The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 442 - 60: Mathematical Advantage

Barkley made great strides under the guidance of Moses Malone and gradually grew into one of the most eye-catching superstars of the 1984 class.

Two weeks later, Barkley led the Bullets back to Portland and caught the Trail Blazers off guard at the Memorial Coliseum. With a performance of 30 points and 25 rebounds, Barkley helped his team to victory, avenging the defeat they had suffered at home.

His superb low post one-on-one ability also earned him the nickname "Eastern Little Forrest Gump" (coined by Gan Guoyang).

Of course, Barkley’s Bullets moment hadn’t arrived yet; the Eastern Conference was gradually becoming the domain of the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics.

Leaving Washington with a victory, the Trail Blazers embarked on their long journey in the Eastern Conference, with Chicago being their next stop.

Gan Guoyang was quite happy to have back-to-back games against good friends’ teams, as nothing was more enjoyable than defeating them on the court.

After facing Jordan, he would go to New York to play against Ewing, making the road trip feel less tiring with all the visiting and socializing.

The second "Gan vs. Joe" match of the year drove the Chicago fans who had been long awaiting their duel into a frenzy. Before the game, Jordan reserved more than twenty tickets for his friends and family, which was already the limit; other players might not be able to get a single ticket due to the tight supply.

Although the old Chicago Stadium had not been refreshed during Jordan’s three seasons, the passion of the fans had dispelled the sense of age and decay, making it the liveliest and most popular sports venue in Chicago.

Their showdown was no longer just a simple NBA regular-season game; it encompassed much more—like the competition between Nike and Avia, the battles between different advertising agencies, and the NBA’s promotional efforts.

Before the game, Jordan wanted to invite Gan Guoyang to a local party in Chicago but was advised by his agent, David Falk, not to do so.

Falk believed that in order to create an atmosphere for their showdown, it would be better to avoid too much activity and contact before the game.

Jordan disagreed, saying that Bird and Magic Johnson now had a good relationship, and he and Guoyang had always gotten along well.

Moreover, each time Jordan went to Portland, Guoyang treated him with great hospitality; if he were indifferent now that they were in Chicago, he would be ridiculed.

Hence, Jordan still extended the invitation, and although Guoyang didn’t like such parties, he attended to show respect for Jordan.

Chicago, a central city and mega-metropolis in America’s midwest, differed from Portland, with its abundance of social events and Jordan being a socialite of reputation.

On days without games and training, he would frequently attend various social occasions: cocktail parties, gatherings, golf games, gambling events—you could spot Jordan everywhere.

Before meeting Juanita, Jordan had no shortage of female companionship, but he became relatively more reserved after their relationship began—at least outwardly so.

The gathering held at the Bang & Olufsen Restaurant was a casual friends get-together without any special theme or business nature.

After drinking, they would organize card games to play, a common occurrence at Chicago gatherings, often attended by many social elites.

Most attended to make friends or partners, whether for business or more personal reasons, while others simply went to while away time, as this was part of their lifestyle.

Jordan went to parties because he enjoyed them; he loved being surrounded by people and was never alone. He would bring along a female companion and a group of "fair-weather friends."

Agent David Falk, Buzz Peterson, Gus Wright, the Fred brothers and Jordan’s driver cum personal bodyguard, George Keller, were people Guoyang frequently encountered.

Among them, George Keller left the best impression on Guoyang. He was very close to Jordan and stuck by him through thick and thin, much like Quentin Stephenson did with Guoyang.

At the party, Guoyang met Jordan’s girlfriend, Juanita, a well-known figure in Chicago’s social scene who was older than Jordan. She had a fling with Reggie-Seth before Jordan came to Chicago, which is why Jordan always went all out when playing against Reggie-Seth.

Guoyang was quite at ease at the party; he didn’t need to introduce himself, as every person there knew and was impressed by him.

Moreover, Guoyang’s towering height and his eloquent conversational skills quickly made him the center of attention at the party. He was quick-witted and responded rapidly.

