The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 76 - 16: Invincible

In the final 3 minutes, the game tied, the Ducks’ effort for most of the game went up in smoke.

But there was no choice, they couldn’t contain Gan Guoyang, and after Guoyang returned, Rasmussen didn’t score anymore.

His three strong attacks from the low post were all thwarted, and he simply couldn’t push through.

At that time, the offensive routines of centers were still too simplistic – strong moves in the low post, combined with some mid-range floaters and hooks, played too rigidly.

Plus, he was at a disadvantage in strength; he really couldn’t play in the low post. Sitting on the bench, Rasmussen couldn’t understand how this 6-foot-10 guy could be as hard as a lump of iron, unmovable once he got positioned under the basket.

In terms of physique, Gan Guoyang was quite suited for basketball; his legs were only slightly longer than his upper body, with a near 55:45 ratio of his upper and lower body, giving him an extremely stable body structure.

Without his shirt, one could see that he didn’t have the bodybuilder’s inverted triangle with a slender waist, but rather a long, broad, and thick core muscle group – the engine for his bodily strength.

Many years later, a German forward with a similar core muscle group would be spotted by the NBA and become a superstar, and he was only nearly as good as Ah Gan.

In 15 minutes, Gan Guoyang scored 15 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, added 4 blocks, and 3 assists to help the Bulldogs complete a grand comeback, 74:70, claiming victory with a 4-point lead at the Memorial Coliseum.

The next day, Gan Guoyang once again led the Bulldogs, in the same place, at the same time, to a 101:77 win over the Oregon State Beavers, claiming the Far West Classic championship for the first time in the team’s history.

The players should have been ecstatic, as any championship was precious for a small school and team like theirs.

Except for an ecstatic Dan FitzGerald, everyone else was quite calm since everyone’s goals were set on even further horizons.

Because Gan Guoyang didn’t play in the first game, and only played half of the second, the MVP award of the tournament went to John Stockton.

Stockton’s parents and girlfriend attended the award ceremony, and Stockton seemed somewhat shy upon receiving this honor.

Back at the hotel, he brought the trophy to Gan Guoyang’s room and said, "I think this trophy should be yours, you are the real MVP."

Gan Guoyang replied, "It’s okay, John, chances for personal awards won’t come by too often for you, better keep it. It’s not that important to me."

Gan Guoyang’s words might seem punch-worthy, but Stockton knew he was right.

Stockton wasn’t sure if he could make it to the NBA; if professional basketball didn’t work out, he planned to get a job at a company.

After all, he did look quite like a company executive in a suit, carrying a briefcase.

However, Gan Guoyang told Stockton that he would definitely make it to the NBA, perhaps even for a long time.

After winning the Far West Classic, the Bulldogs continued their regular season undefeated.

They crossed over from 1983 into 1984.

Starting this year, America began to gradually emerge from its economic mire, evident from the attendance of basketball games - nearly every game was sold out.

Various universities started having the funds to refurbish their sports facilities, and more and more new equipment entered the coliseums, enhancing fans’ viewing experience.

The NBA’s viewership began to warm up, as the detrimental effects of a terrible past era were slowly fading. The burgeoning forces represented by Magic Johnson and Larry Bird had already stepped onto the stage of rivalry in the 80s.

In February 1984, former NBA Commissioner Larry O’Brien officially retired, and his successor was the league’s former chief lawyer and chief operating officer, David Stern.

This short mustachioed Jewish man would open a new era in the NBA.

And Gan Guoyang was leading the Bulldogs into their own NCAA era.

Starting in January, they faced a series of health issues.

McPhie had still not fully recovered from his fracture, and another scorer, Jason Van Nort, had a sprained ligament in his leg.

The team was so short on players for practice that they had to pick a short player named Gino Cherkia from the basketball enthusiasts at the school to fill in, so at least they could play 5v5 scrimmages during training.

Under such difficult conditions, Gan Guoyang led the team to an undefeated streak, all the way to the start of the regular season within the West Coast Conference.

