He thought about how every time he encountered Ah Gan on the court, he had to suffer both physical and mental blows, and he thought about how people always said he could never surpass Ah Gan.
At this moment, all his dissatisfaction and anger accumulated together, and O’Neal’s fury rose from his heart and dared him to act, tossing the ball away as he scrambled up and charged at Gan Guoyang!
O’Neal didn’t know how to fight; he had no professional stance, just spread his arms wide like a bear, lunging at Gan Guoyang.
Gan Guoyang was discussing with the referee whether it was a jump ball or a foul when he caught sight of a huge shadow rushing towards him, accompanied by the screams of spectators.
There wasn’t much time for Gan Guoyang to react. He instinctively took a step back, followed by a low-handed hook punch!
Gan Guoyang had long decided not to use wrestling techniques on the NBA court; these moves were sometimes hard to control and often led to trouble.
The power of punches is relatively lower and more controllable. Years of boxing training could enhance arm strength and explosiveness.
Since deciding to make a comeback, boxing training was a mandatory item in Gan Guoyang’s training plan, creating a deep muscle memory within him.
This punch was swung out, grazing O’Neal’s chin. It wasn’t heavy, only using a third of his power but was very accurate, directly knocking O’Neal out.
O’Neal only felt darkness before his eyes, and he went down asleep, his massive body stumbled onto the floor, motionless as if lifeless.
Everything happened too quickly; no one had time to stop O’Neal, nor did anyone have the chance to prevent Ah Gan from throwing a punch.
Everyone was terrified, even Gan Guoyang was somewhat scared—did I kill O’Neal?
The first to respond was Jide. Seeing O’Neal knocked down, he immediately charged at Gan Guoyang to engage.
Gan Guoyang didn’t hesitate, a light straight punch hit precisely at the eye socket, turning Jide’s eye into a preserved egg.
Jide immediately covered his eye, no longer bouncing, while others finally woke as if from a dream and gathered around to check on O’Neal’s condition.
Gan Guoyang used relatively light force for both punches. With his strength and years of training, a full-force punch could indeed lead to major trouble.
Just like back then when Kermit Washington punched Tomjanovich, failing to control the strength nearly killed him.
Gan Guoyang hadn’t even intended to hit O’Neal; it was a subconscious reaction.
Since brutally thrashing Karl Malone during the West Finals in 1992, Gan Guoyang hadn’t fought in years.
During the 1992-1994 seasons, Gan Guoyang hadn’t had any physical conflicts with anyone—or more accurately, no one dared to have conflicts with him.
Moreover, as his children grew older, the NBA’s punishment for on-court violence became increasingly severe, and as a historical figure, Gan Guoyang needed to set an example.
Like tonight’s Christmas showdown, his son must be watching him play on TV, and his youngest daughter might be watching too. He didn’t want to throw punches in front of his kids.
But Gan Guoyang didn’t want to get beaten in front of his kids either, so when Jide charged at him, he didn’t hesitate to land another punch. No one dared step forward again.
The Lakers’ medical staff came over to check on O’Neal’s condition, fortunately, he was still alive, but checking for issues like concussions would require detailed examinations.
The human chin has a highly complex vagus nerve, which can cause a loss of consciousness when heavily struck.
Gan Guoyang’s punch wasn’t heavily powered but was incredibly precise, with a sharp angle that gave O’Neal a baby-like sleep.
The medic checked his dilated pupils and called for a stretcher to carry O’Neal away.
Even until he was taken back to the locker room, O’Neal slept peacefully without any signs of awakening.
He seemed exhausted.
Meanwhile, Jide’s left eye swelled like an egg, and with an ice pack on it, he also returned to the locker room.
The audience was very calm, many took out cameras and camcorders to record.
NBC TV Station host Bill Walton, while narrating this sudden incident, also calmly explained:
"Most NBA court scuffles resemble chaotic bar brawls, with disorder spreading from the court to the stands. Only when Ah Gan is involved in a fight—or shall we say a one-sided beating—everyone remains calm and peaceful. Because everyone already knows who the winner and loser are, and that in the end, things will be alright, what is there to get excited about? It’s like a preordained judgment; the result is already clear, and everyone is just waiting for the gavel to fall. ’Thud!’ Case closed!"
Walton, being a hardcore Gan fan, showed no sympathy for O’Neal being hit, instead praising the fans’ stable emotions.
But Walton was right, towards the end, everyone had a very relaxed view on Gan Guoyang’s fights.
In 1992 in Salt Lake City, Gan Guoyang’s bear hug slam on Karl Malone elicited no reaction from the local fans.
They acted as though, "Oh, you fought? As long as you’re not dead, then it’s fine, carry on playing ball, buddy."
This left Karl Malone feeling very hurt and angry, believing someone ought to stand up for him.
Today, Jason Jide showcased the consequence of standing up for justice, though Jide did indeed demonstrate unusual courage and bravado.
Upon reviewing the footage, the referee, although aware that O’Neal initiated the attack, considered Gan Guoyang’s actions as self-defense, yet still called a flagrant foul on Gan Guoyang and ejected him from the game.
Gan Guoyang was quite distressed; he didn’t want to fight, and now he had to explain this to his wife, kids, father, and David Stern.