The hotel where the players stayed was supposed to be a secret, but the news of Gan Guoyang returning to Portland couldn't be kept under wraps.
Many fans and locals camped outside the hotel where the Glory Team was staying, hoping to get closer to Gan Guoyang.
Some held banners hoping Gan Guoyang could see them, with sayings like: "Portland needs you."
Others said: "Come back and bring another championship."
And one said: "Kobe is an idiot, come back and fix him up."
Gan Guoyang looked at those banners, finding them laughable yet touching; he wanted to come back, but it was impossible now.
Nowadays, the Trail Blazers are Nike's assets. After years of cooperation, Avia and Nike have entered a state of full competition.
Kobe's contract with Adidas will soon expire; if he stays with the Trail Blazers, he will undoubtedly sign with Nike.
Players like Little O'Neal and Ben Wallace on the Trail Blazers Team are already wearing Nike shoes; Gan Guoyang could not wear Nike nor could he return to Portland.
As adults, emotions are emotions, reality is reality, and benefits are benefits. They must be clearly separated.
On the afternoon before the game, which was Friday, after lunch, Gan Guoyang went to Oswego Lake Mountain Park Elementary School for his son's school Parent's Day event as promised.
He had attended his daughter's; certainly couldn't miss his son's. Along the way, Gan Guoyang could also meet some old friends.
The trip had to be kept secret, otherwise, it would cause a lot of trouble. Gan Guoyang, under the cover of the hotel staff, avoided reporters and cameras and got into Mychal Thompson's car headed for Oswego Lake Mountain Park.
"It really troubles you, Thompson," Gan Guoyang said to Gan Wenshan, who had been living at Thompson's home for over a year. He was at the troublesome teenage stage, needless to say how much trouble it was to look after him.
"Haha, Xiao Gan is great. He's very independent. Plus, with him here, my three sons have become much more manageable."
Gan Wenshan inherited his father's charisma with kids; energetic, righteous, fair, and without too many ulterior motives, he commands the Thompson brothers, Curry brothers, and others with ease, all listening to his directions.
Thus, if Thompson had anything he wanted his three sons to do, he didn't need to instruct them individually, he could just discuss with Gan Wenshan, who would handle it.
"I'm not home most of the time, and he's learned to take care of himself." Gan Guoyang felt a bit saddened, as he didn't spend much time with his son.
Now, in order to advance further in his career and achieve unparalleled greatness in the basketball world, he's plunged back into the busy professional games.
Today, he managed to spare some time to look at how his son is doing in school, maybe even donate a building if necessary.
Gan Guoyang, as a special parent, caused a stir upon arriving at the school, with all teachers eager to meet Portland's top idol up close.
Most of the teachers at the school were fans of Gan Guoyang; even if they weren't fans, they certainly knew his name.
The children, however, didn't feel much, only knowing Gan Guoyang was very tall and appeared mighty.
Gan Guoyang also met Dell Curry, who had retired and stayed in Portland, working with Mychal Thompson as a commentator for the team.
Bill Schonely was getting old and about to retire. With many TV channels now, each channel has its own commentators, and Thompson and Curry cooperate very well.
Next, Gan Guoyang saw his son Gan Wenshan in the activity playground, along with his group of hilarious friends: the Thompson brothers, Curry brothers, and Kevin Love.
These boys together were reckless, almost able to roam around Oswego Lake Park unchecked.
Gan Wenshan's dad was part of the Oregon Sun, Thompson's brothers' dad was the Trail Blazers' first draft pick, Curry brothers' dad was Portland's sharp shooter, and the three of them together had several pounds of championship rings.
Kevin Love's dad, Stan Love, was also an NBA player; he joined the League in 1971, earlier than Gan Guoyang and Thompson, spending his career with the Bullet Team, being a relatively unremarkable player.
But his brother Mike Love was a member of The Beach Boys, a renowned American rock band of the 60s. This Hall of Fame band is comparable to The Beatles, selling over one hundred million records worldwide, alongside The Beatles and Bob Dylan, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
These kids of renowned figures in entertainment and sports grew up in affluent conditions, worldly and exceptionally energetic; without discipline, they could get into serious trouble.
Thankfully, their parents were strict, and they all were set on a path of sports in the future.
The great benefit of sports is consuming their endless energy and diverting their attention to teamwork rather than self-centeredness, which is very beneficial for growing boys.
Upon seeing his father, Gan Wenshan didn't show any sentiment but charged over, firing an Ultraman beam at Gan Guoyang, followed by a backflip, sending another Ultraman light beam at him while making beep beep beep sounds, causing everyone to laugh.
This turned Gan Guoyang into a monster.
Gan Guoyang's face turned red and white as he asked, "Who let you watch Ultraman?"
"Weren't those the discs you sent me?"