Chapter 980: Chapter 23 Higher and Farther Places
Before the start of Game 6 between the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns, Gan Guoyang called Stockton.
The two didn’t talk about the Western Conference Finals but rather discussed matters regarding the Olympics.
Stockton received two pieces of news, one being that the Olympic training camp would be held in La Jolla, Southern California.
The camp would take place after the finals, which was quite tight on time since they would subsequently be participating in the 1992 Americas Championship.
With the championship over, the Olympics would begin in July.
Gan Guoyang has been maintaining contact with the Chinese National Team over the past two years.
After the failure at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the Chinese Men’s Basketball Team underwent significant changes.
From the head coach to the core players, everyone was replaced, and Qian Chenghai stepped down from his coaching position.
Coach Sun Bang, who replaced Qian Chenghai, also withdrew due to health issues, and the young Jiang Xingquan became the head coach for the Chinese National Team for the 1992 Olympics.
Jiang Xingquan is a coach who adheres to the "strict, difficult, practical, and high intensity" training standards, and many older players find his methods tough to endure.
This gave the National Team the chance to eliminate a batch of aging players in decline and bring in young, fresh blood.
Among them were emerging young talents like Sun Fengwu, Hu Weidong, Sun Jun, Gong Xiaobin, Wu Qinglong, Shan Tao, Ma Jian, Adi Jiang, and Li Chunjiang.
This group of young Chinese players will become pivotal figures in the development of Chinese basketball over the next ten years, and even in decades to come.
Gan Guoyang is eager to bring these players to Portland for some training ahead of the Olympics.
Introduce them to the most advanced and scientific basketball training methods globally. With this year’s Americas Championship taking place in Portland, it’s also a good opportunity for Chinese players to experience Team USA’s intensity firsthand.
Young people are in the prime of their lives to accept new things. Early exposure to higher and better training levels and witnessing the world’s best basketball talents can plant a seed and set a benchmark in their hearts.
Of course, even if they don’t come to America for training, Gan Guoyang as a benchmark has long been ingrained in the hearts of Chinese basketball enthusiasts, and everyone eagerly anticipates Gan Guoyang’s arrival.
The second piece of news was that yesterday, the US Organizing Committee confirmed the final selection for the men’s basketball Olympic team: they chose Drexler.
Drexler’s inclusion meant that Isiah Thomas no longer had a chance.
Gan Guoyang was still quite pleased that Clyde could attend the Olympics, as it meant having another familiar face around.
When it came to the Olympics, Stockton was still a bit worried, and he asked Ah Gan, "I won’t get eliminated after the training camp, will I?"
"Don’t be so anxious, John. You will participate in the Olympics, and so will I."
Not long after the call, Stockton packed up and left Salt Lake City, heading to Phoenix for the crucial game that would decide if they could make it to the West Finals.
The Jazz have gone through many trials and fluctuations over the years, in a small town with no big-name free agents joining, making it hard to get even one All-America broadcast the whole season.
Since Jerry Sloan took over, the team always performed well in the regular season but would falter in the playoffs, getting upset by opponents and getting eliminated in the first round.
However, because it’s a small city, with less media scrutiny, the team isn’t in a rush. If they lose this year, there’s always next year, and if next year doesn’t work, there’s the year after.
Moreover, like the Trail Blazers, the Jazz are the only team in all of Utah, and no matter how they play, they will never lack support.
Larry Miller is a good owner, never rushing things, providing the players, coaches, and management with ample time and sufficient support.
In Sloan’s fourth season coaching the Jazz, the Flex-offense core he established for the Jazz, paired with an offensive system built around the UCLA framework, is running increasingly smoothly.
During the 1990-1991 season, the arrival of Jeff-Malone provided the Jazz with the unreasonable scoring power on the perimeter they’ve long lacked.
Inside, Mark-Eaton is severely declining, entering the late stages of his career, but he still manages to provide 2.5 blocks per game.
Backup center Mike Brown delivered the best performance of his career, not tall but extraordinarily strong, nimble, and one of the league’s best post defenders.
Stockton and Malone remain as steady as ever, and they are already the league’s most stable, seamless offensive duo.
Over on the Suns’ side, Charles Barkley certainly didn’t want to hand over the series win to the Jazz. He’s determined to make it to the West Finals to get his revenge on Ah Gan.
However, this season, the Suns were not in the same shape as last year. Sam Bowie struggled with injuries, playing inconsistently, and without his solid basket protection, the Suns’ interior defense issues were magnified.
Barkley himself encountered many troubles in life: ever since he became famous, the trouble never ceased.
He and his wife Maureen got embroiled in rumors of divorce due to participating in a TV interview.
Before the playoffs began, the media heavily reported that the couple had already separated, with Charles being kicked out of his home by his wife and living in a suite at the Phoenix Hotel.
The ’90s news media became increasingly focused on scandals involving celebrities, relentlessly tracking, digging, and even fabricating or slandering—all for ratings.
The bigger problem for the Suns was that there was no substantial improvement in their roster compared to last season, and head coach Fitzsimmons was gradually losing the trust of management and the support of the players.
