The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 291 - 31 Provocation

AC Green’s most desired team to play for was the Portland Trail Blazers; he was raised in Oregon and had been a diehard Trail Blazers fan since his childhood.

He was won over by the temperament and style of the Blazers, which suited him to a tee.

But the NBA draft was like being reborn, often thwarting people’s wishes and exposing many players to the capricious nature of fate.

AC Green, the kind of man determined to stay chaste until marriage, was ironically sent to the den of iniquity that is Los Angeles. Surrounded by playboys, he watched them dazzle among the women, all while he was committed to preserving his virginity. It was a great irony indeed.

Lakers players, of course, didn’t believe Green’s claims, thinking he was just naïve and stubborn because he had never tasted the sweetness of a woman’s love. They believed that once he experienced it, he would certainly ’know what’s delicious’ and would revel in the filth with everyone else.

Magic Johnson bet three hundred US dollars, asserting that Green would definitely have sex with a woman within two months.

"I don’t care about those three hundred dollars at all, Magic is too arrogant. He thinks everyone should be like him," Green was able to vent his frustration to Gan Guoyang.

In the Lakers, Magic Johnson was the true king. No one dared to defy him, everyone catered to him, especially after last year’s victory over the Celtics when Johnson and Jabbar’s reputation reached its peak in Los Angeles.

His word was law within the Lakers. Buss’s affection for him seemed boundless, even calling him Jerry Buss’s own son wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Gan Guoyang could feel it too, like the time earlier when he came to Los Angeles, Johnson would entertain him enthusiastically.

But ever since the Lakers began to feel threatened by Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers, Johnson rarely bothered with him anymore.

The Great Western Forum even banned Gan Guoyang from warming up in the gym during the day, not allowing him to train in the morning.

Gan Guoyang wasn’t interested in women, ultimately making him and Magic not really cut from the same cloth; according to AC Green, Johnson’s appetites for women were growing ever larger.

He was no longer satisfied with the women who sought him out after games, finding them uninteresting and boring.

Now, he preferred to actively pursue beautiful women in daily life, hailing from all walks of life.

There were lawyers, secretaries, teachers, accountants, and even entrepreneurs—many highly educated and not just beautiful but vapid trophies.

Johnson would date them properly, conquering these women with his smile, humor, fame, and money, just as he conquered the NBA.

Among these women were Black, White, Hispanic, and Asian, and inevitably, they would all end up in bed with Johnson, taking pleasure in each other’s company. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Of course, Green said, according to his observations, Magic Johnson never dated teenage girls; he would seriously research their backgrounds, and high school students were out of the question.

In this respect, Johnson demonstrated a certain classiness, a higher standard than some people in Salt Lake City.

Gan Guoyang listened to AC Green’s rare complaints, knowing that Green wasn’t one to grumble. Committed to Christian moral values, he was patient, steadfast, and diligent.

Yet sending him to play for the Los Angeles Lakers was quite the cruel joke.

Gan Guoyang told Green, "Actually, this is God’s test for you. When you pledged before everyone to remain a virgin until marriage, God decided to send you to Sodom, to the place that would most test a man’s willpower, to see if you could keep your word. You have to trust in the quality of your will and in God’s plan."

Green firmly agreed, convinced Ah Gan was absolutely right—it was indeed a test from God. He stopped complaining and started talking about basketball with Gan Guoyang instead.

The Lakers went through quite a few changes this summer. After winning the championship, Jerry West ’mercilessly’ let go of former champions Bob McAdoo and Jamaal Wilkes.

The Lakers players were as displeased as the Celtics had been when they traded away Maxwell. McAdoo was popular on the team, and Wilkes was a true veteran crucial to the front line.

As replacements, AC Green and Morris Lucas joined the Lakers. Green, known for his virginity, was mocked by everyone, while "The Enforcer" Lucas wasn’t respected or liked by the younger players.

Ironically, both held a deep connection to Portland—one was a Portland championship hero, and the other was a Portlander, and a staunch Trail Blazers fan.

"Everyone dislikes me and Lucas, just as they dislike the Trail Blazers, and just as they dislike you," Green said.

"Dislike me? Are they out of their minds? I’m quite popular," Gan Guoyang joked.

"It’s different. Pat Riley always creates an atmosphere of... what’s the word, hatred? Or panic? In any case, it’s nothing good. You caused them a lot of trouble last season..."

"We did, not those youngsters, don’t forget you’re a Laker now."

Gan Guoyang reminded Green not to forget his Lakers identity, but he didn’t mind extracting more Lakers inside information from Green.

Such as how Jabbar’s condition is now, how the Lakers plan their attacking and defensive fronts, and whether Magic Johnson’s indulgence in women affected his competitive level, and so on.

Green tried to talk about things that didn’t touch on the core issues, saying that overall, the Lakers were still very strong, but the team atmosphere was somewhat relaxed.

Actually, it was quite normal. Last season, in their quest for revenge, the Lakers remained tense throughout the whole season and finally got their wish in the end. It was inevitable they would relax a bit.

At the end of the meal, Vanessa Green, Green’s sister, stared at Gan Guoyang with her big, rolling eyes. She was a very pretty black girl.

When Lakers players saw her with Green, they thought Green was about to break his celibacy, only to find out she was Green’s own sister.

Seeing his sister looking like she was in the throes of spring and wanted to go back to the hotel with Guoyang, Green grabbed her, "Come on, Ah Gan has a girlfriend now; go back with me!"

Vanessa looked at her brother with a pained expression, while Guoyang made no attempt to persuade her to stay or to give her his contact details and simply waved goodbye to them both.

On the evening of the 15th, the Trail Blazers faced off against the Lakers at the familiar Great Western Forum, a contest between the top teams in the Western Conference. CBS thoughtfully arranged for a nationwide broadcast that evening.

They also dispatched the duo of Rick Barry and Bill Russell to the Great Western Forum to conduct interviews and reports, giving them the kind of treatment reserved for the finals.

Just as AC Green had said, with Guoyang’s arrival in Los Angeles, the entire city felt like it was under siege, just like during the playoffs.

The hotel staff were indifferent, the Great Western Forum wasn’t open to him, and even the cheerleaders weren’t as enthusiastic towards Guoyang as before.

Riley got along well with Guoyang during the All-Star game, but ever since last year’s playoffs began, he had been consistently cold towards Guoyang.

He even instructed Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and others to maintain a chilly demeanor towards Guoyang, hoping to exert immense pressure on this potential young rival.

Riley was clear in his mind that for a young man, the hot-and-cold attitude could agitate and distract—much like in a romantic relationship—it was the most effective way to keep the other party hooked.

What Riley didn’t realize was that Gan Guoyang was a master at mental games. To him, Riley’s tricks were trivial, leftovers from the games he himself had tired of playing.

During the pre-game warm-up, Rick Barry interviewed Gan Guoyang. The two had become acquainted at Nate-Sermonde’s Christmas party.

"It’s great to see you again, Ah Gan. How about an interview, say a few words?"

"Sure, will it be on TV?"

"Of course, tonight is a national broadcast, and your interview will be shown during the game."

"Alright, go ahead, but give me some time to think. Also, make sure to air the footage; otherwise, it would have been a waste of words."

"Don’t worry, how could your interview not be aired. Do you have any... special message you want to deliver?"

"No, nothing out of the ordinary."

The two communicated before the interview, and when the cameras started rolling, Gan Guoyang stood next to Rick Barry facing the dark lens of the camera.

Talking about his feelings for tonight’s matchup against the Lakers, Guoyang said, "The Lakers are an incredible team; they’re the defending champions. We lost to them in the playoffs, they’re very powerful, immensely talented, and they were the toughest opponent I faced in my rookie season. I am most impressed by Coach Pat Riley. I believe he was key to my containment. His ideas, his image, his experience are all very representative. He’s definitely a legend."

"Besides Coach Riley?"

"Besides Riley? Not much else comes to mind... Jabbar is someone I respect and learn from, he’s quite remarkable."

"Anything else?"

"Also, the Great Western Forum, I like this place. I always manage to win here; it’s my lucky ground."

"Anything more?"

"Jack Nicholson is a good actor, but as a fan, he’s too noisy. I wish he’d be a bit quieter."

Knowing he wouldn’t get more out of him, Barry turned off the microphone and looked at Guoyang, "Not a word about Magic and Worthy? Those two really took it to you guys in the playoffs."

Guoyang said, "Not this year. Besides, Magic doesn’t invite me out to eat anymore, so why would I mention him?"

"So, Riley did invite you for a meal?"

Guoyang didn’t reply, just flashed an evil grin, and Barry thought that if this kid was sent to the United Nations, he could probably start the Third World War.