The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 432 - 50: A New Track in Life
Losing Kenny-Carl in the rotation was undoubtedly a significant loss for the Trail Blazers.
Kenny, a sly veteran, held a special role in the current lineup of the Trail Blazers; he was a typical jack-of-all-trades player.
Standing at 6-foot-8 with a body as strong as a raging bull, he could hold his own against most centers in the League in the paint, while also possessing a beautiful outside shot, along with decent dribbling and penetrating skills.
He was a versatile inside-out player, a rarity in an era where players’ roles were clearly defined. Whether the Blazers needed someone to fill in the inside or an attacking point on the outside, Carl was always ready to step up and provide help for the team.
Carl had his moments of glory as a young man, being a well-known All-America college player and representing the United States national team at the 1976 Helsinki Olympics where he won a gold medal in men’s basketball.
After entering the NBA, he didn’t become a star, but he partnered with Jabbar at the Lakers, one of the many power forwards who have guarded for Jabbar throughout his career. Later, he moved to the Knight, and then the Pistons, finally finding his place in Portland where he settled down.
With Bill Walton absent due to injury, Kenny-Carl became an important substitute for the frontcourt, often the first off the bench for the inside, ready to replace Thompson or Gan Guoyang when Jones was aging.
When Gan Guoyang posted up, Carl could provide some outside shooting to create space for him.
Defensively, he wasn’t the best lock-down defender, but he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage no matter which position he guarded, acting as a free agent on the defensive end, always ready to plug holes.
In daily training and life, Carl was a vital glue guy for the team. He often made bets with Thompson, offered psychological guidance to the rookies, and lifted everyone’s spirits after a loss.
When Gan Guoyang learned that Carl might have to retire due to a herniated disc, he was very, very sad.
After training, he drove to Carl’s home and picked up some gifts before going, thinking about how to comfort Carl, like making sure to get him one more championship ring this year no matter what.
During his three seasons with the Blazers, Carl was a good friend and mentor to Gan Guoyang; whenever Gan Guoyang felt down, Carl was always there to support him.
His classic "Ugly Girl Night" theory deeply influenced Gan Guoyang throughout his career, teaching him how to face failure.
Now it was Gan Guoyang’s turn to comfort this injured tough guy.
But when he arrived at Carl’s house, Gan Guoyang found Carl entertaining guests. Carl was very happy to see Gan Guoyang, and his guests were pleasantly surprised; they hadn’t expected Ah Gan to visit.
Gan Guoyang was roped into having a meal at Carl’s home, his reassuring words remained unspoken as he was flattered into eating a lot and even drinking some alcohol, capped off with a round of photo taking for memories.
After all the guests had left, Gan Guoyang asked Carl who those people were. Carl said, "They are officials from the City of Portland’s housing bureau and two city councilors. I really appreciate it, Sonny. You didn’t tell me before you came, but your timing was perfect; they are all your fans. Look, they were so surprised when you arrived."
Gan Guoyang was curious, "Didn’t you injure your spine? Why are you mingling with housing bureau officials? Shouldn’t you see doctors and specialists?"
Carl explained, "The doctors and experts have pretty much given the death sentence to my career. After this season, it’s highly unlikely I’ll be able to play basketball anymore. But I’m only 31, I need to find something to do, right? I’ve started a construction company, and I’ll be bidding on projects in the Portland area, so I spent today networking with the housing bureau people to understand the construction market."
In fact, before his injury, after the Trail Blazers won the championship in 1986, Kenny-Carl had already started a construction business with a friend, contracting out building projects in the Oregon and Washington State region.
Now with Carl’s career nearing its end due to his spinal injury, he decided to dedicate his energy to the construction trade, paving the way for his new life’s journey.
Gan Guoyang suddenly understood that Carl did not need his comfort.
Like Bernard King, who suffered a major ACL tear and went through more than a year of grueling rehabilitation, still determined to return to the NBA court.
Because King was the kind of player with an unwavering will, determined to make a name for himself on the court; basketball was everything in his life.
Carl was different; he had talent and achievements in basketball, but basketball wasn’t everything to him, which was evident from his career path.
Of course, there was nothing wrong with Carl; most NBA players are like that, with basketball being just a part of life, or even just a small part.
For many players, their NBA career is just a short stint in the journey of life. They have plenty of things to do after leaving the NBA court.
"After this retirement, I plan to put all my energy into the construction industry. I want to go solo and establish ’Carl Construction.’ I’ve already received over 200 resumes. I’ve also found a location for the company; it’s just a basement, but a construction company doesn’t need a fancy office like a financial firm. I’ve connected with the housing authority; they are planning to tender for the tram construction, and I’m going to put together a team to bid for the project... Sonny, are you interested in investing? I could change the company name to ’Carr-Gan Construction.’ What do you think?"
When Kenny-Carl talked about his construction business, his eyes sparkled.
Retirement was not an ending for him; it was the beginning of a brand new life.
