"Look at our rookie training camp, Kobe, Little O’Neal, Ben, they’re all not coming because they have many activities to attend and things of their own to do. Even though the big players have a tradition of attending rookie training camps, young people still ignore it. It’s almost the year 2000, Sonny."
Bird stated a fact: young people are rebellious; they all have their own worlds.
After winning the championship, Kobe, Little O’Neal, and others saw their fame skyrocket, launched their own shoe brands, and received hometown endorsements.
Veterans are experiencing a resurgence—appearing on shows, participating in variety interviews, publishing autobiographies, shooting documentaries, accepting invitations to events, and saving for retirement.
Stars like Kobe are even participating in TV series production, extending their reach into the film industry.
Playing roles in shows like "Moesha" and "Sister, Sister."
Gan Guoyang knows all this; he experienced two consecutive dynasty victories and understands that after winning championships, the veteran group will inevitably become corrupt.
Not becoming corrupt is against human nature; otherwise, what are most people striving to build their careers for? To live a harder, monotonous life?
Only a very few people, who purely enjoy winning, can endure loneliness and continue to struggle and torture themselves for the next victory.
Gan Guoyang is such a person, and he never expects others to be like him, so during the latter consecutive victories, he was adept at dragging everyone along.
The ability to drag many, looking across the League or even the entire professional sports circle, no one can compare to Gan Guoyang.
"Newcomers will keep emerging, and young fans will replace old ones. You know, until now, many 80s Celtics fans still write to me, telling me Boston Garden days were the best NBA games they’ve watched—they miss Boston Garden. Now, even with Tim Duncan being so excellent, they don’t want to watch games anymore—no interest. And young fans will forget me as well. The League won’t overlook this point."
Gan Guoyang knows Bird’s intuition is correct; a new era is coming, and probably faster than you expect.
Just like a professional athlete, when he senses himself starting to decline, he’s often already sliding and about to fall rapidly.
Everything in professional competitive sports is accelerated; a new era may suddenly arrive in a certain season and wipe out the remnants of the old era completely.
Gan Guoyang feels deeply about this; after all, he was that suddenly arrived new era.
"Since this is the case, why don’t we just become remnants of the old era, become the biggest villains, and prevent those young people from successfully rising to power? Wouldn’t that be fun?"
"These were things you never accomplished back then—if you’d won the 1986 Finals, everything would be different."
"Enough, enough, Sonny! Stop bringing up those old grudge stories! You’re right—being villains, we’ll be the biggest villains and go against the world."
The two reached a consensus, deciding to stand against the wheels of Time together—to guard the door to the new world and let it open slower, even slower.
On the day of the disbandment after the training camp, Gan Guoyang suddenly asked Bird, "Larry, if I’m against the world, would you really stand by my side?"
Bird stood in the parking lot at the training camp entrance, facing the cool breeze at the juncture of summer and autumn; his golden hair was blown into a mess, and he replied, "Of course, certainly."
"No, I mean not just playing basketball—I mean really against the world."
Bird squinted his eyes, looked at the sun in the sky, then after a while replied, "Of course, certainly. Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless you go to Korea to fight."
The two laughed—the two former general managers of the Trail Blazers, Jerry West and Larry Bird, both lost their most important relatives in the Korean War.
However, they both had an excellent relationship with Gan Guoyang, their friendship transcended many things.
The two said goodbye, Gan Guoyang got into the car, Quentin started the car, and drove toward the direction of the sunset.