After the game ended, back in the locker room, Gan Guoyang soaked his legs in an ice bucket to quickly bring down the temperature of his muscles and joints, reducing swelling and inflammation.
The therapist would soon help him with a full-body massage to relax and relieve muscle tension to speed up recovery, as the next game would be coming up soon.
When he was younger, Gan Guoyang spent little time on therapy and recovery. Gifted with exceptional talent, after high-intensity training and games each day, a good meal and deep sleep would suffice, and he would wake up ready to go again.
Now, it’s different. His training time and intensity are strictly controlled, maintained at a moderate to low level, with more time spent on recovery to stay healthy and fit, reducing the risk of injuries.
Injury and pain have always been formidable adversaries for professional players, especially in the NBA’s high-intensity schedule, which can be seriously grueling for ordinary people’s health. Only those with extremely robust physiques can work and survive here.
In the 70s and 80s, many players used cocaine, not only for fun and euphoria but also largely to numb the pain.
With the daily heavy load of games and training, muscles and joints are prone to pain.
As the NBA enforced strict anti-drug policies, cocaine gradually disappeared, but painkillers have never vanished from this league.
Especially older players, some take large amounts of painkillers to perform well.
Particularly in a contract year, relatively average players in the league give it their all to perform, aiming for good stats in hopes of securing a longer, bigger contract.
Once the contract year is over, a player’s performance may drastically decline, not only due to a change in mentality but also from the overuse of painkillers leading to physical burnout.
This situation became increasingly common in the late 90s as NBA salaries grew higher and contracts larger.
As the chairman of the Players Union, Gan Guoyang is well aware of this, yet there’s little he can do since everyone needs to make a living.
Take Karl Malone for instance, with his strong muscles always in the gym, but Stockton says the guy treats painkillers like food.
And Alonzo Mourning, their kidneys and livers are at high risk due to overexertion, but for the sake of stronger competition, they have to push their bodies to the limit.
Even Gan Guoyang sometimes considers taking a painkiller, as the battles inside the court are much fiercer than those outside, with the nightly collisions and impacts leaving his body battered and bruised.
Since this season, each morning when awakening from sleep, Gan Guoyang feels certain parts of his body are sore and swollen, needing to lie in bed for a while before getting up.
After another night of giving it his all in the game, Gan Guoyang’s legs soaked in ice buckets for long enough without anyone disturbing him — this was his moment.
He remembers back in the 1986 season, Bill Walton would often sit there alone soaking in the ice bucket after training or games, sometimes with Jones, the two veterans would stay for quite a while.
Now it’s his turn.
Once everything was sorted, and after a brief interview, Gan Guoyang left the Great Western Forum Arena with his teammates, nearly midnight.
But for many NBA players, nightlife at this hour is just beginning, even in the playoffs. Players still find time to have fun, especially in cities like Los Angeles, where it’s hard to miss the chance to enjoy its beautiful scenery.
Every time in Los Angeles, many invite Gan Guoyang to events or private parties. He mostly refuses but makes appearances at those hard to turn down.
California has a large population of Chinese people and Asians, and politicians, businesspeople, and social groups supporting him are the most numerous here.
Gan Guoyang, being energetic, handles various social engagements well.
But this time, upon returning to the hotel, he didn’t want to leave at all, just wanted to rest and sleep well to prepare for the upcoming game.
He reminded himself he’s no longer Superman, both on and off the court should think about how to be an ordinary person.
He called his wife, Wang Fuxi, asking about his father and kids. Without realizing it, they have been married for ten years.
Wang Fuxi teased over the phone, "How’s the house in Los Angeles treating you?"
"What nonsense, it’s your house here. I have no time to visit Mom and Dad, let them come to the forum arena to watch me, I’ve prepared tickets for them."
"They prefer watching on TV at home, the scene is too lively. Seriously, why not get another house in another city, to ease some of my pressure."
Old married couples chat without intimate cooing, highlight casual wildness, saying whatever comes to mind without holding back.
Being a star’s wife isn’t easy, and being Gan Guoyang’s wife is even tougher, taking care of the family is just the simplest part.
There’s a vast industry to maintain and a massive network of relationships to manage, as there aren’t many people around Gan Guoyang worthy of complete trust.
Especially after Larry Flesher passed away, Gan Guoyang lost his biggest support in America’s native white circle.
In the past ten years, in terms of industry and personal brand management, the ones he trusts most are only his wife and cousin.
And Gan Guohui, only being average, doing a decent job with what’s at hand is already good enough, but counting on him for expansion or navigating adeptly is too much.
So, off the court, Gan Guoyang’s real right-hand is his life partner, who happens to be very capable, smart, flexible, and energetic in handling matters.