The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 1681 - 213: Flames of Victory (Part 2)

She couldn’t understand why an American NBA superstar, nearly 36 years old, would be so engrossed in watching domestic summer Qiong Yao dramas.

"Sonny, the rain is getting heavier. What about tomorrow’s parade..." Wang Fuxi asked with some concern.

"Haha... huh? The parade? Don’t worry, once the rain stops, the sky will clear up, right?"

"But will the rain stop by tomorrow?"

"It will, of course, it will."

"Why are you always so confident?"

"Because... because I believe in science."

"What nonsense are you talking about again?"

"The meteorological department must be more anxious than you are, and they’ll definitely find a way to solve the problem. Get some rest early today; tomorrow is going to be unforgettable."

Just as Gan Guoyang predicted, the rain stopped before sunrise on October 1, 1999. Although the day wasn’t sunny and bright, it was cool and cloudy, which was actually more suitable for large outdoor events.

The parade ceremony began on time at 10 a.m. Gan Guoyang and his wife were seated early on one of the viewing stands at the sides of the square. Gan Guoyang’s height and status once again made him the focus of attention.

However, soon everyone’s eyes were on the troops being reviewed. This was the most spectacular, magnificent, and imposing parade in the world. The formations marched with the most precise steps past the city tower, and the live television signal broadcast the images nationwide and across the globe.

During the weapon inspection segment, Truth of the Nation passed through the square. Whether intentional by the TV station or not, they specifically cut to a close-up of Gan Guoyang sitting on the viewing stand.

With his standout stature and familiar resolute face, Gan Guoyang appeared on TV once again.

He stood among the crowd, gazing into the distance with deep eyes, with the red wall, blue sky, and people as the backdrop.

This shot was frozen, becoming a representative image of this grand parade, and quickly made it to the cover of Time magazine.

As the 20th century was about to end, Gan Guoyang was set to join Bruce Lee and the leader, becoming only three Chinese people selected in Time magazine’s list of "100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century."

The parade concluded smoothly, becoming one of the notable memories for Chinese people at the end of the 20th century. This parade was also made into a documentary that was widely broadcast.

Gan Guoyang stayed in China for three days, receiving grand hospitality and meetings. However, it was said that during the process, only basketball was discussed, and everything else was tactfully left unmentioned.

Gan Guoyang clearly expressed that if possible, he would represent the Chinese Men’s Basketball Team in the 2000 Olympics and promised to help the Olympic Committee apply for the 2008 Olympics.

In the 1992 Olympic bid competition, China lost to Sydney, Australia by one vote. Although Gan Guoyang had great influence, he couldn’t change that outcome.

However, for us, this wasn’t a bad thing. By 2008, the country would be more prepared and stronger to organize a grand Olympic event.

Gan Guoyang thought to himself, wondering if by then, he would still be able to play? Participating in the Olympics at home is every athlete’s dream.

Once, Gan Guoyang didn’t care about this, but when truly standing on the court, watching the national flag rising, or walking past a huge stadium entrance, that intense urge would surge forth.

Gan Guoyang flew back to America on October 4, but his first stop wasn’t Portland; it was San Francisco.

Upon getting off the plane, Gan Guoyang was intercepted by FBI agents, subjected to a thorough search and questioning.

Because of this, Gan Guoyang was detained at the airport for half a day, once again causing a media stir.

It was evident that even though Gan Guoyang succeeded at the hearing, he hadn’t escaped the state of being monitored and scrutinized.

After visiting family in San Francisco, Gan Guoyang hurried back to Portland, as the preseason training camp was about to begin.

For Gan Guoyang, this was the most chaotic and worst summer of his career, filled with all sorts of messy things.

He had no time to savor the aftertaste of winning his ninth championship, nor the time and space to move and create a training plan for the next season.

This was the first time in Gan Guoyang’s career that he didn’t have time to attend the September team rookie training camp, leaving him completely unaware of the specific internal situations of the team.

The sense of being out of control was further intensifying.

Unlike Charles Barkley, who clearly stated the next season would be his last, Gan Guoyang didn’t know if the 1999-2000 season would be his last. He was about to enter the new millennium with a turbulent and uncertain mindset.

He was finally about to experience Michael Jordan’s troubles in the 1998 season, and those troubles would be deeper and greater.

After only a few days in Portland, just as Gan Guoyang began to formulate his plans for the next season and discuss weight issues with his trainer, news arrived from Los Angeles on October 12 that the legendary star Wilt Chamberlain had passed away at home due to heart failure.

Upon receiving the news, Gan Guoyang had to put everything aside and head to Los Angeles to attend Chamberlain’s funeral.

At the funeral, Chamberlain’s former teammates and friends came, with legendary giants like Bill Russell, Nate-Sermonde, and others appearing in attendance.

Chamberlain led a flamboyant life, claiming to have been with 20,000 women, yet he was never married and left no legally recognized descendants.

As for whether there were any illegitimate children left behind, no one could say for certain. In any case, until Chamberlain’s death, no one had come forward to claim they were Chamberlain’s child to inherit his estate.