Under these conditions, the basketball community was still rife with introductions from acquaintances, pulling strings through connections, and opening doors of convenience for second and third generations with all sorts of worldly wisdom.
Hornacek, for instance, entered the League through connections, though of course he had a certain level of ability that won over the team.
Gan Guoyang had unquestionably strong skills, but along his journey, he also made use of personal relationships considerably, with Coach Cap providing him with tremendous help.
This was the case for players, and even more so for the role of a coach, a position where "water could be added." Without a mentorship, without know-who introductions, without a father, mother, brother, or sister working in the NBA, aiming to become an NBA team coach was exceptionally difficult.