Not only were there no empty seats, but additional seats were often added. Back in the day at the seating-deficient Memorial Coliseum Glass Palace, the Trail Blazers’ ticket office almost resorted to selling standing tickets.
Even after the home arena was changed to the Rose Garden, which can accommodate more than 20,000 people, it remained packed every time, without a single vacant seat. Season tickets were especially sought after and always sold out quickly.
On the Rose Garden’s season ticket waiting list, there are 31,000 people waiting to fill in cancellations—this list at the United Center numbers 23,000 people.
A sea of reporters—from all over the world, from China, Germany, France, Spain—were gathered and spread throughout every corner of the arena, not just at the dedicated media and broadcast seats by the sidelines, but also in parking lots, player tunnels, and locker room entrances, everywhere with their presence.
They wanted to capture any image and sound of the players, and...there was really no place to stay, too many people, so crowded.
Above the Rose Garden Arena, helicopters had been circling since around two in the afternoon, providing aerial footage for the television stations to showcase Portland’s grandeur during the finals.
In 1986, the entire Portland went crazy; 12 years have passed, and nothing has changed; they’ve entered the finals again.
Numerous fans flocked to the streets; citizens unable to get tickets gathered near the Rose Garden Arena, and tens of thousands of fans could buy tickets into the Memorial Coliseum to watch the game on a large screen. Paramount Theatre, as always, offered thousands of seats for viewing the live broadcast on oversized screens.
Portland Police Department deployed more personnel to maintain order, and the Rose Garden Arena increased temporary security staff and strengthened security checks.
Two hours before the game started, both the Trail Blazers’ and Bulls’ locker rooms were jam-packed with reporters.
Gan Guoyang and Jordan respectively accepted interviews from reporters. Since May 31, after the Eastern Conference Finals ended, the two had not contacted each other.
Their real communication only existed on the court; any off-court conversation would only disrupt their mindset, especially for Jordan.
With an hour left before the game, both teams’ locker rooms were closed to outsiders as players began their final preparations and mobilizations.
Of course, not everyone was barred from entering; some received special permission to enter the locker rooms during this special period to chat with players or meet them.
For example, Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, or Michael Jackson had all entered the locker room during the finals to meet with Gan Guoyang or Jordan.
Once, a state senator showed his badge and expressed a desire to enter the locker room to meet Ah Gan, but was not allowed; security staff told him that unless he was the President of the United States, he couldn’t enter.
At 7 PM Pacific Time, the opening ceremony began, and players from both sides officially appeared on stage for warm-up, the big show was about to start.
After a series of opening ceremonies, the Trail Blazers in white jerseys and the Bulls in red jerseys stood at the center of the court.
Jordan and Gan Guoyang lightly bumped fists, without any superfluous words; the 1998 finals had officially begun.
Jordan looked up at the championships banners hanging from the Rose Garden Arena’s dome, eight in total, two of which were earned by defeating the Bulls.
He certainly remembered the text message Gan Guoyang had sent him before the game, still as arrogant and annoying as ever.
But on second thought, Ah Gan was right; to win this time, it really must depend on himself.
Bulls’ teammates are still reliable, but aren’t they all too exhausted?
Jordan wanted to ask Ah Gan, how did you carry the team to a three-peat back then?
Actually, there was no need to ask; just look at Gan Guoyang’s performance in 1992.
He must do what Ah Gan did back then: kill the opponent with individual performance.
Jordan had made up his mind; yesterday during training, he didn’t communicate with Jackson at all.
He knew Jackson would spout that same rhetoric about relying on the team, which works for other teams but not against the Trail Blazers.
Jordan was determined to score 50 points in a single game, but he didn’t know that the person on the opposite side was thinking the same thing.
"Let’s settle this between us."
Gan Guoyang thought to himself, his body uncontrollably trembling.