.
However, later that afternoon, after the training ended, a major trade news that shook the league came in:
Charles Barkley had actively requested a trade; he was sent by the Washington Bullets to the Phoenix Suns, in exchange for Tom Chambers, Andrew Lang, and Tim Perry.
When Gan Guoyang received the news, he immediately contacted Charles Barkley, commending him, "Charles, you’re really brave, daring to come to the Western Conference?"
Barkley then boasted over the phone, "Sonny, your reign in the West is about to end!"
