The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 95 - 2 The Big Shot

Gan Guoyang had a joyful two days in Spokane with Wang Fuxi, even cutting down his own training time so he could spend time with her.

Wang Fuxi experienced firsthand what celebrity effect meant in Spokane. Gan Guoyang himself was a local attraction, and wherever he went, people sought a photo with him. Almost every business offered him discounts or free goods.

The influence of being the undefeated NCAA champion was evident, especially since Spokane, despite being the second-largest city in Washington State, was rather obscure nationally and hasn’t produced any big names.

Walking hand in hand by the clear Spokane River, the image was warm and serene. However, the two of them were arguing about what exactly Gan Guoyang liked about Wang Fuxi.

Until Wang Fuxi boarded her plane to leave, Gan Guoyang stood by his words, "I just like that you’re beautiful."

He claimed, "A good personality and all that are lies, only a good appearance is the absolute truth."

Because Gan Guoyang believed that with his capabilities and his future fame and wealth, he could control any person of any personality, but he wasn’t a goddess, unable to mold anyone’s face.

So, finding someone pleasing to the eye was more important than anything else.

Wang Fuxi scoffed at Gan Guoyang’s crooked logic.

"Then if you meet someone prettier, won’t you leave me to be with someone more beautiful?"

"To me, you are the most beautiful; there is no one more beautiful."

His words made Wang Fuxi feel much better, but after boarding the plane back to Portland, she secretly made a resolution to cleave away any beautiful woman that might appear around Gan Guoyang.

After Wang Fuxi left, Gan Guoyang returned to his peaceful campus life.

He continued taking courses needed for his credits and regularly attended team training to stay in form.

On April 29th, after morning training, Beelman found Gan Guoyang and said there was an agent who wanted to meet with him, suggesting they could have a chat.

Gan Guoyang asked, "Who? It’s not going to be your second uncle’s wife’s sister’s grandnephew again, is it?"

The agents introduced by Beelman before all seemed a bit unreliable to Gan Guoyang.

"Fuck, Gan, don’t defame me. This time it’s not an agent I contacted, it was Coach Phillips who got in touch with me, and then I reached out to you. This isn’t just any agent, this is a big shot. Watch your mouth when you talk, you brat," Beelman retorted.

In that era, there were no mobile phones or email, and telephone contact wasn’t very convenient.

One would have to go through many layers of connections and finally deliver the message orally.

Hearing that this was a big shot, Gan Guoyang decided to meet him.

The meeting was arranged at the president’s office of Gonzaga University, and Gan Guoyang thought that indeed this person must be someone with clout if he’s being received by the president directly.

The man was Larry Fleisher, a chubby White man with greased hair, wearing glasses, and having a serious expression on his face.

Indeed, his background was significant, with his role as an agent being just one of his many identities.

His most powerful position was that of the former chairman of the NBA Players Union, one of the founders of the NBPA and currently the chief legal counsel for the NBA Players Union.

In the NBA labor negotiations that ended in the previous year, 1983, he had battled with David Stern for over three years, ultimately pushing for the introduction of the salary cap system.

However, Gan Guoyang wasn’t someone who could be easily dazzled by fame; big names didn’t necessarily equate to great ability, and even if it did, it didn’t necessarily mean that it was a good fit for him.

Such well-known agents handled many stars, and it was hard to say how much attention and resources they could devote to him.

So, while Gan Guoyang showed respect to Mr. Fleisher, he was still very cautious about matters concerning his future and quickly asked a series of pointed questions:

"Mr. Fleisher, if you were to be my agent, what benefits would you bring to me? For instance, regarding the size of contracts, the development of commercial value. Also, you know I’m Chinese, and no Asian has ever really played in the NBA before. The League consists of White people and black people, so if I face racial discrimination, how would you handle it? Additionally, what is your perspective on the internationalization of the NBA, and do you have any insights into tapping into the Chinese market?"

Gan Guoyang had posed a series of difficult questions and was awaiting Fleisher’s answers.

If Flesher had simply given him the run-around with platitudes, Gan Guoyang would have passed on him, no matter his title as chairman or consultant.

Presented with these difficult questions, Flesher pushed up his glasses, and a smile appeared on his serious face.

Flesher had heard of Gan Guoyang’s reputation and had watched the epic battle broadcast in April; he knew this was an exceptionally talented player.

But upon meeting him, he realized this man had not only outstanding basketball talent but also a clear head, which was very rare among young players who hadn’t entered the NBA yet, especially among Black players.

Most young Black players were swayed by their parents and friends, lacking their own opinions. Although they dominated on the court, they were just children off the court, leaving everything to the adults to handle.

