Wang Yi seized the chance while Jordan was still getting up and immediately dribbled beyond the three-point line.
He spun, leaped, and shot!
All in one smooth motion!
Swish!
The three-pointer dropped cleanly through the net!
11–0!
Wang Yi won the first game!
But the cheers from the crowd weren't very loud. They weren't nearly as enthusiastic as people had imagined.
It wasn't that they didn't support Wang Yi. It was that Jordan hadn't lived up to their expectations.
They'd expected that even if Jordan couldn't go toe-to-toe with Wang Yi, he'd at least have a four-to-six chance of winning.
Instead, Wang Yi had steamrolled him right from the start of the first game.
It was a tremendous disappointment.
Shaquille O'Neal fell a little quiet as he watched, then said, "We need to give the God of Basketball some time. He still hasn't found his rhythm. We need to be a little more understanding and patient with him."
James's hair had receded until he was nearly bald. Only a few short wisps remained on top of his head, barely better than nothing.
He shook his head too. "Anyone who's played professional sports knows that if you get injured during the season and return after missing a few games, you're usually not going to be in great form. Sometimes it feels like nothing's right, whether you're running, shooting, passing, defending, or rebounding. You just haven't found your rhythm again. Jordan hasn't played in decades. It's only natural that he'll need some time to get back into form."
After the first game, Wang Yi and Jordan each returned to their own resting areas.
The setup was pretty interesting. Unlike an NBA court, where the players' areas were along the same sideline, theirs were on opposite sides.
All they had to do was