Half an hour before tip-off, around two hundred fans had already entered the arena.
The Lakers were a big-market team. In the past, half an hour before a game, there would have been at least three to five thousand fans in the arena.
But over the past month or so, with Wang Yi suspended, NBA games had been painfully dull.
The small-market teams had been playing to large numbers of empty seats almost every game.
Even a big-market team like the Lakers often had empty seats.
So it was understandable that only a little over two hundred fans had shown up half an hour before tip-off.
At first, the fans hadn't paid much attention. They were all chatting among themselves.
But then one sharp-eyed fan glanced over at the Raptors players warming up and suddenly froze.
"Huh? Isn't that Wang?"
A companion beside him laughed. "Were you out at a club all night? You're talking nonsense."
Someone nearby overheard them, looked toward the Raptors, and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh God, it's true! Wang is back!"
At his shout, everyone else turned to look toward the Raptors. Then they all cried out in astonishment.
"Oh, my God, he's back!"
"Damn it, Wang Yi's back. Why isn't he on the Raptors' active roster?"
"That's great! I can't believe the ticket someone gave me lets me see Wang Yi. What a deal, haha!"
"Fuck! Why did this bastard have to come back now, for the game against the Lakers? Fuck King!"
These Lakers fans had a love-hate relationship with Wang Yi.
After all, he had once played for the Lakers and brought the team many wonderful surprises.
But afterward, whenever he faced the Lakers, he crushed them, leaving their fans gritting their teeth in frustration.
Overall, though, seeing Wang Yi return had finally