Chapter 26: Confidence

The team arrived early at Kezar Pavilion. This ancient sports arena, built in 1924, radiated a soft, rosy glow under the afternoon sun.

It carried the glorious history of San Francisco basketball. In 1953, Bill Russell donned the University of San Francisco uniform and made his debut at Kezar Pavilion. After defeating his opponents, Russell was hoisted up by the crowd, celebrated like a hero.

During that game, Bill Russell scored 23 points and recorded 13 blocks. He faced down the nationally ranked No. 10 University of California and their star, McKean, who was touted as the best player on the West Coast. Before that night, the University of San Francisco was unheard of nationally and had never reached a national tournament.

That night, the 4,000-seat Kezar Pavilion was packed to capacity; there were likely over 5,000 people crammed inside. Outside, more than a thousand people stood in line, braving the cold December Pacific breeze, while hundreds climbed the walls of the stadium and the surrounding trees, trying to catch a glimpse of the game through the large glass windows. Many more were blocked by traffic and never even got near the arena.

From 1954 to 1956, Russell led the University of San Francisco to 60 consecutive victories and two NCAA championships, a quarter of which were secured right here at Kezar Pavilion.

Although the atmosphere at Kezar Pavilion this afternoon was not as wild as it had been twenty years prior, it was still enough to make the players of the Water Clock team feel weak in the knees and deeply nervous.

As Gan Guoyang put it, "I feel like the entire Chinatown has turned out." By 2:30 PM, all 4,000 seats were filled, and even the aisles were crowded with people—all with yellow skin and black hair. Students from both schools had come to watch, wearing uniform t-shirts to cheer for their respective institutions.

The Lihua High School Tigers wore jerseys with white bases and black-and-gold tiger-striped trim. They looked well-trained, warming up on the court in an orderly fashion. The Beiqiao High School uniforms were red with black trim; the red symbolized the fiery sun and represented time, while the black represented water, fitting for the team name, "Water Clock."

Shortly before the game began, Bellman gathered his players. There wasn't much he could say to this group of ragtag individuals who had only been training together for a week. He knew that the most important thing at this moment was to relax, to avoid nerves, and to instill confidence in the players. So, setting aside his usual irritability, he spoke calmly, urging them to play well and show their style.

"Defense. Remember, you must play good defense. With strong defense, we have a chance at everything." Bellman emphasized defense repeatedly. He knew that as long as the others held their ground, and Gan Guoyang anchored the offense, there was hope for victory.

Inside, however, he was fuming, wondering why the school was in such a rush to have them play Lihua High after only a week of practice. The school and the foundation were indeed anxious, largely due to several factors. First, once Lihua High learned that Beiqiao had formed a basketball team, they had issued a challenge early on. The leaders of the Strait Self-Strengthening Foundation, which backed Lihua, had called Huang Shaohua more than once to ask when the two teams would play. Whenever Huang tried to delay, they would accuse Beiqiao of cowardice, which was infuriating.

Another reason was that it was August, and the high school and college basketball and volleyball seasons had not yet begun, making it easy to rent a venue. Once October arrived and various leagues kicked off, the court would be unavailable. So, they decided to just hold a warm-up game at the start of the school year to test the waters and see who was better. Winning would be good, and losing would be a lesson learned—nothing too serious.

They simply hadn't expected the game to generate such massive attention and fervor. The entire Chinatown had mobilized, and the gym was overflowing. Newspapers had sent reporters to the scene, armed with pens and cameras, ready to document this "Chinese civil war." The event was fueled by the gimmick of two Chinese-American teams facing off, as well as curiosity surrounding Gan Guoyang’s reputation. Everyone wanted to see if this big man, who had risen to fame so quickly on the streets, could still be as dominant in an official match.

The public loves to build up idols, but they also love to watch them fall. Among the spectators, there were those who hoped for a stellar performance from Gan Guoyang, and others who were just waiting to see him fail. All of this created immense pressure. For a new team like Water Clock, facing such a high-profile atmosphere in their first game was not necessarily a good thing. Under heavy pressure, people tend to break down psychologically. If they suffered a crushing defeat in front of so many people, the psychological trauma might take a long time to heal.

Bellman was very worried about this. The only thing that brought him some comfort was that Gan Guoyang seemed composed. As they walked onto the court, he even patted each of his teammates on the back.

"Keep your spirits up, I'm here."
"Stay sharp, keep your eyes peeled."
"Don't space out, stay focused."

His words eased the players' tension, though Chen Xing’s hands were still shaking as he stepped onto the court.

Wasn't Gan Guoyang nervous at all? Certainly not. He was extremely nervous, too; this was the first official game of his basketball career. With so many spectators—including his family, friends, and neighbors—it felt completely different from a casual game. However, while others were trembling with nerves, Gan Guoyang was so nervous that he felt abnormally exhilarated. As the game drew closer, the noise in the arena grew louder, his heart raced, and his blood surged.

