"You must play tonight, the Christmas showdown, the whole country is watching, your duel with Ah Gan. You need to settle Ah Gan for me!"
O'Neal's mind once again flashed back to memories of being dominated and humiliated by Ah Gan during his rookie season.
It was a public execution and absolute disgrace that would be unforgettable for life. The gap in strength and play style left O'Neal clueless about how to defeat Gan Guoyang.
He couldn't admit himself to be a sitting duck like Sam Bowie and avoid rivalry with an eagle, focusing only on doing his own thing well.
Even if he could accept it mentally, the coach, spectators, fans, and commentators wouldn't agree, as they would constantly compare O'Neal to Ah Gan.
Moreover, from this season's situation, Ah Gan's weight had increased, his play style became trickier, and he was harder to defend against.
O'Neal attempted to discuss with Beelman, "How about letting Thorpe defend Ah Gan? He's more like a power forward anyway."
