Chapter Seventeen: Flexibility

As August 1981 arrived, the United States entered the peak of summer. The MLB strike was still ongoing, with games canceled from June through the present. However, as August began, both labor and management seemed to show signs of loosening their stances.

Investigations and trials continued for Hinckley, the man who attempted to assassinate President Reagan in March; his lawyers were attempting to frame him as a mentally ill individual lacking criminal responsibility. Meanwhile, JFA (Jodie Foster's Army), a hardcore punk band formed just 19 days after the assassination attempt, was touring the underground music scene in the Midwest, spreading their disdain for Ronald Reagan. On August 1st, MTV officially launched in the United States, with the first music video broadcast in the New York area being The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star." Music and film were merging in an unprecedented way, beginning to have a disruptive impact on the cultural industry.

However, the relationship between television and sports, which were more closely linked, seemed to be still searching for a direction and path for cooperation. The 1981 NBA Finals reached the lowest viewership ratings in two decades. Four of the six games were tape-delayed, scheduled to air after the late-night news. The only two live broadcasts were held on back-to-back Saturday and Sunday nights to suit CBS’s broadcast strategy. Even with young geniuses like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, the NBA still faced financial, viewership, and reputation crises. They needed reform, they needed to seize the opportunities of history, and they needed more healthy, positive, and talented players to join their ranks. Yet, the owners and management of the NBA were unsure of where the league was headed or where the people who could save it were to be found.

On the afternoon of August 1st, Gan Guoyang went to the backyard court of "The Beginning" restaurant as usual to train with Nate Thurmond. Inside the restaurant, workers were removing the "THE BEGINING" sign and packing up the posters and player portraits that had hung on the walls. San Francisco was a city of restaurants; every day, eateries of various styles and cuisines opened, and consequently, others closed. The economic recession that began in 1979 was battering every street and every restaurant in the Bay Area, and The Beginning, which Nate Thurmond had operated since the 1970s, could not escape this fatal tide.

On the court, Gan Guoyang’s back-to-the-basket technique became increasingly proficient. He moved with fluid grace, transitioning from facing the basket to posting up, dribbling, exerting force, turning, and finding space to shoot. Faced with Thurmond’s height, weight, and wingspan, Gan had to leverage his youth and agility, incorporating his own understanding into the post-up techniques he learned from Thurmond. Unlike the solid, heavy footwork of Thurmond, Gan, wearing his Avia 860s, played with a nimble, rhythmic quality; his post-up steps were more expansive, shifting forward, backward, and side-to-side in a way that seemed elusive. This made things somewhat difficult for Thurmond, whose knees were not in the best shape, though with twenty years of experience, it remained hard for Gan to score over him.

"One step, two steps, back, then right, then left, I'm going to drive inside, watch out..." Gan muttered to himself, though his actual movements were the complete opposite of what he said, intended to distract Thurmond.

As he turned to drive inside, he suddenly pulled back, taking a long stride outward to the 15-foot mark for a face-up jump shot. Thurmond couldn't keep up, and the ball swished through the net.

"Yeah! It's in!" Gan clenched his fist in celebration.

Thurmond stood with his hands on his hips, panting and cursing under his breath. "Who the f*** said they wanted to die in the paint last time? Is this how you die in the paint?"

Gan smiled and replied, "You can't be stubborn when playing basketball. You have to be both tough and flexible, right, Big Nate?"

Thurmond rubbed his knees. He couldn't keep playing like this; the boy's progress was shockingly fast, and he felt he was struggling to keep pace. Feeling Gan’s agility and youthful vigor, Thurmond knew this was the younger generation, representing the new era and the future direction of basketball.

Just then, a worker approached to tell Thurmond that the sign had been removed and everything was packed and loaded, asking if they were ready to leave. Thurmond nodded, gave the worker an address, and the truck drove away, leaving the restaurant empty. Looking at the place where he had poured his heart and soul, Thurmond felt a sense of melancholy. Before long, a new restaurant would move in, renovate, and open for business.

"Nate, where are you going to go?" Gan asked.

"I’m staying in San Francisco, of course. I hate the winters in Ohio. The Warriors gave me a job as a community liaison, so I'll be going to Oakland often."

"Can I still find you to play basketball?"

"There is a vast world out there. San Francisco and Oakland are full of great players—in schools and on the streets. That is where you can truly showcase your talent. Of course, you can find me anytime. If you want to see an NBA game, I can get you tickets."

In just a week of spending time together, Thurmond had grown fond of this energetic and driven young man—and, of course, the Chinese food he brought.

Gan nodded. As they parted ways, he expressed his concerns to Thurmond: "Your restaurant closed, and I feel like ours isn't far behind. Business is getting harder and harder."

"My Beginning closed partly because of the economic climate, and partly because I had other ideas—I wanted a break. I'll open another restaurant in the future. As for you, your father’s cooking is excellent, but the Tenderloin district isn't the right place for middle-class consumption. You either need to change locations or change your mindset. In short, just like your jump shot, you must be flexible, right?"

Thurmond’s words gave Gan some inspiration. That evening, back at the Gan Family Restaurant, the atmosphere at dinner was heavy. Gan Bingguang told everyone that the restaurant's income in July still failed to cover expenses; although takeout revenue had increased, dine-in customers were becoming increasingly scarce. With rent and various costs, they were still operating at a loss, and there were no signs of improvement for the coming month.

"I’ve been contacting buyers to take over the lease. Once we find a suitable buyer, we’ll have to leave. Youwei, I’ll help you find a new job then, and don’t worry about a place to stay. I just feel bad for you and Guoyang."

Gan Bingguang’s dream of opening a high-end Chinese restaurant seemed to be shattering, making him look a few years older. Gan Youwei said he had no regrets, and with his skills, he wouldn't go hungry in San Francisco. But Gan Guoyang wondered, was there really no other way?

After dinner, Gan Guohui found Gan Guoyang and said, "Cousin, we're going to the training camp the day after tomorrow. Should we play another game against Cancer?"

Gan Guoyang replied, "Why not wait until we come back from the training camp? We’ll definitely have improved more by then. A gentleman's revenge is never too late."

Gan Guohui said, "I’m just afraid that by the time we get back from summer camp, the restaurant will be gone."

"So, what are you saying..."

"I mean, let’s play the game on the Tenderloin court this time. We’ll use the Gan Family Restaurant name and use it as a promotion for the place. What do you think?"

"Promotion... how do we do that?"

"Advertising, putting the restaurant's logo on our jerseys, and maybe giving out coupons for watching the game."

"Will that work? You’d be better off asking Chen Xing to have his dad waive the rent."

"Tried it, forget it. We might as well try anything. My grandfather poured so much effort into this shop; it’s his lifelong dream. I don't want to watch it close like this—we have to try. Besides, don't you want to take on Cancer again?"

Thinking of his frustration after losing to Cancer last time, Gan Guoyang dreamed of washing away his shame. Plus, he was eager to test the results of his week of training in a real game.

"Fine. Let Chen Xing arrange it, as soon as possible."

"No problem! By the way, where have you been disappearing to every afternoon? Don't tell me you found a girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend, my foot. It's settled. Let’s meet tomorrow morning and discuss tactics."

"Do you think we should name our team?"

"We'll think about it together tomorrow."

"They call themselves 'Cancer.' How about we call ourselves 'Chemotherapy'?"

"...We'll discuss it later. Stop coming up with random names."