Of course, it’s not to say Buck-Williams used power for personal gain; on the contrary, Buck has always sought to represent a broader range of players’ interests.
During the 1995-1996 season, he continuously attempted to restructure the Players Union and amend its charter, changing from the previous system of a 3/4 representative election to a full membership election, allowing for a more open and transparent process, and involving more people in the discussion of agreements.
He also aimed to establish a new electronic notice system, delivering every detail and information of the union’s negotiations with the management to each player via electronic mail.
Unfortunately, Buck-Williams misjudged the political enthusiasm and literacy of NBA players and lacked a full understanding of the League players’ power structure.
Although in voting elections, the players’ influence is the same, with each person having one vote.
However, the influence of superstars both on and off the court is evidently much greater than that of ordinary players.
They not only have fame and money but also the support of an entire sports industry capital behind them.
Therefore, none of Buck-Williams’ initiatives were implemented, and the private agreements they reached with the League were easily overturned by a delegation composed of several superstars.
With the successive resignations of Grantham and Buck-Williams, a power vacuum emerged in the union, leaving the players in urgent need of a representative to stand up and balance these negotiations.
Otherwise, if the Players Union did truly dissolve, it would face the same situation as in 1988, with players lacking a unified organization, forcing teams to negotiate with players individually.
However, compared to 1988, the balance of power between both parties has significantly shifted.
Firstly, David Stern’s biggest opponent, his arch-enemy Larry Flesher, passed away in 1989.
With Flesher’s death, Stern no longer had a rival in negotiations, and people like Grantham were simply no match for him at all.
If not, Grantham wouldn’t have easily agreed to a secret agreement, which later got exposed and led to resistance from superstars, ending in resignation.
Secondly, both Stern and the teams were no longer as fearful of the Players Union disbanding.
Did you already use this move once in 1988, and want to use it again now?
Clearly, the owners made more adequate preparations, deciding not to be threatened by the players.
The negotiation quickly reached a stalemate, and when someone needed to step up to stabilize the situation, Gan Guoyang became the person everyone expected.
On July 18, 1996, Gan Guoyang and his associates boarded a plane to Georgia, as this year’s Olympics were to be held in Atlanta on July 19.
Gan Guoyang did not go there to represent China Team at the Olympics but rather to take this opportunity to convene the NBPA Players Union General Assembly in Atlanta.
Over the years, Gan Guoyang had always been the union vice-chairman; it was only after the Portland tragedy and retirement that he rarely managed affairs, spending his time chanting in St. Helix.
He was waiting for an opportunity, for Grantham to mess things up, for the point when no one else could solve the situation, to step up and clear up the mess.
With Buck-Williams’ resignation, Gan Guoyang automatically became the acting union president, and this trip to Atlanta was to credibly organize an election, officially becoming the union president, and also assuming the role of president.
Before 1994, Gan Guoyang’s nationality was always an issue; although he had a green card, he was ultimately not an American citizen.
After retiring in 1995, Gan Guoyang officially joined American citizenship while retaining Chinese citizenship, becoming effectively a dual citizen.
China does not officially recognize dual nationality, yet in actual administration, it does not deny the Chinese nationality of dual citizens.
The main reason Gan Guoyang delayed his American nationality was to represent the China Team in the Olympics.
Since he represented China in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, it meant that in the future, he could only represent the China Team in basketball games.
Even if one day he held American, French, or United Kingdom citizenship, he still could not represent America, France, or the United Kingdom in international basketball games.
Moreover, over these years, Gan Guoyang’s extensive income has consistently been taxed by the government in his local hometown.
The tax he alone pays to local and national authorities is equivalent to a business, and he himself entered the ancestral hall in his hometown.
So, expelling his Chinese nationality? Impossible, you first head to the temple to pay respects and ask Gan Zu for consent.
What? Ah Gan is Gan Zu? Then that’s fine, how could he expel himself?
With the worries regarding nationality resolved, nobody in the union could oppose Gan Guoyang becoming the union president.
The people who had previously worked alongside Larry Flesher all supported Gan Guoyang becoming president, concurrently taking the position of president.
The seeds Larry Flesher planted back then were finally about to bloom and bear fruit on this day, but unfortunately, Flesher could never see it.
On July 19, the Atlanta Olympics officially opened, and a Parkinson’s afflicted Muhammad Ali, with trembling hands, lit the Olympic torch.
On the same day, at the Hilton Hotel in Atlanta, 360 NBA players participated in the largest general meeting in the history of the NBA Players Union.
At the meeting, the new NBPA Union guidelines and charter were extensively reviewed, voting on appointments to positions such as union president and president.
Gan Guoyang was overwhelmingly elected to the two highest positions of union president and president, becoming the first player in NBPA history to hold both positions.
Of course, immense power also means bearing immense responsibility, and Gan Guoyang needs to strive for the greatest benefits for the players.