The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 1649 - 12: Madman
"I believe in America; America has granted me the honor and status I have today."
"I, Sunny Gan, a citizen from China, came to America in 1981. My life has revolved entirely around basketball. I am grateful for the excellent basketball education environment America has provided. My motherland has gifted me flesh, soul, and character, while America has given me survival skills and a stage to showcase myself."
"In the nearly 20 years I’ve been in America, I’ve met many people who have greatly helped me, like Mr. Kap Raven in San Francisco, Mr. Nate-Sermonde, and my high school and university coach Mr. Beelman, the coaching team of Gonzaga University’s basketball team, the manager of the Trail Blazers, Yin Man, Coach Bob Knight, and many others, too numerous to count. The number of accomplishments a person has is proportional to the amount of help they receive, and most of these helpers are Americans."
"Therefore, my father always taught me never to forget my roots, but also to respect the environment you’re in and the country that gives you everything, to be grateful and repay those who have helped you. This is the Chinese philosophy of life, this is my creed, and it’s also the creed of many Chinese people."
"Likewise, over these 20 years, there have been continuous slanders and harms against me, but I haven’t given them much thought. Such things exist in any society, and compared to the help I’ve received, they are just a small fraction. The higher you stand, the more people will attack you. But this time, Congress, in an investigative report, not only attacked my country in a big way but also slandered my character with serious accusations, which is the greatest insult and harm to me, exceeding all previous attacks combined."
"The report doesn’t name names, but anyone with eyes knows it’s me. Who else could they be referring to? I won’t turn a blind eye or hide like a coward. Here, I declare that I absolutely haven’t done anything to harm America, nor have I leaked information and secrets. I’m just a basketball player, and my job is to provide dreams and joy to those who love basketball. I have no need to do anything beyond my duties, and I don’t have the capability either."
"Thank you, please feel free to ask questions."
On May 27, 1999, the day after the release of the "Coster Report," Sunny Gan immediately held a press conference in Portland.
Before related public opinion and topics could ferment, Sunny Gan took the initiative at the press conference to deny the "slander" in the report, clarifying for himself.
In the subsequent Q&A with reporters, Sunny Gan provided detailed responses to a series of questions, denying various speculations and conjectures.
Sunny Gan, well-prepared, even counterattacked, pointing out: "The report states that a sports star leaked information about a relevant military operation. Does that mean the US Army’s bombing of the embassy on May 7 was planned and premeditated? Rather than the president’s explanation, that it was purely an accident, an unexpected misunderstanding? May I ask, Congress, the honorable members, and the president, how do you explain this contradiction?" 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
The "Cox Report" was released at this time with the goal of finding a reasonable explanation for the "accidental bombing" on May 7, shifting American public attention, and casting the country across the Pacific Ocean as the "evil empire," a successor to the Red Soviet Union.
After the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991 and the Cold War ended, nearly ten years later, they realized they needed a common external enemy.
Otherwise, how could they justify the massive defense budget? What about the jobs of numerous intelligence officers? Who would the military-industrial complex aim its guns at, a system formed during the Cold War?
The livelihood of millions of workers depended on it, and the inertia of the Cold War forced Americans to find an adversary to sustain the momentum of this gigantic aircraft carrier.
Sunny Gan, as the most prominent Chinese individual on this land, seemed like a good breakthrough point.
But for some reason, the so-called meticulously collected evidence in the "Cox Report" actually had many flaws.
Apart from the "anonymous attack" on Sunny Gan, many allegations had insufficient evidence, were self-contradictory, or overly exaggerated.
Of course, this 700-plus-page report had just been released and had yet to be deeply scrutinized.
Congress was eager to use Ah Gan, this almost godlike figure, as a sacrifice at the peak of the finals to ignite a flame of public opinion.
Unexpectedly, Ah Gan not only didn’t shy away but actively launched a counterattack, clarifying himself while attacking the report’s flaws.
The press conference triggered a massive media storm across America.
Discussions about US-China relations, Ah Gan’s identity mystery, and the Kosovo War were all swept into a whirlwind.
This maelstrom was visibly growing larger and messier.
Shortly after the press conference ended, the opposite side of the Pacific immediately issued a statement.
The statement had two main points:
First, the content of the "Cox Report" is sheer nonsense!
Second, the nation supports Comrade Sunny Gan’s basketball activities in the US, praising him as a peace ambassador promoting friendship between the two countries.
In response, America did not immediately reply but chose to remain silent.
However, the investigation was in full swing, and it was evident that things would not end simply.
On May 28, Game Six of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals was held in New York, with the Pacers visiting Madison Square Garden.
The rabid New York fans almost engulfed the scene, both sides engaging in a life-and-death battle.
