The starting lineups for both teams had already appeared on the arena's giant screen.
The Thunder's lineup was as follows:
Point guard: Wayne;
The third pick in the 2027 draft, he could fly and leap, and played much like Westbrook in his younger days.
His nickname was Batman, and he was also called Little Westbrook.
Shooting guard: Three-Point Ryan;
The third pick in the 2028 draft.
Small Forward: Raidlow;
The third pick in 2026—the year Wang Yi retired—and a budget version of Durant.
Power forward: Saylor;
The second pick in 2026, he was known as the Beast Forward. Built like a tank, he played with a ferocious edge.
Center: Snake.
The first pick in the 2028 draft. He stood 2.19 meters tall, with a wingspan of 2.35 meters, and long hands, legs, and neck.
His nickname was Big Snake.
These were the Thunder's starting five.
They were all under twenty-five.
And among them were one first pick, one second pick, and three third picks.
Their individual talents weren't exactly earth-shattering on their own.
But ranking among the top three rookies in their respective draft classes showed that each of them had top-tier talent for their year.
And it was unprecedented in NBA history for five young players with such talent to be on the same team.
So it was no exaggeration to call the Thunder the NBA's Whampoa Military Academy.
All the Thunder players were staring at Wang Yi on the Kings' side.
They had only one goal tonight:
Take down Wang Yi!
But when the Kings' starting lineup appeared on the big screen, they were a little dumbfounded.
Wang Yi wasn't in the starting lineup.
This was Wang Yi's second game back, and it was being broadcast nationwide as well.
ESPN had brought in two guests for tonight's broadcast: