The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 400 - 19 Issues Exist

Gan Guoyang’s new acetate gas-permeable mask was modified from a hockey mask.

Though the Trail Blazers could have provided a better, more exquisite mask, Gan Guoyang thought this mask was cool and decided to wear it during games.

The mask’s design, similar to the killer Jason’s in the movie "Friday the 13th," led to the following results in subsequent games:

First, the Trail Blazers’ second game was in Salt Lake City, where Gan Guoyang and the newlywed Stocktons enjoyed a cozy dinner, along with Karl Malone.

As a result, during the game the next day, Karl Malone was intimidated by Gan Guoyang’s killer mask, which led to a stark difference from scoring 27 points in the first game. That night, he was limited by Gan Guoyang to only two out of fifteen shots, scoring just 8 points and grabbing 7 rebounds.

The Utah Jazz suffered a crushing defeat at home to the Portland Trail Blazers. After the game, Coach Layden complained at the press conference that Ah Gan’s new look was too terrifying, causing the players to be too fearful when defending and confronting him, unable to play normally.

"When I’m standing on the sidelines directing the game, my first reaction to seeing Ah Gan is to call the police, not to focus on the game. How are we supposed to play like that?"

Layden’s comments caused a burst of laughter at the press conference; the ever-jovial coach has always been the media’s darling, always appearing in the role of the clown.

However, despite the laughter from the journalists, Layden showed no smile in the locker room afterward; he merely used humor to cover his disappointment.

Especially his disappointment with Karl Malone’s performance that night, as he yet again struggled against Ah Gan, and this time thoroughly.

Layden asked Malone, "Are you really afraid of the mask?"

Malone replied somewhat helplessly, "There’s... some reason to that, I guess."

Layden shook his head, saying, "You need to strengthen your mind as much as you strengthen your body."

Over one summer, Karl Malone bulked up considerably.

He ran more stably on the court, no longer stumbling and falling all over the place.

His free throw shooting became more consistent, and for his sake, Layden traded away Dantley.

The entire Jazz team held high hopes for Malone.

However, in the Western Conference, a demonic figure in the paint left other young power forwards and centers feeling suffocated.

Stockton’s performance that night was quite good, as he never feared Gan Guoyang.

But Malone had to find a way to deal with Ah Gan, though he still had plenty of time.

Second, during the third game when the Trail Blazers visited Oakland to face the Warriors, Gan Guoyang’s mask terrified a young fan sitting courtside to tears.

It’s undeniable that Gan Guoyang’s popularity in San Francisco is strong. When the Trail Blazers play at Oakland Arena, it feels just like their home court.

Every time, a large number of Chinese fans of all ages gather, especially the kids.

Many have been following Gan Guoyang since his high school days at Beiqiao High School, and could be considered old fans.

Avia’s California regional flagship store was set up in San Francisco because of the large Asian population there, which made his sneakers sell well.

During halftime, when Gan Guoyang dove to save a ball from going out of bounds, he ended up in the spectator seats.

When he got up, a young Chinese fan wearing a No. 11 jersey stared at Gan Guoyang with a look of terror.

Gan Guoyang, thinking his dive had scared her, approached and gently touched her cheek to comfort her.

Unexpectedly, the little girl burst into tears, and it was then that Gan Guoyang realized his mask was too frightening.

He quickly took off the mask and consoled the little girl, who finally stopped crying after a while.

The fans in the arena cheered and clapped, but during a post-game interview, Gan Guoyang stated, "I’ll have to consider changing the mask."

Third, following a game against the Phoenix Suns, a local Phoenix newspaper conducted a ranking of "the ugliest masks in NBA history."

Curtis Perry’s 1976 mask made the list, and Gan Guoyang’s similar mask couldn’t escape the same fate.

Since he had been playing away, Gan Guoyang couldn’t change his mask, as he couldn’t find one that fit properly elsewhere.

But when it comes to being the ugliest and most terrifying, Gan Guoyang was outranked by Tomjanovich, who had his brain pulped by Washington, and by Oscar Robertson, who once suffered a facial injury.

Gan Guoyang was quite dissatisfied with the ranking, and given that he also made the little girl cry, the image-conscious player decided immediately upon returning to Portland to replace his mask with a new one.

A local medical equipment company custom-made a clear face shield for Gan Guoyang. He would wear it for two more games, and once his eyebrow bone healed, he wouldn’t have to be a masked man anymore.

While some found it ugly, others thought it was cool and loved it. The Oregonian’s reporter Steve Kelly revealed in a local survey report that in Oregon, a region fond of rock music, Gan Guoyang’s mysterious and death-tinged mask was very popular. Several rock band vocalists began to wear similar masks in emulation, but none could match the effect Gan Guoyang had.

After all, the imposing presence brought by a 6-foot-10 frame, a well-built body, and solid muscles added significantly to the impact of the mask.

Avia seized the opportunity to launch a "Jason Mask Edition" of Skyscraper.

