The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 385 - 5 Beliefs

Joe brought Kobe with him from Leti to Trieste, and at the Patatrieste Arena, he witnessed the earth-shattering duel between Ah Gan and Michael Jordan.

Both players shattered the backboard on the same side of the court twice, with Jordan breaking it in the first half and Ah Gan in the second half, causing the game to be interrupted and unable to continue.

After both players returned to the locker room, Joe found Larry Flesher, who was at the sidelines watching the game. When Joe first came to Italy to play basketball, it was through Flesher’s connection.

This chairman of the Player’s Union was generous and enthusiastic, with connections like none other. When Joe expressed his wish to have his son meet Ah Gan and Jordan, Flesher readily agreed and took them to the backstage locker room.

Kobe’s recollection:

"The game was very crowded, packed to the point of suffocating, and Dad held me in his arms to watch. They each represented one team, one for Trieste and one for Juventus. They were not in the same world as the other players. Five minutes into the game, it turned into their personal duel."

"Michael was faster, like a panther, while Ah Gan possessed an incredible strength. Every one of his movements was filled with power that seemed unstoppable. Their actions were full of elasticity. Watching them play was a treat, and I still remember it vividly to this day."

"Dad took me back to the locker room to meet them, to get autographs and a photo together. I was only 8 years old at the time. Meeting Ah Gan, I was thrilled. Watching him up close, you felt like you were admiring a deity, radiating a holy aura, especially since he had just won the NBA championship, which amplified that sense of sanctity."

"So I told Ah Gan at the time that I wanted to have a one-on-one with him."

"Ah Gan agreed, really. After the match, he took the time to play one-on-one with me. I was quite confident in myself. I thought I could shake him; by that time, I could mimic many star players’ moves. I didn’t think it was anything great."

"I got blocked brutally; he showed no mercy and then told me to practice more. When I got home, I threw away his autograph, hahaha~ But later, I regretted it. When the trash was taken out, I dug through the bin to find it, and I’ve treasured it to this day."

"Some details I can’t remember clearly, but I remember him telling me, always believe in yourself and shoot when it’s time to shoot."

"Michael Jordan? Oh, I don’t quite remember, no impression, I was too young."

————Published in 2017, an excerpt from "The True Kobe," a biography of Kobe Bryant by Roland Lazenby.

The meeting between Guoyang and Jordan was brief, and afterward, they went their separate ways.

Jordan headed to Paris, France, to continue his European tour, while Guoyang detoured to Milan before heading south to Rome, Florence, Naples, and other Italian cities.

Avia didn’t have the abundant resources like Nike, so they focused on Italy, the most important basketball market in Europe, leveraging Guoyang’s championship prestige to enhance Avia’s brand recognition overseas.

While traveling and playing games here and there, meeting fans along the way, Guoyang also took in the beauty of the Apennine Peninsula and the Mediterranean.

During the journey, Guohui took care of all kinds of affairs; in just half a year’s time, there were significant changes in him top to bottom.

He lost weight, looked more proper, spoke and acted with less slickness and more seriousness; overall, he seemed more reliable.

On the road, all sorts of expenses, as well as the contract with Avia, were handled by Guohui, under the guidance of Larry Flesher.

It was evident that, with coaching and mentorship from Flesher, Guohui was becoming more and more like a professional within the circle.

Of course, in private, in front of Guoyang, Guohui was still the little fanboy from high school, and his admiration for his cousin grew ever deeper.

Guoyang, the older brother, cared about his younger brother’s personal life and asked about his new life after moving to New York after the breakup.

Guohui sighed, "Don’t mention it. There are so many beautiful women in New York, I’m swamped every day; it’s exhausting."

Guoyang gave him an eye roll and said, "Wow, you’re quite something. Not thinking about settling down, planning on being a playboy now?"

"How can I start a family when I haven’t accomplished anything! You’ve got the championship and you’re not married; why should I rush? But Uncle is worried, I heard Grandpa saying that your dad is nagging about it at home every day."

"...I know, but I’m only 22, why should I rush? By the way, when you get back to America, go to San Francisco and take care of the house in Pacific Heights. If Grandpa and Uncle want to live there, they can move in."

On his previous return to San Francisco, Guoyang had bought an apartment in Pacific Heights as a fixed asset investment.

Guohui said, "I’m not getting married now, so I don’t need that apartment. Grandpa and Dad definitely won’t want to stay there; it’s your property."

