The incident that made Spree notorious and infamous was the choking incident in 1997.
At that time, Spree was still playing for the Warriors, whose head coach had been replaced by PJ Carlesimo—he had found employment in Oakland after leaving Portland.
Like the Heat, the Warriors also favored Trail Blazers products, though one favored players, the other favored coaches.
At the Warriors, Carlesimo was as unpopular as ever with the players; he was too harsh, mean, and liked to yell at the players.
His relationship with Spree was especially poor, multiple conflicts had arisen between the two even before the incident took place, including arguments during games and mutual accusations during training.
When the incident happened, they argued over a passing issue during training, and PJ Carlesimo disregarded the players’ attempts to intervene, rushing up for a showdown with Spree.
Carlesimo’s actions were clearly irrational, and he underestimated the player’s wildness and intensity. Spree grabbed his neck and threw him to the ground, the entire episode lasted around 15 seconds.
Carlesimo almost got choked to death, partly because other players did not immediately intervene when the conflict occurred, as most Warriors players also disliked Carlesimo.
The incident had a severe impact on Spree, the Warriors suspended him and prematurely ended his $32 million contract, while sponsors and advertisers also severed ties with him.
David Stern subsequently imposed additional penalties, Stern being notoriously uncompromising, suspended Spree for a whole season, preventing him from earning any salary.
At that time, as the president of the Players Union, Gan Guoyang stood out, negotiated, and litigated with the League and the Warriors, striving to reduce Spree’s punishment.
Of course, Spree had numerous bad records, he made multiple offenses during his years with the Warriors, arrested for speeding, having his driver’s license revoked, and investigated for threatening the police.
This guy was incredibly abstract; he kept his private life extremely confidential, rarely granting interviews to journalists, and it was said he raised several ferocious dogs at home, one of which bit off his four-year-old daughter’s ear.
Later, when Spree accepted an interview, the journalist asked what impact this incident had on him.
He said it had no impact.
But this is your daughter.
But the fact is it happened, it just happened.
But... after all, it happened at home...
People die every day, it’s nothing. If it were more serious, it might affect me.
Later, he said that he continued to keep those dogs, this interview left an extremely bad impression on fans.
To most ordinary fans, a player may be rough and aggressive on the court, but off the court, he must be good to his family, to his mother, wife, and daughter.
Your daughter’s ear was bitten off, and yet you say it’s nothing?
Afterward, Spree admitted that the dog that bit his daughter had been killed.
As for why he didn’t clarify during the interview, no one knows, no one knows what he was thinking.
This player from a small place in Milwaukee has been using an unbelievable behavioral logic to protect his fragile, insecure soul.
But it is especially worth mentioning that throughout the League, Spree clearly stated that his favorite star was Ah Gan.
In an interview before the finals began, Spree received maximum exposure and camera time, this season marked his comeback year.
Especially during the playoffs, his performance shone brightly, becoming the key figure in the Knicks’ transformation this season.
He and Alan Houston formed a backcourt duo and took on the most shooting and offensive tasks for the team, acting as the piercing arrow through the opponent’s defense.
When asked how he viewed Ah Gan and how to face him in the finals, Spree’s answer was once again unexpected.
He said, "Ah Gan has always been the player I admire most, he truly understands me, I’m speaking truthfully. I was beaten up by him during my rookie season, losing confidence badly. He’s half a San Francisco man, spends some time returning to San Francisco each summer, giving me the opportunity to train with him. I want to say, I gained a lot, he is the real king, the most incredible person I’ve ever met."
"How do you view this espionage incident, Ah Gan might be a spy?"
"No, I completely don’t believe these accusations, it’s framed and planted. Between America and Ah Gan, I choose to believe Ah Gan."
The madman was worthy of his title, speaking the most shocking words in the calmest manner.
After he finished speaking, he felt it was nothing and continued preparing for the match.