In a grueling sequence of five consecutive away games, everyone was prepared for at least two losses, but they remained unbeaten. In the last game, they narrowly defeated Saint Mary’s College of California by a margin of one point.

Gan Guoyang hit the deadly game-winning shot in California’s McKean Gymnasium; by then, they were 14-0 overall and 2-0 within the West Coast Conference.

By this time, the entire Northwest region, including Oregon, Washington State, and The State of Idaho, was closely following this amazing team and the phenomenal "Bionic Man" from the East.

The Oregonian shifted from featuring a weekly report to reporting after every game, and by the time the conference games started, they were publishing daily.

Whether there was a game or not, reporters from The Oregonian found ways to sneak into Gonzaga University, looking to uncover some information about the Bulldogs Team for their stories.

The reason was simple: the newspapers had noticed that sales soared whenever they featured stories about the Gonzaga Bulldogs – and the increase was more than negligible.

Meanwhile, both the Seattle Times and the Seattle Post from Washington State vied to report on Gan Guoyang and the Bulldog Team to compete for circulation numbers.

After the Bulldogs secured a 13-0 record, the Seattle Times launched a special section, with each issue’s college sports section featuring a headline about the Bulldog’s record, starting from 13-0 to 14-0, 15-0, 16-0, engaging readers to follow when the Bulldogs would lose a game.

As the number of 0’s increased, so did the readership of the Seattle Times among basketball fans, many of whom were anticipating the Bulldogs’ regular-season unbeaten miracle.

On February 24, 1984, the Bulldogs defeated Loyola Marymount University at Los Angeles Gersten Pavilion with a score of 80:73, achieving a regular-season record of 20 wins and no losses!

It was after this game that the Bulldogs officially entered the national spotlight. The New York Times and Sports Illustrated began to introduce this undefeated team.

Gan Guoyang’s photo became the cover figure for the February 1984 issue of Sports Illustrated.

However, basketball fans who bought this issue of the magazine might be disappointed because, although there was a cover figure, there was no cover story: Gan Guoyang had declined an interview with Sports Illustrated reporters because he wanted to focus all his energy on the games.

During the final four games of the regular season, John Stockton battled a bronchial infection. He played in the last four games while sick, but his condition only allowed him to play well for half of each game.

With an iron will and body, Gan Guoyang carried the team through the last four games of the West Coast Conference regular season, achieving a dazzling record of 24 wins and no losses, 12-0 within the conference, clinching the regular season’s top spot without any suspense.

In the national AP-Poll conducted with coaches and media votes, the Bulldog ranked second in the West Region only to Georgetown, becoming the number 2 seed in the West. This meant they had successfully qualified for the 1984 NCAA tournament and had the privilege of a first-round bye.

The last team to maintain an unbeaten record before the national tournament was the 1979 Indiana State Fig Team led by Larry Bird.

The final game of the Bulldogs’ regular season happened to be played at the University of Portland.

They won a tough match against the not-so-strong Portland Pilots team. For this game, Stockton and several other injured players did not participate, and it was Gan Guoyang who single-handedly carried the team to the last victory of their undefeated season.

After the win, a subtle and warm celebration took place in the locker room, where Fitz opened a bottle of champagne, but no one drank it, since alcohol was prohibited at Catholic schools.

Eventually, everyone hoisted Gan Guoyang on their shoulders and carried him from the locker room all the way to the team bus.

Because he had given so much along the way, playing in so many games, covering so many bases, and saving everyone so many times.

On the bus, Gan Guoyang shouted, "Only five more games! Only five more games! Our goal is the championship, the championship!"

As the bus was about to leave, Gan Guoyang saw Wang Fuxi running towards them, wearing a pink hat.

He hurriedly asked Coach Delong to stop the bus and, after getting off, Wang Fuxi said to him, "You have to do your best. I’ll be waiting for you in Seattle."

This year’s NCAA Final Four will take place in Seattle, the ultimate destination for college teams this year.

"It’s a promise," replied Gan Guoyang.

"It’s a promise."