"What do you know? An empty house will decay without life in it. If it can be lived in, then live in it—what’s the point of leaving it empty? Do you think I’ll go back to live in that house? Even if I did, an empty place like that, what’s the use for me?"

Gan Guohui scratched his head, thinking that his cousin made sense. The house was very close to Chinatown and The Ridge, so moving there would indeed be very convenient.

"Also, when you have the time, take another trip to Los Angeles and keep an eye on the real estate there for me. I’m planning to buy a property there as well."

As soon as Gan Guohui heard his cousin wanted to buy a house in Los Angeles, he got excited and said, "Bro, are you thinking of joining the Lakers to play?"

Gan Guoyang shook his head and said, "Join my ass. It’s just that California’s real estate has good investment value, and I need to think more about the future. While my funds are not that large, investing in real estate is a relatively stable way to allocate assets. San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland—my real estate investments are mainly concentrated in these three places. I’ll handle Portland myself, California is up to you. Moreover, San Francisco will rise as a hub for technology companies, especially in Silicon Valley. You should pay more attention to these businesses in the future, especially those related to computers and chips, as these will be the new hubs of wealth. You should establish San Francisco as your base of operations to solidify our foundation. Owning real estate is just the superficial first step; at the very least, you now have something to mortgage with the bank, which can move some capital. There’s a lot more work to be done later on, so take it slow."

"Bro, how do you know everything, and how do you understand so much?"

"Read more books, watch more news, eat fewer snacks, sleep more."

"So that’s why I’ve been sleeping too little..."

-----------------

In mid-July, Gan Guoyang’s one-week trip to Italy came to a successful conclusion, and everyone headed home.

The plane arrived in New York first, where Larry Flesher and the others deplaned. Before parting, Fleisher reminded Gan Guoyang, "The new season will be fraught with difficulties and hurdles. It’s been over a decade since anyone last successfully defended their title, so you need to start preparing for the new season early."

Gan Guoyang indicated his understanding, then returned to Portland. Gan Guohui, following instructions, went back to San Francisco, and then to Los Angeles to scout the local real estate market.

Gan Guoyang rested for only one day before starting to attend various activities arranged by Avia and the Trail Blazers.

There were ribbon-cuttings with advertisement partners, close fan interactions in the Chinese communities, TV station interviews with the champion, and interactive events with children from welfare institutes.

Unlike many stars who spend their holidays fishing, cruising, gambling, and partying, Gan Guoyang dedicated most of his time after gaining fame to public appearances.

Although he kept parts of his life very private, revealing nothing about, for instance, his love life, his relationship with his father, or his childhood,

he gave the rest, a very large part, over to the public domain, to the media, in front of the cameras, and to newspaper interviews.

His energy seemed boundless; he could go a whole day with barely any need for rest. While his entourage was worn out, he was still lively and even mentioned wanting to play basketball.

Of course, Gan Guoyang couldn’t be separated from basketball. In every event he attended, basketball was an essential element, and no matter who he was facing, he took it seriously, even using it as an opportunity to polish the small details of his technique.

For example, when playing against Kobe, he worked on perfecting his shot-blocking techniques and also engaged in a bit of psychological warfare with Little Kobe.

Wang Fuxi almost always accompanied him in all these events like a personal assistant, arranging all sorts of little things in his life to ensure that Gan Guoyang could focus his energy where it was needed.

Such days continued for a week, two weeks, and Wang Fuxi felt a bit exhausted. She wondered, if this were to go on for a year, two years, or even five or ten years, how much willpower and patience would it require?

At night, lying in bed during a moment of candid conversation, Wang Fuxi asked Gan Guoyang, "Ah Gan, I didn’t expect being a celebrity to be so exhausting, living in the spotlight, maintaining an image, and constantly doing what others expect you to do."

Gan Guoyang asked, "What, you can’t handle it?"

"Not really, it’s just...how can you accept it? I see you’re not tired at all. And about playing basketball, day after day throwing the ball into the hoop, don’t you get tired of it?"

"No, I never think about those problems. When a person finds their own destiny, they no longer have doubts and hesitation; all that’s left is how to proceed properly. Just like you meeting me, right?"

"Right, right, right, you’re my destiny..."

Gan Guoyang, when he arrived in America in 1981 at the age of 16, was certain of his future destiny and determined to staunchly pursue it.

In Italy, at the age of 8, Kobe Bryant was already firm in his belief in his destiny to become the world’s greatest basketball player and committed to working tirelessly towards it his entire life.