Petrović still remembers the grand vision he set for himself in 1989 when he first arrived in Portland.
At that time, as he traveled along the elevated highways on the outskirts of Downtown Portland, he saw huge billboards everywhere, featuring giant portraits of Gan Guoyang.
He was Portland's emperor, the most successful foreign player in NBA history, achieving a three-peat at a young age, and was considered an unsurpassable peak.
In Petrović's heart, the thought of "a great man should be like this" arose, and he vowed that one day he would be like Ah Gan, appearing on billboards, and even surpassing Ah Gan.
Later, he realized that he would never surpass Ah Gan in his lifetime, but through his hard work and progress, he became an important member of a championship team.
His large portrait was also prominently displayed in Downtown Portland — it was a sneaker advertisement shot by Avia for him.
