Chapter 922: Chapter 1 Anti-Gan Alliance_2
I didn’t take it seriously. I thought, no matter how capable you are, how could you possibly find a way for me to participate in the Olympics?
With Johnson and Isiah Thomas around, I simply couldn’t find any reason why I would be selected.
But the call was real. I was really selected. I immediately told Nada and the kids. Everyone was overjoyed.
Back in 1984, when I was excluded from the Olympic team, I thought my Olympic dream was shattered and would never come true again. I was headed to the NBA.
I never imagined the Olympic doors would open through the NBA, giving me this opportunity. After repeatedly confirming it was real, I tried to calm myself down.
I called Larry and Coach Sloan to get their approval. They were also very happy and supported me in participating in the Olympics.
I could almost see their smiles through the phone line.
Then I told my family and friends. Honestly, I was shocked by my own reaction.
I couldn’t stay calm at all. Even though I appeared outwardly composed, I was like a duck—calm on the surface but paddling furiously underwater.
The significant meaning of being selected for the Olympic team floated in my mind. My once-shattered dream could now be realized again, and I would carry the weight of responsibility once more.
At that moment, I thought of Ah Gan. I immediately jumped up and called him. I had to have a good chat with him.
I got through to his mobile phone. He said he was in Miami, sunbathing on the beach with Coach Belman.
"I already knew about it, John! Congratulations! Also, congrats to Bobby! He became the head coach of the 1992 Olympic team!"
"Thank me, praise me! Especially Bobby—I practically lifted him to heights he shouldn’t have reached!"
I heard Bobby’s cursing through the phone, so it seemed he was indeed nearby.
Perfect. Mr. Belman was going to be my coach again.
But even more perfect was that Ah Gan would also be participating in the 1992 Olympics.
He would still be our opponent. Later during training camp, everyone was thrilled about this.
However, before that, in the 1991-1992 season, Ah Gan remained the super headache for everyone.
——— Excerpt from John Stockton’s autobiography "Assisted," published in 2012.
In October 1991, the Portland Trail Blazers’ preseason training camp opened again in the gymnasium at Willamette University.
Gan Guoyang routinely participated in the rookie training camp and commented on it as "the worst batch I’ve ever led."
This time, as in 1988, he wasn’t exaggerating. As the defending champions, the Trail Blazers simply couldn’t grab any promising rookies in the draft.
In this draft, the Trail Blazers didn’t have a first-round pick, only a virtually useless 54th overall second-round pick. Jerry West searched high and low, both domestically and overseas, but couldn’t find a buried gem with potential.
Jerry West’s more critical task wasn’t training rookies but addressing the offseason’s top concern for the Trail Blazers since Gan Guoyang joined the league: finding a suitable backup for Ah Gan.
After winning the championship in 1991, veteran Mychal Thompson officially retired, leaving with five rings, heading home to spend time with his son.
With Thompson gone, the Trail Blazers’ already fragile bench for interior players suddenly had a gap that no one could fill.
Antonio Davis, Pinkney, and Bryant were all standard power forwards. The Trail Blazers needed a backup center as insurance for Ah Gan and Sabonis.
West had originally set his sights on Moses Malone, but the former superstar didn’t want to come to the Trail Blazers to play second fiddle to Ah Gan; he wasn’t lacking championship rings.
In July, he left the Hawks and signed with the Bucks, continuing his wandering journey in the league.
West then contacted Ralph Sampson, another former star, but after an assessment, he confirmed that Sampson could no longer survive in the NBA.
As the once-brilliant manager who had continuously provided the Los Angeles Lakers with quality interior talent, West now faced a dilemma: quality interior players, whether young or veterans, had become highly coveted by all teams. With the salary cap system becoming more refined, signing quality interior players cheaply was increasingly difficult.
One crucial reason for this was Ah Gan’s presence, which drove teams to stockpile big men, naturally inflating the prices of top-tier interior players.
Throughout the offseason, West couldn’t find a suitable backup, leaving him extremely anxious as training camp neared.
He even started regretting trading away Divac. If Divac were still there, the Trail Blazers wouldn’t have to worry about this issue.
Acquiring Reggie Lewis certainly addressed Jordan; but without Lewis, would the Trail Blazers truly have been unable to beat the Bulls?
In the Finals, Jordan was still the highest scorer in the series. Lewis contributed, but his impact wasn’t particularly significant.
When training camp officially opened, Gan Guoyang realized West was anxious about the center backup situation. He comforted West: "No problem, Jerry. Antonio Davis, Pinkney—they’re all excellent. Honestly, with me and Sabonis on the interior, that’s sufficient. You should put more focus on the perimeter."
West looked at Gan Guoyang. After a summer, apart from a deeper tan, he hadn’t changed much.
He was still so strong, vibrant, like steel—resilient and self-assured.
The fifth championship, coupled with defeating Jordan, made him the most sought-after sports figure in America this summer.
Numerous endorsements, countless commercial activities, and endless social engagements overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.
West had worried he’d see a hint of dejection in Ah Gan during training camp.
Fortunately, there was none. In fact, he seemed even more formidable due to his deeper tan.
"Sonny, do you know? I’ve heard there’s a ’Anti-Gan Alliance’ forming in the NBA."
"What? Anti-Gan Alliance? Never heard of it. Who started it? Michael? We haven’t spoken this summer."
"A group of stars seems to have formed a training club, training together, studying you together, aiming to beat you."
During this offseason, Gan Guoyang spent most of his time working solo.
Aside from spending a few days in Spokane with Stockton, he couldn’t find time to train or hang out with other NBA stars.
He was too busy, constantly spinning in circles—more hectic than playing basketball. Just his speaking engagements alone numbered no less than 80 from July to October.
It was almost comparable to an NBA regular season. Americans truly loved speeches and loved listening to them.
Gan Guoyang didn’t have a particular passion for public speaking, but being requested by many schools and organizations, he couldn’t decline their enthusiastic invitations.
Gan Guoyang joked that with a bit more practice, he might soon run for President of America.
Amidst this busyness, Gan Guoyang still managed to dedicate enough time to training and recovery.
Most of his training time occurred in Miami under the guidance of the veteran coach Jack Ramsey.
His weight further increased to a career peak of 270 pounds, aiming to amplify his power in the low post.
Given the increasingly intense interior confrontations in the NBA, not boosting his weight was no longer an option.
His training regimen was kept confidential and undisclosed to the public, leaving him unaware of how others were training this year as well.
"From what I know, there’s Jordan, Ewing, Barkley, Drexler, Pippen..."
"Wait, wait, wait! The ’Anti-Gan Alliance’ you’re talking about—isn’t it just the American Olympic national team?"
West spread his hands and said, "You could ask Bobby; he knows best."
Gan Guoyang then found Belman after training and asked him if he was aware of an "Anti-Gan Alliance."
Belman nodded and said, "There is such a thing, but... but that’s for Olympic preparation."
"Bobby, you traitor. Did you share all the intel about me with everyone else?"
"Come on, Sonny. Nowadays, between teams and players, are there really any secrets left? The whole league has been studying you for ages. Are you scared?"
Belman had a point. Gan Guoyang said, "Training and studying together isn’t a big deal as long as they don’t gang up on the same team. It won’t make much of a stir."
"Sonny, are you really going to participate in the 1992 Olympics?"
"Of course. This summer, I’ve already contacted the Chinese National Team. I definitely want to participate."
Belman nodded and said, "Then I wish you good luck, Sonny."
The first Anti-Gan Alliance was already assembled during the summer of 1991.
The good news was, it wasn’t part of the NBA regular season.
The bad news was, they were terrifyingly strong.
