Waking up and going straight to the arena for the game, only to play terribly.
It’s said that the casino was opened by the Trail Blazers’ owner, Tang Jianguo.
Jordan is a super VIP customer there.
After the All-Star game, there’s another thing that’s been tormenting Jordan’s nerves.
Richard Escinas, the guy who previously tried to collect debts from Jordan.
He’s been contacting publishers lately, wanting to publish a book about Jordan’s gambling scandal.
Jordan received this message from Nike and immediately called Richard.
But Richard stated that he’s short on money and needs to publish a book to relieve some debt issues.
The manuscript is ready; it’s just a matter of when and which publisher will take it.
Jordan knows this guy wants to extort some money from him.
Once the book is published, the playoffs will certainly be dominated by public pressure.
Now Jordan is not just a basketball player, but also a husband and father.
He endorses sports brands worth billions, backed by numerous advertisers.
Any bit of personal image damage means huge losses in US dollars.
Jordan doesn’t want to give Richard money, he hopes Nike will use its resources to suppress this guy.
At least not publish this book in 1993 where it could become a headache.
However, Richard, smart as ever, found the publisher behind Tang Jianguo.
Old Tang has been publishing books non-stop since 1987, maintaining a speed of two books per year.
He publishes faster than the Trail Blazers win championships.
His reader base is those who love to read celebrity gossip.
Richard finding Old Tang is a perfect match, and he has targeted the powers behind Ah Gan and Avia.
If Old Tang and Ah Gan want to nix Jordan, publishing the book is practically guaranteed.
Jordan has no choice but to call Ah Gan, asking his brother for another favor.
Gan Guoyang had already helped Jordan once, never expecting the trouble wasn’t cleaned up completely.
Adhering to the principle of helping people to the end, Gan Guoyang persuaded the publisher to hold off on the book.
As leverage, Gan Guoyang agreed to give the future rights to his autobiography to Random House.
Under such conditions, Random House happily agreed, temporarily tossing Richard’s manuscript into the waste pile.
After all, the allure of Ah Gan’s autobiography is immense, far exceeding Jordan’s gambling revelation.
Gan Guoyang doesn’t lose out either since Random House is a giant in American publishing.
They have managed countless celebrity autobiographies.
Handing over the autobiography rights to them is definitely no problem.
Random House, to demonstrate sincerity and finalize the matter, agreed to pay Ah Gan a $500,000 signing bonus.
Gan Guoyang promptly signed the contract; $500,000, why not take it?
Through handling Jordan’s issue, Gan Guoyang conveniently settled the matter of his future autobiography.
But in his heart he tells himself, he’s going to play at least ten more years; the autobiography is a far-off thing.
First take the money and start spending it; his funeral services company is expanding massively, so funds are quite tight.
On the evening of March 28, at the Rose Garden Arena, Trail Blazers vs. Bulls.
Another fierce Gan Qiao battle.
Gan Guoyang’s absence last time made this matchup highly anticipated.
With the regular season nearing its end, the battle for playoff spots and rankings is heating up.
Strong teams are gradually wrapping up experiments with their rosters and tactics, presenting their best for playoff preparation.
The Trail Blazers welcomed Petrović back, who will be starting tonight.
His left knee is wrapped in a thick brace, protecting his partially torn cruciate ligaments.
The coaching staff advised him not to return for this match, suggesting to wait.
Wait for a relatively weaker opponent to practice a bit.
But Petrović is stubborn, unwilling to wait any longer.
Or rather, he just wants to return against the Bulls.
A strong opponent can ignite his fighting spirit.
In the Trail Blazers camp, Petrović’s drive and determination surpass even Gan Guoyang.
Gan Guoyang occasionally shows a bit of fatigue, revealing tiredness.
Petrović doesn’t show a hint of it.
He’s only in his fourth year in the NBA, far from reaching his peak.
Though he has three championships, he’s lacking a lot in personal honors.
This season he made the All-Star team, which is a significant achievement for him.
His next goal is to make the All-NBA team.
He doesn’t want to rest much, nor miss the opportunity to showcase his talent against the Bulls.
Facing Petrović’s intense desire to compete, Beelman has no choice.
Beelman watched Petrović grow up and knows his ambition.
When Petrović returned after a month, wearing his number 44 jersey again at the Rose Garden Arena, he received a warm applause.
As the regular season winds down, the Trail Blazers gradually cleared injury concerns, and the team is overall healthy now.
The starting lineup of Porter, Petrović, Gan Guoyang, Lewis, Sabonis has solidified.
This is expected to be the Trail Blazers’ main lineup throughout the playoffs.
This lineup has a very sharp offense, especially their outside shooting.
All five players can shoot, posing unprecedented challenges to opposing defenses.
The defense has noticeably declined compared to the past, Petrović’s spot can be considered so-so and not too exposed.
Lewis at the three position compared to two has lost height and wingspan advantages.
Gan Guoyang and Sabonis continue to swing between four and five positions, depending on the specific match circumstances.