The Golden Age of Basketball

Allen Iverson could hardly remember the last time he attended training without being late.

Was it back in college? Or perhaps when he first entered the NBA? In any case, for him, arriving on time for training seemed almost disgraceful.

There’s always been gossip that Iverson doesn’t train, but that’s undoubtedly impossible; no player can survive in the NBA without training, no matter how talented.

Iverson is simply naturally rebellious, and his daily schedule is rather chaotic. He didn’t develop such habits from a young age, and after becoming the team’s leader and a superstar, he disliked sticking strictly to the team’s plans to complete the training schedule.

Tardiness and leaving early were common occurrences for him, but once training began, he would be highly committed.

He would complete the goals he set for himself, such as the number of shots, running mileage, technical and tactical proficiency, and so on.

Iverson believed in the importance of training quality over quantity, and the effectiveness was more meaningful than merely clocking in hours.

From his personal perspective, this thinking was indeed correct; a one-hour training session can be as effective as three or four hours.

But basketball is a team sport; punctual and regular training not only enhances technical skills but also fosters team spirit, making players feel part of a whole.

Iverson’s frequent lateness resulted in an exception in team management, leading other players to also disregard team rules and diminishing cohesion.

Gan Guoyang was an absolute role model in this aspect; he had never been late nor left early for training since high school, and even at 42, he maintained high energy, running in the morning and then heading for practice.

Iverson knew this, but what he didn’t expect was: first, Gan Guoyang would send someone early on a training day to pick him up, to go to Las Vegas Park for a morning run.

"I said I won’t be late for training. I don’t need you two to pick me up, and you should definitely not be knocking on my door so early."

"Sorry for disturbing your sleep, but this is a project arranged by the boss. Morning runs are good for physical and mental health and can give a good start to the day. Your body doesn’t only belong to you; it’s also a part of the Las Vegas Radiance team’s assets, and we have an obligation to help you maintain it."

"America is a free country."

"Yes, so we thrive under the protection of freedom."

In every conversation, Feng Peiyu would leave Iverson speechless, while Feng Guangyao would remain silent.

Iverson suspected that Feng Peiyu’s role was to persuade him, and if persuasion failed, Feng Guangyao would resort to force.

A reasonable suspicion, but Iverson didn’t want to confirm it; he went back to get dressed and followed the two downstairs and got in the car.

Upon reaching Las Vegas Park, Iverson’s second surprise was finding that Coach Porter was also there.

"Wow, our coach wakes up early to jog every day too? No wonder he maintains such a good physique, never putting on weight even after retiring."

Porter rolled his eyes at Iverson and said, "20 years, man, stop complaining. The good days are just beginning."

Seeing Porter joining, Iverson no longer resisted, and the three, along with their guards, ran a distance to warm up.

Gan Guoyang didn’t discuss basketball with Iverson but instead introduced fun and interesting places in Las Vegas.

Places to fish, places to watch movies, places with good food, planes to view the Grand Canyon, visits to Hoover Dam, and more.

"What about nightclubs? Casinos?"

"Of course there are many, but Radiance players shouldn’t go during the season. If you insist on going to the casino, nobody will stop you, but you’ll end up losing everything, without a penny left."

Iverson stuck his tongue out, thinking that the days of staying overnight at the club, drinking and playing until the next day, then heading to training or games, were gone forever.

He had long heard that when Jordan came to Las Vegas, he almost quit gambling because he couldn’t win a single cent here.

The immense addictive nature of gambling lies in wins and losses; although you ultimately lose more than you win, the intense excitement and dopamine surge when winning are hard to resist for many.

If the gamble leads to ten losses out of ten, naturally, there wouldn’t be any addiction.

Iverson knew that Vegas casinos have varying shares owned by Ah Gan, with some major ones directly under his control.

If Ah Gan said someone shouldn’t enter, they wouldn’t get in; if he said someone should always lose, they would always lose.

After not running too long and just warming up, Gan Guoyang led the group to have some breakfast and then they parted ways.

Gan Guoyang told Iverson: "Besides work and play, a man should spend more time with family, especially kids. Bring your children to Vegas; you don’t need to worry about school issues. Also, if Tawanna feels bored, I can offer her job positions to choose from, whether easy or challenging."

Iverson nodded in acknowledgement, and Er Feng sent him back to his apartment.

Iverson’s wife Tawanna thought he would be out for long; she was used to Iverson disappearing for days. When she next saw him, it was usually at the stadium or on TV, so seeing him come home so early was a surprise.

After taking a shower, Iverson sat on the sofa, lost in thought. Tawanna asked him what was on his mind.

"I think I’ve seen real power, and I want to be a man like that."