The referee announced the rules, the players shook hands, and the centers stood at center court for the jump ball. The Lihua High center was just over 1.9 meters tall, half a head shorter than Gan Guoyang—who had recently measured in at 6'9" (206 cm), having grown more than an inch since arriving in the U.S.

The tip-off was no contest. Gan Guoyang tapped the ball to Chen Xing, and the game began. The decibel level in the arena instantly spiked by at least thirty percent, and Chen Xing committed a turnover on the very first play. The pass was intercepted, and the opponents launched a two-man fast break, finishing with a layup to score the first point of the game. Gan Guoyang gave chase but couldn't catch them.

"Don't panic. Just play our usual rhythm. I'll set screens and provide support," Gan Guoyang said as he inbounded the ball to Chen Xing, trying to soothe his nerves.

On the sideline, Bellman paced back and forth with his arms crossed. A bad start, indeed. Chen Xing dribbled the ball up, but he was thin and lacked physical strength. If they struggled even to dribble and organize an offense, how could they play?

Lihua High knew Gan Guoyang was the core of Beiqiao, and they immediately double-teamed him. Chen Xing hesitated with his pass, nearly turning it over again, and finally dumped the ball to Daxiong. Daxiong held the ball at the edge of the paint, spun twice, and not knowing what to do, had it swiped away.

Lihua High launched another counterattack. Bellman shouted from the sideline, "Get back! Run, run! Dammit!" Seeing two turnovers in the opening minutes, Bellman could no longer hold back his frustration and started cursing.

This time they retreated in time, and Gan Guoyang immediately dropped to the basket. The opposing point guard, number 5, slowed down for a moment, but seeing Chen Xing’s defensive stance was unsteady, he suddenly accelerated and drove through the middle. Before Beiqiao could set their defense, Gan Guoyang jumped to block the layup. But number 5 pulled a pump fake, then made a slick behind-the-back pass to a trailing teammate, who easily scored two points. The Lihua High students erupted in cheers, chanting their school slogan: "Lihua, Lihua, Standing Tall in China!"

"It's alright. Remember, shoot whenever you have a chance, don't hesitate. I'm here," Gan Guoyang comforted Daxiong. Everyone was nervous at the start, and the string of turnovers and baskets conceded had caused morale to dip. Lihua High, however, was well-drilled; despite being shorter, they all had uniform buzz cuts and played with practiced coordination.

"Gan, go on the offensive! Get one back!" Bellman shouted from the sidelines. The team needed a basket to steady their nerves. But on the following possession, Gan Guoyang didn't ask for the ball in the low post; instead, he stepped out to set a screen for Chen Xing. Eventually, Xu Xun took the ball, drove to the rim, and went up for a layup, but the shot didn't fall amidst the crowd of defenders. His speed and technique weren't enough; it was clear the moment he released it that it wouldn't go in.

At that moment, Gan Guoyang leaped up, tapped the ball, then tapped it again, grabbing the offensive rebound in front of two Lihua players. After securing the ball, he feigned a shot to draw the defense, then kicked it back to Chen Xing, who drove and put up a floater. The ball rattled on the rim, and just as it was about to roll off, Gan Guoyang somehow squeezed into the paint, jumped, and gently tipped the ball into the basket.

With the putback, Beiqiao High scored their first point, and the Beiqiao students, who had been quiet for a moment, erupted in cheers.

"I'm here. Everyone shoot with confidence, but remember to get back on defense. You must be fast!" Gan Guoyang returned to the backcourt, passing his confidence and encouragement to every teammate on the floor.

When the opposing point guard tried to use the same move to break through and dish the ball, Gan Guoyang didn't fall for it again. He clogged the passing and driving lanes. When the ball was kicked out to someone else who attempted a floater, Gan Guoyang turned back, jumped, and blocked the shot. He only touched the ball with his fingertips, but it lost all forward momentum, dropped straight down, and was secured by Gan.

When he handed the ball to Chen Xing this time, Chen’s hands had stopped shaking. He brought the ball across half-court and began to organize the offense. The rest of the Beiqiao players started shooting with conviction because they knew Gan Guoyang would provide them with a steady supply of ammunition in the paint.

About five minutes into the first half, the score was 8:6, with Beiqiao High leading by two points. Following a foul drawn by Xu Xun on a fast break, the ball went dead, and Lihua High called a timeout.

Gan Guoyang walked off the court with his teammates; the nervousness had been swept away.

"Four points, seven rebounds, two assists, three blocks. You’re something else, A-Gan." Bellman watched Gan Guoyang sit calmly on the bench. Only he knew exactly what this guy had done in the opening five minutes. It wasn't just about the stats.

"Well done, Gan," Bellman patted him on the shoulder.

Gan Guoyang glanced at Bellman and said calmly, "The game hasn't even really started yet, Bobby."