Gan Guoyang thought to himself, since he was planning to make various investments anyway, and Carl was a reliable and capable person, why not invest in him?
So, Gan Guoyang readily agreed, and suggested that after investing, the company should be called "Carr-Gan Construction," with the understanding that he would only provide the capital, not manage the business, leaving everything to Carl.
The two struck a deal, and a week later, "Carr-Gan Construction" was officially established in a basement, recruiting over 110 employees and quickly became operational.
Gan Guoyang now had the identity of a general contractor.
Although Carr was sentenced to a career-ending injury by the team doctor, he too began his career as a contractor, but he didn’t completely leave the team.
He could participate in regular team training, just couldn’t engage in high-intensity exercises, and during games, he would sit on the sidelines in casual clothes to watch, also joining the team for away games.
In Kenny-Carr’s words, "I want to stand my last post, witness the team winning the championship from the sidelines, and then I can retire in peace."
On January 26, the Trail Blazers went to the Denver Plateau to play an away game.
After losing Kenny-Carr, the Trail Blazers tried to obtain a reliable interior substitute through trades and free agency signings.
However, the NBA mid-season trade market was inactive because players’ contracts were too binding, and the free market had no good players available.
Meanwhile, there was good news from Bill Walton; his ankle recovery was going well, and he was expected to return after the All-Star game.
Also, Gan Guoyang was adamantly opposed to trading Dell Curry and Hornacek as bargaining chips, so the Trail Blazers management ultimately decided to stand pat.
One of the initial trade targets for the Trail Blazers was the Denver Nuggets, who wanted to exchange Wayne Cooper for Hornacek.
For the Nuggets, the luster of the big trade in 1984, which sent away Vandeweghe and brought in Natt, Cooper, and Leaf, was fading.
Cooper’s performance was quickly declining; he went from an excellent center with 13+8 stats to just an average interior with 8+6 over two seasons.
And while he was still a starter for the Nuggets, he only played 22 minutes per game, effectively making him a faux starter.
Calvin Natt, who entered the All-Star game, was plagued by injuries, and his performance plummeted from 23+7 in the ’85 season to now simply watching from the bench.
This season, he had played only one game, suffering a career-altering right Achilles tendon rupture in the opener against the Spurs, after which he underwent Achilles tendon surgery and was ruled out for the rest of the season.
In the 1980s, an Achilles tendon rupture, just like an ACL tear, almost certainly meant a steep decline in an athlete’s career once it occurred.
The collapse of their interior led to a significant drop in the Nuggets’ performance this season, as they went from being a strong team at the top of the Western Conference to a fringe playoff team.
Of course, Fatt Lev did have his representative season, an impressive feat for a 6’3" guard—averaging 18.9 points per game, 8.9 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2.5 steals, with only 2 turnovers per game, boasting an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4, which propelled him into the ranks of the League’s top all-around guards.
The game on the Denver Plateau was fiercely contested, with the Trail Blazers taking an early lead and the Nuggets persistently catching up. The lead changed hands repeatedly and the game went into overtime.
Both teams let loose on the offensive end, bombarding each other with shots; Fatt Lev ended the game with a triple-double of 36 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.
On the Trail Blazers’ side, Gan Guoyang scored 40 points and Vandeweghe scored 30, while Porter dished out 16 assists. Both teams had impressive stats.
The coaching staff significantly increased the minutes of Jerome Kossie, a young man whose build and playing style were very similar to Kenny-Carr’s, effectively filling the void left by Carr’s departure.
In the crucial moments of overtime, it was Gan Guoyang who hooked in the basket, followed by Jerome Kossie switching to defend Fatt Lev, successfully blocking his layup and helping the Trail Blazers clinch a 145:142 victory over the Nuggets in overtime.
This typical regular season encounter saw the Trail Blazers not bother with a full-strength defense, opting instead for a shootout because they knew the Nugget couldn’t beat them in such a contest, taking control of the game in the final moments.
After the game, the players gave interviews, showered, and as usual, went to find somewhere to eat, while Guoyang tended to stay in the hotel without coming out, watching TV, and hitting the sack early.
However, Kenny-Carr dragged Guoyang out, saying he wanted to discuss a business proposal with him, claiming he had another good investment.
Since the establishment of "Carr-Gan Construction," backed by Guoyang’s fame and Kenny-Carr’s management, they quickly secured projects and started construction.
Guoyang didn’t know what new venture Carr had in mind, wondering if it was to build hydroelectric stations in Denver?
Carr introduced Guoyang to Calvin Natt, who was absent from the game due to injury. The two had been teammates in Portland for two seasons and had a good personal relationship.
After hearing about Carr’s construction company, Natt, facing a significant injury in his career, also began to seek a new path for himself, considering starting a new track in Denver or Portland.
When Guoyang heard about Natt’s career choices, he was taken aback, thinking that the track he had chosen was indeed quite niche with few competitors.
Natt explained that he wanted to open a funeral home.
