The media reporters saw this as a matchup between two very young players.
Both of them were just 20 years old.
As the saying went, youth was often reckless. When facing Wang Yi, young players like these were the most likely to talk big.
And when they talked big, the reporters got clicks.
Yet at the press conference, no matter how they tried to provoke Juan or rile him up, he showed no intention of badmouthing Wang Yi.
He even called out the reporters' motives in front of everyone:
"I know you want to hear me say something disrespectful about Wang Yi, but I'm sorry—I'm going to disappoint you."
"I'll say it again: Wang Yi is my idol. I got interested in basketball because I watched him play. He showed me that the world could have a sport this incredible, and players this incredible."
"Ever since then, I've dreamed of coming one day to the place where Wang plays, and of competing alongside him. If it weren't for him, I might still be wasting away in the slums."
"So give it a rest. You'll never hear me say a single disrespectful word about Wang Yi. Not in this lifetime!"
He delivered that last line with particular conviction.
The reporters were left speechless.
He was young, wasn't he? Before a game, shouldn't he be making bold claims—or even talking trash—about his opponent? Why was he showing such admiration instead?
After their attempt to provoke Juan failed, the reporters turned their attention to the thirteenth pick: Robert Mark Carmen.
"Carmen, I know that based on the games so far, Wang Yi is still the League's Number One. But in a few months, he'll be 32, and his performance will start to decline."
"As everyone knows, no matter how great an NBA player