Before flying to Salt Lake City, Gan Guoyang made a call to Stockton.
The two almost talked on the phone every week, especially during the preseason.
Stockton, practically after every day's training, called Gan Guoyang to share his worries, he was afraid of being cut.
Gan Guoyang reminded Stockton more than once, "You're the 16th pick of the first round, not the 16th of the tenth round, the Jazz wouldn't have selected you so high only to cut you afterward."
Besides, you were the core guard of the NCAA champions, you should carry some of that champion's confidence, and not let those country bumpkins in Salt Lake City look down on you.
However, a person's nature is hard to change, and it has nothing to do with whether you've won a championship or not. Stockton was a person who worried daily, and even two years of friendship with Gan Guoyang hadn't changed that about him.
