Jordan's ability to play basketball isn't as good as Ah Gan, but his shoe-selling skills are truly formidable, even Ah Gan falls slightly short.
The ability to sell shoes on the perimeter is indeed too strong.
And Kobe possesses potential not inferior to Jordan.
If we're talking championships alone, Kobe is already on par with Jordan.
He needs a championship that truly belongs to him, a chance to soar to new heights.
"Sonny, that guy, is so persistent. When he returns, Avia's market value will rise again, and the Western Conference playoffs will become increasingly unpredictable, truly a headache."
Phil Knight felt frustrated seeing Gan Guoyang's astonishing performance on the court.
In fact, there aren't too few people like Knight who don't appreciate Gan Guoyang's comeback. Like Mark Cuban, Knight also opposed the addition of a new team in Las Vegas.
Unfortunately, they were in the minority. In the board meeting, those small clubs lacking funds all supported the new team, while teams like the Trail Blazers, which were making big profits, found it difficult to speak firmly.
Of course, deep down, Knight also fantasized about signing Ah Gan back then.
If so, not just America, but the global sports market would be Nike's domain.
The Portland Trail Blazers and Nike's red and black colors would spread worldwide and become most orthodox.
Unfortunately, there's no if; Nike still looks to the future, focusing on Kobe and another genius high school player emerging in Ohio.
The match between the Trail Blazers and the Glory Team had reached a fever pitch.
Kobe made a mid-lane breakthrough, throwing a pass to Little O'Neal for an alley-oop, intercepted by Gan Guoyang.
With possession regained, the Glory Team took their time in a steady half-court offense.
Gan Guoyang began receiving passes in the low post, turned around, and drove inside, drawing a foul from Little O'Neal.
Little O'Neal was still too inexperienced against Gan Guoyang; just a fake move had him jumping, easily drawing a foul.
Both free throws in, 83:79, the Glory Team stretched their lead back to 4 points.
Then, Raja Bell tipped the ball off Kobe's hands during defense.
Gerald Wallace rushed over to successfully steal the ball for a fast-break dunk!
The Trail Blazers' offense seemed discouraged, while the Glory Team, enduring the pressure, regained the advantage.
Carl called a timeout, allowing the players to catch their breath and regain composure.
Back on the court, Kobe altered his offensive style, no longer fixated on holding the ball, but began moving without it.
He used Little O'Neal and Ben Wallace's double screens to receive the ball on the left baseline, executing a mid-range jump shot that scored.
Kobe scored using tactics; next, on defense, he switched to guarding Arenas again, disrupting his rhythm.
The Trail Blazers' formidable defense led the Glory Team to a 24-second violation, but then turned around, and the Glory Team used a robust and disciplined 3-2 zone defense, forcing the Trail Blazers into a 24-second violation.
Both sides were increasingly sparked, showcasing high levels of performance.
These minutes were defensive rounds, with no scoring, but the situation favored the Glory Team as they led.
Kobe knew he had to stand out again; having rested his ultimate move for a while, he once again charged into the paint holding the ball.
This drew a foul from Brad Miller, landing him on the free-throw line, hitting the first one.
Feeling slightly tired, Kobe relaxed his body for the second shot.
However, the release was too soft, overly relaxed, resulting in a miss, with Gan Guoyang grabbing the rebound.
"One out of two free throws, this one point will cost you the game," Gan Guoyang said to Kobe.
He continued to press the young player, but Kobe turned a deaf ear, fully focused on the game.
Gan Guoyang looped around from the baseline, receiving the ball at 45 degrees on the right, immediately pivoting for a mid-range jump shot.
Ball in! With this basket, Gan Guoyang had already scored 36 points, a feat accomplished despite his significantly reduced playing time.
As for Kobe, using the same route, he looped from the baseline to the left 45-degree spot, catching the pass for a three-point attempt!
A high-difficulty catch-and-turn strong shot even Raja Bell didn't have time to jump for interference, unexpected that Kobe would take this shot.
As he turned around to look, the ball was already in, Bell cursed under his breath, "Fack, how did that go in?"
Kobe had now scored 30 points, although he took more shots than Ah Gan, his shooting was decisive.
In the final stages of the game, the Rose Garden Arena became a duel ground for Gan Guoyang and Kobe.
All players from both teams consciously handed the ball over to them, while the crowd stood up.
This was a showdown between Portland's old king and new king, akin to a lion pride succession, life or death.
Gan Guoyang received the ball at the top of the arc, breaking through to the basket at a not-so-fast speed, facing three defenders, and tossed the ball towards the hoop.
The whistle didn't blow, indeed there was a foul, but the ball bounced on the rim a couple of times before dropping into the net!
Rising afterwards, Gan Guoyang complained to the referee, "When did you start officiating games, first time officiating my play? No foul call!"
The referee showed no response, only shrugged; he indeed was a young referee who started his career later than Gan Guoyang.
From the season's start, the league had hinted that whistles against Ah Gan should be strict.
This guy, if given more whistles, wouldn't he still be overturning at 37? How could young stars rise?
While Kobe returned to rely on jump shots, earned a foul for two free throws, and made both.
The Trail Blazers held tightly to the score.
Gan Guoyang stopped holding the ball, came to the baseline to confuse the Trail Blazers' defense.
Pretending to receive the ball, he suddenly ran to the other side, circling out to catch the ball.