The frequency of issues like players arriving at the airport with no one to greet them, luggage left behind at the hotel, errors in promotional images, cheerleaders including several strippers, and internal staff involved in gambling has greatly diminished.
Although problems still emerge endlessly, the team has amassed the experience to handle them without panic, ensuring they don't affect the players' performance.
Ticket sales for the team are soaring, with every game being sold out, and the MGM Hotel's more than 17,000 seat capacity is unable to meet the fans' demand.
Glory has also signed a broadcast contract with the local TV station and decided to start from 2002, documenting the formation process, internal operations, and game situations of Glory Team to prepare a documentary, which will be another source of revenue.
At this rate, Glory Team can make a profit in the first season and meet the revenue targets of the gambling agreement, sharing dividends with the other 29 teams and the Las Vegas casino owners.
For Gan Guoyang, basketball is no longer simply a game but a career, a form of packaging and management in sports.
However, Gan Guoyang has not focused all his marketing efforts on himself.
Theoretically, he is the undisputed best in history, and he could continuously add various halos to himself.
Just like Brezhnev, who kept awarding himself medals, and likely no one would object.
Besides the undeniable championships, MVPs, Finals MVPs, scoring titles, and rebound titles, he could aim for the historical scoring title, historical block title, and freely customize various statistical honors.
The number of 40+20 games, 40+40 games, 60+20 games, second highest 81 points in history, most 60 points in playoffs, highest series average points, consecutive 40-point games, consecutive 50-point games, single-game shooting percentage records, etc., etc.
The NBA's data records are so meticulous and comprehensive, and the accumulative data Gan Guoyang has tallied over the years is so vast and rich, it is incredible.
His team only needs to spend a little time each day digging through the old records, comparing and customizing statistics, and soon derive some record, then award him a medal.
In time, medals could be awarded endlessly while Gan Guoyang continues to play, adding and updating his statistics, reaching more milestones.
Soon enough, his chest would be adorned with various medals, the trophy room would be filled with customized awards, countless, enough to make anyone exclaim—he is truly the greatest in history.
Gan Guoyang could have done this, but he did not.
As time passed, much like his performance on the court, Gan Guoyang increasingly concealed himself.
The team's promotions no longer highlighted Gan Guoyang alone; he is the core, but others are equally important.
Sports Illustrated was invited for an interview, not with Gan Guoyang, but with Porter.
His rings are as numerous as Gan Guoyang's; he too is a legend, with his stories also worth chronicling.
Steve-Kerr is the only player on Glory Team who has played with both Ah Gan and Jordan.
Kerr has plenty to say on radio shows and TV interviews comparing the two.
Kevin Willis's large-sized clothing store is still operating and thriving.
Brad Miller's passing talents are praised by the Vegas media and fans.
Gerald Wallace's jersey is the best-selling aside from Ah Gan's No. 11.
Tomjanovich specifically requested him to deliver exciting dunks when there's a good opportunity for everyone to enjoy.
Arenas is still lying low; he is regarded by Glory as a promising stock that may become the team's key perimeter player in the future.
In short, Gan Guoyang has distributed the resources that could have centralized on himself to the other members of Glory Team, allowing fans to learn more about the other players.
"I hope fans can come to love Glory Team, not just me; this is the purpose of establishing this team," Gan Guoyang has said more than once.
So, 2001 passed, Gan Guoyang felt some nostalgia, but he looks forward to 2002.
Because everyone has a bright future with Glory.