If the parents were reasonable and far-sighted, that was good; they would wisely take control of their child’s future and choose a safe path for them.

But that was a minority; most parents and relatives of Black players were short-sighted and greedy for money, seeing their children as cash cows to be cashed in as quickly as possible while they still held value, to improve family living conditions.

For instance, Moses Malone skipped college to go pro simply because his family was too poor, and his mother urgently needed money.

When Malone signed with the Utah Stars, the contract specifically included a clause to pay his mother a $500 monthly stipend, a $25,000 housing allowance in installments, and a $10,000 one-time signing bonus remitted to his mother.

Moses Malone later achieved great success in the NBA, but if he could have attended college and trained better there, his achievements could have been higher. Yet reality defeated him.

Flesher had looked into Gan Guoyang’s family background. His single father was the head chef at a well-known Chinese restaurant in San Francisco, famous in Chinatown, but obviously not from a family of great wealth. It was said that the restaurant’s fame rose due to Gan Guoyang’s basketball play.

With sponsorship from Chinese capital, he didn’t have to worry about tuition and living expenses. However, sponsorship only helped reduce his living costs and ensure he didn’t lack food and clothing.

So he came from a standard ordinary family, and his father’s profession as a Chinese chef even leaned towards the lower class. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Yet, from their conversation, Flesher could tell Gan Guoyang was very rational, with clear plans and ideas for his future. His questions were sharp, striking to the core, rather than just revolving around how much money he could make.

Based on this alone, Flesher rated Gan Guoyang highly and had a strong interest in signing him as one of his players—he wasn’t just anyone’s agent.

Among the players he had signed were Bill Bradley, John Havlicek, Bob Lanier, Willis Reed, Jerry West, Mike Dunleavy, Lenny Wilkens, Earl Monroe, and Paul Silas.

In recent years, he had been busy negotiating with the NBA League and team owners in his capacity as a legal advisor, so his work as an agent slipped, and he hadn’t signed any new-generation stars.

Last year, with the salary cap agreement settled, and this year with David Stern officially taking over as the NBA Commissioner, Flesher could finally free up his hands, pay attention to the new generation of players, and pick up the agent’s work again.

After the NCAA Finals, Gan Guoyang was the player he was most interested in and the first he appointed to meet. It turned out his judgment was correct.

Flesher was prepared for these questions. He cleared his throat and said,

"Mr. Gan, I call you Mister now because, from the moment you decided to enter the NBA draft, you became a true adult responsible for your own actions and words. Your questions are excellent, and I will answer them one by one."

"Regarding the contract, starting the next season, the NBA will implement a salary cap, which limits players’ salaries. As you know, I was fully involved in the negotiations of the salary cap, and I am familiar with all the details. If I become your agent and sign a contract with the team, they won’t dream of using the salary cap to deliberately depress your contract. They won’t be able to save a penny, and you will earn the maximum possible."

"About commercial value, I know all the marketing heads of sports manufacturers in the whole country, and I have been involved in most of the NBA’s commercial planning cases from the early days to the present. Though I don’t have a business talent, I can give you the best advice."

"Racial discrimination is a serious issue. I am good friends with many Black players, and I treat all races the same. I also have Asian friends with whom I have great relationships. I assure you on this matter, the NBA is a very inclusive league. Although David Stern is a madman, he won’t have issues in this regard."

"I want to add one more thing; you come from China, and my father, Morris, is of Russian descent, and he was a communist."

"You also mentioned the international market, the issue of the Chinese market. Oh, you are truly far-sighted, Gan, and you also asked the right person. My next plan is to develop the NBA’s international market, international players—that’s the future trend. I’ve visited many countries, organized players from the Union to play there, and I’ve been to China. In 1979, the Washington Bullets visited your country for a match, which I organized."

"I’ve also taken the players to Mexico, Brazil, Yugoslavia, and the vast continent of Africa. There are basketball fans everywhere, all waiting for development. China is the same—with the world’s largest population, it is a place with huge potential. And you, Gan, you will be an iconic figure, becoming a true national hero, which is what I expect."

Flesher spoke eloquently and at length, providing persuasive evidence with his eloquence and unparalleled qualifications.

After saying these, he spread his arms toward Gan Guoyang, indicating an embrace for him.

Gan Guoyang asked one final question, "May I ask, do you dislike David Stern?"

Flesher shrugged and said, "Every time I see him, I want to rip that tuft of beard off his face."

Gan Guoyang smiled, stepped forward, and embraced Flesher, and the two reached a cooperation agreement.