The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 606 - 12 The New Season Begins_2

Barcelona, Milan, and Split were Europe’s top teams. Split had dominated in Europe for the past two years, while Milan had won back-to-back European championships in ’87 and ’88. Barcelona was also a strong contender for the European championship, and over the next few years, they would compete fiercely with Split.

One could say that the strongest three basketball clubs of recent years in Europe had all gathered.

The NBA had not originally planned to send a strong team to compete; fielding a team like the Nuggets could likely easily handle Europe’s top clubs.

However, considering public interest and marketing effects, Stern made a last-minute decision to deploy the international Portland Trail Blazers team to Europe to conquer and utterly defeat the European teams.

For the Trail Blazers, Sabonis, Petrović, and Divac were all basketball superstars in Europe with extremely high popularity during the late ’80s.

Equivalent to Croatia’s Jordan, Serbia’s Jabbar, and the Soviet Union’s Chamberlain—in addition to the already immensely popular Ah Gan in Europe—the presence of the Trail Blazers rendered even the top European teams ineffective. After the Trail Blazers arrived in Rome, it quickly became their home court.

On the 19th, the entire Trail Blazers team practiced at the stadium, while reporters packed the dressing room corridor to the point of congestion.

The players warmed up on the court and practiced their shots, while cameras clicked incessantly at the sidelines, nearly dazzling the eyes.

As they left the stadium for the hotel, fans swarmed in the parking lot asking for autographs. Gan Guoyang had long been accustomed to this and tried to accommodate the fans’ wishes, diligently signing autographs.

With Gan Guoyang around, Petrović, Sabonis, and others seemed significantly less luminous by comparison. They sat in the bus watching Gan Guoyang patiently and smilingly signing autographs and taking photos with every approaching fan, realizing just how tough it was to be a superstar.

During their time with Gan Guoyang, the Trail Blazers’ rookies each saw different aspects of him.

Petrović noticed diligence; he thought he was diligent enough himself, but still found it insufficient in front of Gan Guoyang.

Sabonis noted courage and resolution. Sabonis’s parents were ordinary people; his father a notable tailor and his mother a homemaker, making up what the standard happy family, much like those depicted by Norman Rockwell as mentioned in Jerry West’s autobiography. Sabonis was a genetic anomaly to grow so tall and strong.

This left Sabonis with many ordinary weaknesses in his personality, having spent a long time playing in the Soviet Union. His pursuit of victory was more from a love of collective honor than any innate wildness or desire.

Gan Guoyang’s success, and his unquestionable authority within the Trail Blazers, greatly shocked Sabonis.

Divac noticed his broad-mindedness and optimism. On the court, Gan Guoyang was extremely strict, but off the court, he was gentle and friendly, helping teammates with various issues, treating them to meals, spending money on outings, and maintaining good relationships with everyone.

Cliff-Robinson noticed the power of a star player. Gan Guoyang’s influence within the Trail Blazers, and in Portland at large, was beyond imagination.

At night when they went out for a late snack, some stores which were clearly closed would reopen upon seeing Ah Gan, and even refused to accept payment.

In the dressing room and on the court, Ah Gan did whatever he desired without anyone objecting.

Power brings freedom, and Cliff-Robinson felt he had gained enlightenment.

Anthony Mason noticed muscle; Ah Gan’s impressive physique was truly enviable, no wonder his strength was so extraordinary.

On the 20th, the first day of the matches, the Trail Blazers faced Barcelona.

When Petrović had played in Spain, Barcelona was their most formidable opponent; he knew this team well.

The Trail Blazers easily defeated their rivals with a huge advantage of 137:105, a 32-point lead.

Gan Guoyang had only played 20 minutes, barely breaking a sweat, and effortlessly scored 24 points with 10 rebounds.

At that time, there was still a significant gap between European basketball and American basketball.

From physical fitness to tactics, especially in terms of individual player abilities, the difference was marked.

In the eyes of NBA players, these European players were akin to college players.

However, European players too were professionals, earning salaries in their leagues.

Thus, it was unfair that NBA players were not allowed to participate in the Olympics, as not only was the NBA a professional league, but so were the European leagues.

European professional players could participate in the Olympics, while the U.S. could only send college players, making it imperative to allow NBA players to participate in the Olympics.

Overcoming Barcelona, the Trail Blazers effortlessly advanced to the finals, facing Yugoslavia’s Split team.

The Split team included Petrović and Divac’s teammates from the Yugoslav national team, and their good friend Toni Kukoc.

And also Dino Rađa, who had been snatched up by the Los Angeles Lakers in this year’s draft.

Rađa was not as fortunate as Petrović; he too had contract disputes with his team.

But the Los Angeles Lakers were not as well-prepared as the Trail Blazers, and they did not have Larry Flesher and his father to do the groundwork.

Ultimately, the court ruled that Rađa had to honor his contract with his home team and could not play for the Los Angeles Lakers.

This caused the Lakers to waste a first-round pick in the 1989 draft, with no clear indication of when Rađa might join the NBA. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Now Don Nelson had a hint of regret; he wished he had not been spiteful towards the Trail Blazers and had simply traded Edwards for Divac.