Having spent so many years in America, Guoyang had a firm grasp of what Americans liked to talk about, what interested them, what subjects were taboo, and what could not be discussed.

A regular reader of books and newspapers, this guy wasn’t like those who just uttered "yoyo" and "you know"; he could converse joyfully with anyone, which was in stark contrast to his fierceness on the court.

Midway through the party, Juanita said to Jordan, "I didn’t expect Ah Gan to be such a conversationalist; he really has charisma."

This made Jordan a bit jealous as he said, "He’s not like that in private, in private he’s an idiot."

Juanita gently caressed Jordan’s chest and said, "Aren’t you a little fool in private too~"

Her words and tender caress made Jordan’s heart flutter. They had been together for almost two years, and Jordan was still irresistible to her.

For a young man, a gentle and knowledgeable older sister figure who knows how to tease and soothe was truly hard to resist.

At the party, quite a few young women showed a strong interest in Gan Guoyang, several Chicago socialites looked at Gan Guoyang with eyes like hungry wolves spotting meat.

They approached Gan Guoyang and chatted with him, and a few bold ones went straight for his arms, touching him all over, making Gan Guoyang very uncomfortable, so he had to run over to Jordan for help.

Jordan pulled Gan Guoyang aside, and seeing Gan Guoyang’s somewhat embarrassed look, he felt very happy.

"Fuck, I’m already married, and they’re still so enthusiastic."

"You don’t know shit, Sonny, it’s precisely because you’re married that they’re so enthusiastic, otherwise they would have to take responsibility."

"Shit, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t even attend the party. The food here sucks."

A major reason Gan Guoyang didn’t like attending American parties was that the food wasn’t good enough.

Every time he ate there, Gan Guoyang had the urge to cook himself, to let the guests experience what real cooking was all about.

"Parties aren’t for eating, they’re for letting loose. Let’s play cards later."

At the party’s card game, they played a poker game called "Badugi," which was Jordan’s favorite.

Back at the Indiana Olympic Training Camp, Jordan had started winning money from Gan Guoyang with this game.

The biggest difference between Badugi and other poker games is that most other games aim for high hands, like trips, flushes, pairs, etc., while Badugi pursues the smallest combination.

The smaller the cards and the more varied the suits, the better the combination. You can draw and exchange cards by betting, and overall it involves skill, but like Texas hold’em, planning your bets is very important.

Jordan was a master at it, but this time he realized he was losing to Gan Guoyang. Half an hour had passed, and he had already lost all his money.

"Shit, are you just lucky tonight, Sonny?"

"It’s not luck, it’s skill. I was just letting you win before. I don’t owe you anything today."

Jordan shook his head repeatedly, as he didn’t expect to lose to Gan Guoyang at cards. He began to borrow money to get more chips.

However, Gan Guoyang was calm and collected at the card table. He didn’t guarantee winning every hand, but overall he won big and lost small.

As time went on, Jordan kept losing more and more, while the pile of chips in front of Gan Guoyang grew taller and taller.

Late into the game, Jordan gradually lost his confidence, while Gan Guoyang, having more chips, became more self-assured with his bets.

Juanita advised Jordan to stop playing, but Jordan couldn’t accept it. Eventually, Gan Guoyang said to Jordan, "Michael, try to beat me in tomorrow’s game. Haven’t you realized that as long as I don’t hold back, you can’t win against me at the card table?"

Jordan was furious. He somewhat regretted not listening to Falk’s words. Ah Gan was someone who always outshone others, wherever he went, and didn’t leave any way out for them.

After the party and the card game ended, an irate Jordan asked Gan Guoyang, "Sonny, how did your card skills become so good? I don’t believe you were faking it before."

Gan Guoyang gave a mysterious smile and said, "Because I’m good at math. You should study math more, Michael."

Of course, Gan Guoyang would not tell Jordan that he had sought advice from Bobby Berman to win against him at the card table.

Berman was the best in this regard, using mathematics to build an advantage, just like he did on the basketball court.