Let him follow the coach’s roar and play with emotion; it’s much more suitable than using his brain.
Ewing found a new springtime in Seattle.
So, in the two seasons when the Trail Blazers declined and Gan Guoyang retired, the SuperSonics overtook the Suns, Jazz, and Spurs, capturing the top spot in the Western Conference.
In ’95 and ’96, they played league third-best defense — the other two teams being the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls.
Unfortunately, the SuperSonics’ two finals appearances became stepping stones for the other teams to ascend the throne.
They couldn’t break a curse: since 1986, in 10 years, no other Western team apart from the Portland Trail Blazers had won the championship.
For Western teams, either the Trail Blazers would reach the finals and win the championship, or the Trail Blazers would miss the finals and an Eastern team would win the title.
In the summer of ’96, with Gan Guoyang’s return, the SuperSonics didn’t make any major moves; their salary situation didn’t allow for big actions.
Sending off Vincent Askew and trading with the Nets for Greg Graham was the only small move the SuperSonics made.
Even so, the SuperSonics, retaining their core lineup, still held strong competitiveness in the West, with Ewing at 34, still at the tail end of his peak.
Gary Payton had just won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year last season, becoming the first point guard in history to receive the award; at 28, he was in the best stage of his athletic career.
In addition, strong players like Sam Perkins, Schlammfeste, McMillan, and Hessie Hawkins were retained, and they were ready to keep chasing another championship.
However, in the season opener, the SuperSonics lost their first game at 96:99, a 3-point disadvantage, to the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
In the ’96 Western Conference Finals, the Jazz lost 2:4 to the SuperSonics, but during the summer they acquired Hornersek, and the Jazz were entering their own highlight period.
As for the Trail Blazers, while Gan Guoyang’s return was fearsome, from a team perspective, they were still too thin and chaotic.
Before the game, Bird was very worried; playing the Grizzlies, an underdog, in the first game and then facing a strong team like the SuperSonics in the second game would make the players, especially the young ones, uncomfortable.
Bird’s worry was justified; on the night of November 2nd, at the KeyArena, the SuperSonics were ready to give Gan Guoyang a grand welcome back gift.
The SuperSonics both feared and hated the Trail Blazers and Ah Gan, having been eliminated by the Trail Blazers in the playoffs multiple times and beaten without being able to fight back.
George Karl, whether coaching the Warriors or SuperSonics, had always been pummeled by the Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang in the playoffs, and Karl, being someone with a strong personality and very resentful, held grudges.
So, for this home opener, the SuperSonics made meticulous preparations and pre-game mobilization, determined to win the game.
Before the match, Ewing and Payton came over to hug and greet Gan Guoyang.
Ewing wasn’t a genuinely bad person, but his head was a bit rigid, often saying things without thinking them through.
(In the reality timeline, when Mourning wanted to come to New York, he told Mourning not to come and to go to Miami; during the Eastern Conference Finals, he said, "As long as we win at home, it’s fine."; during the league lockout, he said, "We players earn a lot, but we also spend a lot.")
Before the jump ball, Ewing specifically reminded Gan Guoyang, "Tonight, Karl will be very targeted towards you. Be careful."
Gan Guoyang first thanked Ewing, but in his heart, he thought he really didn’t know whether to call the guy loyal or just not very smart.
Off the court, they were friends, but on the court, they were opponents, so how could one casually reveal their own strategies to the other side?
Playing games is about fighting for your team and going all out to defeat your opponents, which is the best respect you can give to a friend.
Of course, Gan Guoyang knew Ewing wouldn’t think that far; he simply wanted to please Ah Gan, nothing more.
Even though Gan Guoyang, as the president of the Players Union, removed Ewing from the vice president position, Ewing was actually grateful for it.
Because Ewing didn’t want the job in the first place, he knew he was not suited for the position and had no attachment to it.
Moreover, after coming to Seattle, Ewing entered Gan Guoyang’s sphere of influence and benefited from many advantages in life, work, and business endorsements.
Unlike other players, Ewing hadn’t signed with any sports shoe brands — Nike, Avia, Converse, Adidas — none of them collaborated with Ewing.
He seemed intent on inheriting the closed nature of Georgetown by not associating with any sports manufacturers, instead launching his own "Ewing Athletics" brand.
This move wasn’t a bad one, as with Ewing’s fame, he indeed had the qualifications to establish his own brand.
However, in the fiercely competitive sports brand market of the ’90s, with Ewing’s achievements, it was really too difficult to support an independent brand.
After joining Seattle in 1994, Gan Guoyang helped Ewing invest in new companies on the West Coast and collaborated with Avia to further develop "Ewing Athletics."
Just during 1995 and 1996, with Ewing leading the SuperSonics to consecutive finals, it significantly boosted his reputation and helped promote his sports brand.
By 1996, Ewing Athletics had gained a foothold and secured its own place in the crowded field of sports brands on the West Coast.
Thus, Ewing secured a long-term livelihood plan and a career after retirement, naturally feeling very grateful for Ah Gan’s help as a good friend.