Like the Denver Rainbow Version Gan Guoyang wore when he scored 60 points in the playoffs, this sneaker didn’t make a splash.

After all, who would buy a pair of basketball shoes with a serial killer theme to play basketball?

In any case, a simple mask became a hot topic in the first week of the new NBA season.

The reason for the topic’s popularity was partly due to Guoyang’s immense popularity, and partly due to changes in the NBA’s media strategy.

Since the 1986-1987 season, David Stern had introduced new media rules, requiring teams to have special media days, with coaches and players mandated to participate.

After each game, players and coaches were required to attend press conferences, accepting questions and interviews from media reporters.

This was quite different from earlier days when reporters and fans could wander outside the locker rooms, chatting with whomever the players wished, or simply leaving if they didn’t feel like talking.

Stern was using a set of rules to make the NBA more professional, more constrained, while also more influential and profitable.

In February of that year, David Stern, with an iron hand, ruled that Nets star Michael Ray Richardson was banned for life due to three positive tests for cocaine.

Prior lifetime NBA bans were due to involvement in gambling, such as the case in 1951 with the Rochester Royals’ Beard and Groza, which ultimately led to the disbandment of the championship team.

Then there was the notorious kingpin of gambling, Molinas, whom both professional and college basketball in America had regarded as a major cancer; he was assassinated by the Mafia in 1975.

Gambling is a red line for all professional athletes across various sports, and it has afflicted American professional baseball with its poisons; everyone considers gambling to be a major menace.

Michael Ray Richardson was the first to be banned for drug violations, and he was very dissatisfied because there were so many drug users across the league; why make an example out of him?

In the mid-1980s, the Black civil rights movement was gaining momentum, and racial discrimination was becoming a red line in American society. Richardson believed his lifetime ban was due to being black; why wasn’t Chris Mullin banned for alcohol abuse, because he was white?

The Players Union even protested, with old adversary Larry Fleisher putting pressure on Stern.

Stern withstood pressure from all sides, made the tough decision as a statement of his determination to eradicate drugs.

When Len Bias died from cocaine use after the 1986 draft, opposition to the league’s stance diminished significantly.

Stern’s tough image was gradually established, so when he implemented mandatory media days, there was no dissent from the teams.

Although this sacrificed some of the freedom of the players and coaches, forcing them into the limelight of media and fans.

But in the long run, it undeniably benefited the NBA’s exposure, allowing more and more people to understand this basketball game in transition.

As one of the league’s leading figures, Gan Guoyang naturally became the focus of various topics; a mask, a pair of shoes, an action, a phrase – everything was reported by the media and discussed by fans and the public.

Of course, as the defending champions, what people were most concerned about was the performance of the Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang. Could they defend their title in the new season—that’s the only sign of success for a champion; even a 3:4 loss in the finals would be considered a failure.

In the first week of play, Guoyang, wearing the mask, led the Trail Blazers to a 3-1 record, with the only loss coming against the Golden State Warriors.

In the three wins, they narrowly defeated the Supersonics, had a big win over the Jazz, and similarly eked out a win against the Suns.

Guoyang’s performance remained stable, but he didn’t win Player of the Week for the first week.

That title was taken by Michael Jordan, who had a perfect performance in the first week after missing a season.

In the opening game against the New York Knicks, he scored an astonishing 50 points, making headlines alongside Gan Guoyang’s rocket header.

Patrick Ewing, also back from injury, only managed 13 points and 5 rebounds, completely overshadowed by Jordan.

Then in the second game, Jordan scored 41 points, followed by 34, 33, and 39 points, leading his team to a 4-1 record with an average of 39.4 points per game—he was on fire.

Jordan’s performance silenced many skeptics, proving that last year’s injury had no impact on him, and that he was even stronger than before, unmatchably powerful.

By comparison, Gan Guoyang’s performance was no less remarkable, with an average of 29.5 points and 15.7 rebounds for the first week, MVP-level stats, yet the standards for Gan Guoyang had been raised.

Against familiar opponents, the Supersonics and Suns, the Trail Blazers clearly lacked the dominant drive they had the previous season, and they also lost to the Warriors, while the Bulls lost to the Pistons.

By the second week, Guoyang had removed the mask, and the Trail Blazers, back in Portland, consecutively defeated the visiting Clippers and Spurs, but both opponents were weak.

The Clippers could be said to be the unluckiest team this year, originally trading from Boston for the first-round pick that turned out to be the second overall, selecting the highly talented Bias, only for him to pass away before giving the Clippers a chance to squander his talent.

With Jamaal Wilkes retired, the Clippers were doomed to hit rock bottom this year, aiming for a better draft position next year.

The Spurs were also on a rebuilding path, with 37-year-old Train Gilmore well past his prime, hardly able to light a fire anymore.

These two victories somewhat concealed the current issues of the Trail Blazers: lack of depth in the frontcourt and weak backcourt offense.

By November 14, the Trail Blazers, at home, suffered a crushing loss to the visiting Philadelphia 76ers, and the whole team recognized that there were indeed significant problems—big ones.