This will be Tarkanian’s final season, and also Larry Johnson’s last college season.
UNLV almost created a miracle this year, winning ga after ga from the very start.
In the regular season tournants and invitational tournants, they remained undefeated, slicing through to the national tournant and then marching into the Final Four with ease.
With the whole world against them, UNLV, under Larry Johnson’s leadership, went on a 34-ga winning streak. Adding the 1990 season gas, they had already achieved a 45-ga winning streak.
Before the 1991 final showdown between Gan Qiao, UNLV’s fate was the most concerning matter for all Arican basketball fans.
In the semifinals, they faced their previous year’s final opponent, Duke. Coach K’s Duke team, with players like Reiner and Grant Hill, were eager for revenge.
In the previous year’s final, UNLV crushed Duke by a 30-point margin, but this ti Duke ca prepared.
The two sides engaged in an earth-shattering battle, with Reiner hitting two crucial free throws to give Duke a two-point lead.
Larry Johnson originally had a chance to make a ga-winning shot but chose to pass under Reiner’s defense to Anderson Hunt beyond the three-point line.
Hunt missed the three-pointer, and UNLV lost the ga, ending their legendary season.
They were so close to becoming the third team, after Bob Knight’s Indiana State University and Bobby Berman’s Gonzaga University, to have an undefeated season.
If they had succeeded, they would have won back-to-back NCAA championships for two consecutive years, a feat neither Indiana State nor Gonzaga accomplished.
After losing this ga, Tarkanian left UNLV and the college arena in dismay, although he had already predicted UNLV would lose before the match.
With many years of coaching experience, he had this premonition; reaching the Final Four was already UNLV’s limit, and their magical journey had co to an end.
After leaving UNLV, Tarkanian had prospects to coach in the NBA, with multiple teams showing interest in him.
anwhile, Larry Johnson entered the NBA with a huge halo, becoming the Hornets’ beacon of hope, and signed with Converse right after graduation, filming ads with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
In the advertisent, Larry Johnson dressed in middle-aged won’s clothing, playing the role of a grandma with a stark contrast.
The ad was highly effective, and its creative concept was repeatedly used to great impact over the next five years.
Larry Johnson’s arrival transford the Charlotte Hornets from a doormat to a team on the playoff fringe.
They beca a distinctive, dynamic force in the league.
Their backcourt included Mighty Mouse Bogues, the shortest player acquired from the Washington Bullets.
In the frontcourt, they had a power forward, just 6 feet 6 inches like Jordan, but weighing 250 pounds, strong as a bull, Larry Johnson.
Besides their distinctive lineup and play style, the Hornets also boasted beautifully colored jerseys, a cartoon-thed logo, and the most enthusiastic fans in the league.
This season, the Charlotte Arena, the Hornets’ ho court, had the highest attendance in the league, surpassing even the Bulls and the Trail Blazers, showcasing the frenzy of Charlotte fans.
Undoubtedly, Larry Johnson was the core of this erging team; his arrival provided the Charlotte people with ample incentive to buy tickets.
Larry Johnson was extrely strong, with shoulders and muscles even more robust than those of fellow small power forward Charles Barkley.
However, such a sturdy, broad, bull-like man, when seeing Gan Guoyang during pre-ga warm-ups, acted like a little fanboy, bringing over a basketball and asking Gan Guoyang for an autograph.
The reason was simple; Gan Guoyang was Larry Johnson’s idol. When asking for the autograph, Johnson shyly said, "Back in college, my dorm was covered with your posters... You were my goal, and we almost had an undefeated season last year."
Larry Johnson’s biggest regret was losing to Duke last year and not achieving a perfect season, saluting his idol, Ah Gan.
The high school and college experiences of Gan Guoyang were immortal legends for many young players born in the ’60s and ’70s, creating a viewing frenzy, with Ah Gan’s invincible image deeply engraved in the hearts of many basketball fans.
Now, one batch after another was entering the NBA, eager to beco opponents on the court with their idol.
Gan Guoyang earnestly signed his na on the basketball for Johnson and then seriously asked, "Larry, I heard you’re pretty good at boxing. Want to spar a little?"
Larry Johnson was a boxing enthusiast, and you could tell from his shoulders and arms; he had the build of a good boxer.
Normally, he would use boxing to train his combat ability and footwork flexibility, and Larry Johnson was very confident in his punches.
However, when Gan Guoyang ntioned it, Johnson quickly lowered his head, waved his hand, and said, "Oh no, no, no, I can’t. I’m just an amateur..."
Gan Guoyang laughed and said, "I’m not a professional either. Besides, it’s not about fighting on the court, but sparring a few rounds off the court when there’s a chance."
Hearing this, Johnson nodded repeatedly, thinking that being able to compete and spar with his idol was sothing he’d dreamt of.
Larry Johnson had a few opportunities to interact with Gan Guoyang before, like at the All-Star Ga, but he was both too shy and Gan Guoyang was always surrounded by too many people, leaving him with no opportunity.
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