After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Stern got straight to the point and said, "Sonny, I’m representing the League to support you. However, by the end of next season, you need to retire."
Gan Guoyang showed no expression, paused for a few seconds, nodded and said, "I agree, next season will be my last NBA season."
Stern was surprised at how readily Gan Guoyang agreed. He quickly realized that Ah Gan had always been a smart person; he must have considered all aspects thoroughly.
Those few seconds of pause were not spent considering whether he should retire, but to mourn silently for the answer he was about to give—his illustrious basketball career was about to come to an end.
After receiving Gan Guoyang’s promise, Stern’s tone softened. The two had an in-depth discussion, where Gan Guoyang firmly denied engaging in any espionage activities.
"That is absolutely impossible. Why would I do that? What reason would I have? If you were picking a spy, it wouldn’t be someone like me."
"You’ve gotten too close to the White House before; it’s troublesome. Focus on the court from now on; outside of the court, we’ll try to figure things out together."
Stern comforted Gan Guoyang, but Gan Guoyang did not believe that Stern would help come up with any solutions; it was all just taking the natural course of events.
If things became unmanageable, it wouldn’t be too late for the NBA to sever ties, a reality Gan Guoyang had never been overly optimistic about.
He was fully prepared and confident to deal with the current situation. He was even a bit excited, as this undoubtedly added difficulty to his championship journey.
Of course, he wouldn’t tell anyone about this thought, not even his closest wife, as this mindset was too abnormal for a human, potentially causing turmoil; it was better kept hidden within.
After the secret meeting, Gan Guoyang devoted all his energy to preparing for the finals.
The first match of the finals would open on June 3rd in Portland, with Jeff Van Gundy leading the New York Knicks as the opponent.
The matchup between the two sides was full of talking points, as two years ago, Van Gundy suffered a great humiliation in Portland without daring to make a peep.
This time, there was a chance to avenge the disgrace on the grandest stage. No matter how modest Van Gundy appeared, he surely wanted revenge inside.
The media in New York had reached a frenzy; they had waited far too long for this day and were eager to savor the taste of a championship.
It had been 26 years since 1973, and the New York Yankees had just won the MLB World Series championship, so now it was the Knicks’ turn.
Especially since their opponent was the NBA hegemon, led by the eight-time champion Ah Gan’s Portland Trail Blazers.
Just as Ah Gan was embroiled in the "espionage scandal," it was the opportune moment for the Knicks to set things right.
The NBA’s authenticity resided in New York, in Madison, not in Portland, not in the Rose Garden.
One East, one West; Portland and New York engaged in a war of words, arguably the most intense exchange of attacks between two teams and cities in NBA history before the finals.
All of Oregon remained firmly supportive of Gan Guoyang. Since 1988, Oregon had steadfastly backed the Democratic Party, being an Iron Blue State.
Located along the Pacific coast, Oregon had a significant East Asian immigrant population, the majority of whom were Ah Gan fans, naturally supporting the Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang.
Gan Guoyang’s proactive responses and excellent handling of journalists’ questions further strengthened his supporters’ confidence, who saw this as a Republican Party persecution.
Especially those Texans, infuriated when Gan Guoyang scored 74 points over an American air base, bolstered by the "Cox Report" to frame Ah Gan.
This logic was watertight and clear; in fact, part of it was true. Many who couldn’t stand Gan Guoyang, a Chinese person becoming the number one in basketball, awaited an opportunity to capitalize on the situation.
They did not expect Gan Guoyang to withstand it all, and in such a spectacular fashion.
The finals on June 3rd proceeded as scheduled. The New York Knicks arrived in Portland two days prior to prepare for the finals.
This Knicks roster was no less than luxurious, with Mourning and Kemp inside, Sprewell at small forward, Houston as the shooting guard, and Chris Childs as the point guard.
Kurt Thomas and Charlie Ward sat on the bench. The Knicks didn’t have an MVP-level superstar but featured four All-Star caliber starters.
Among them, Alonzo Mourning was a strong contender for this season’s regular-season MVP, only losing in the end to sophomore Tim Duncan, placing second.
For Duncan and the Celtics, the League had held great hope. Unfortunately, they were still too young, and Duncan couldn’t yet sweep the League like Ah Gan, ultimately getting eliminated in the semifinals.
The Knicks carried the entire Eastern Conference’s hopes, coming to the finals nightmare venue for Eastern teams, Portland—no team had ever won the first match there in the past eight finals, nor secured the ultimate victory.
"Welcome to the Unfallen Portland."
Local fans greeted the arrival of the New York Knicks with such a banner.
In response, the New York Knicks—sorry, there was no response.
The whole Knicks team remained silent; during the pregame media day, there was nothing worth significant mention.
Even Sprewell, typically known for his arrogance and dubbed the "Madman," merely stated formulaically: "We’ll strive to win a game in Portland. To win the championship, we must win on the road, and that’s something we simply must accomplish."