The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 1451 - 50: Quadruple Crown
After defeating the Celtics, the Trail Blazers entered the final stretch of the regular season.
The Trail Blazers, who had a challenging schedule at the start, faced a relatively easy schedule during their sprint.
Their last three games were all at home, and Bird chose to rest the main players, giving everyone an opportunity to rest and adjust.
Of course, Gan Guoyang did not rest; even at the age of 32, he adhered to the principle of not resting when physically fit.
This was not unique to Gan Guoyang; veteran players like Jordan, Ewing, and Olajuwon had the same work ethic: when it’s time to work, they work.
Like Jordan, after missing many games in the 1986 season due to injury, he missed fewer than ten regular-season games in the following years.
He maintained full attendance for seven seasons, and even during the knee infection-riddled 1994-1995 season, Jordan missed only five regular-season games.
This aggravated his knee infection, affecting his performance in the 1995 playoffs and costing him the chance to win a third consecutive championship.
However, after an off-season of intense training and adjustments in 1995, Jordan did not reduce his playing time in the 1996 and 1997 seasons or sit out unimportant games; he participated in every game as usual.
In those two seasons, Jordan played all 82 games without missing a single one.
Like Jordan, Gan Guoyang understood that many fans came to watch them play; they couldn’t miss games for no reason and let the fans down.
Especially with the last three games in Portland, at the Rose Garden, Gan Guoyang would certainly not miss them.
The NBA’s season can seem long, but it’s actually short, as only a few fans get to watch games live.
In the Rose Garden, with its 41 home games a season and over 20,000 seats, most are covered by season tickets, bundled tickets, and many complimentary ones; there are very few single tickets available for tourists.
The drawing power of players like Gan Guoyang and Jordan is undoubtedly strong; many people watch the NBA to see star performances, and if suddenly you say you won’t play, the ticket loses half its value.
Gan Guoyang also had the "duty" of welcoming Chinese fans who traveled long distances, especially since tickets at the Rose Garden Arena were hard to come by after his return, so he couldn’t miss the games.
On the court, Gan Guoyang didn’t disappoint the fans who traveled far to watch him play. He didn’t slack off or exit early but instead gave his all throughout the game.
Fans in Portland and across America were eagerly anticipating Gan Guoyang’s performance for the season because he seemed certain to become the second player after Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for a season.
Moreover, Gan Guoyang was very likely to become the first player in NBA history to win scoring, rebounding, assisting, and blocking titles all in the same season as a "Four Crowns" player.
Among these, his scoring, assists, and blocks titles were already secured, and even if he scored 0 in the last game, he’d still be first in the averages rankings.
The only title left to fight for was the rebounding title. Dennis Rodman had taken the rebounding crown from Gan Guoyang in the 1994 season, ending his ten consecutive rebounding titles.
This season, Rodman averaged 16.1 rebounds per game, still exceptional, while Gan Guoyang’s average rebounds were the same ahead of the last game.
So, for the Trail Blazers’ final game against the tanking San Antonio Spurs, Bird told the team, "Help Ah Gan claim the rebounding title; it will be a remarkable achievement."
Although Bird wasn’t a player particularly concerned with stats—he had a chance to break the Celtics’ scoring record but didn’t want to play more to achieve it.
But facing a season with such unprecedented triple-double and "Four Crowns" stats, Bird wanted to help Gan Guoyang add another significant Chapter to NBA history.
Ultimately, against the resolutely defeated Spurs, Gan Guoyang dominated the game with 25 points, 36 rebounds, 11 assists, and 4 blocks, leading the team to victory in the final regular-season game.
Throughout the game, teammates were giving Gan Guoyang "rebounds"; Bird even increased Kobe’s playing time, letting him shoot freely, giving Ah Gan more chances to grab rebounds.
Gan Guoyang lived up to expectations, grabbing 36 rebounds—a staggering number—rendering Rodman’s 21 rebounds in his last game pointless, thus once again beating Rodman for the rebounding crown.
Gan Guoyang’s stats were finalized, with a season average of 31.5 points, 16.3 rebounds, 10.8 assists, 4.4 blocks, and 1.5 steals, becoming an unprecedented and possibly never-to-be-repeated "Four Crowns" player and the second player after Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for a season.
As the game concluded, the screens displayed Gan Guoyang’s stats; all fans rose to clap and cheer, for it was a monumental achievement.
Many fans held signs that read: "To the greatest player, the incredible Gan, the ’Four Crowns’ athlete."
The fans’ enthusiasm moved Gan Guoyang; he waved to many fans, signing autographs for young fans and those who came from afar from China.
On the sidelines, Gan Guoyang accepted interviews with reporters. When discussing his stats performance, Gan Guoyang didn’t say much, only that "It’s a good performance, proving I wasn’t eliminated when returning to the league, and I can be the best player in this league. However, I’m hoping more that the Trail Blazers can be the best team. This season, we’ve done very well with many rookies, a new coach, and a new training and logistics team. I look forward to our performance in the playoffs."
