The front three rows of the court were also filled with Deyun Club's headliner, Guo Degang; the "Empress of Crosstalk," Yu Qian; Yue Yunpeng and Sun Yue; Guo Qilin, Zhuangzhuang, and a host of other Deyun Club performers.
Seeing so many Chinese celebrities in attendance, Wang Yi felt a little excited.
Especially when he saw Guo Degang.
After all, during the two lowest years of his NBA career, he had gotten through them almost entirely by listening to Guo Degang's crosstalk.
He knew Guo Degang was only interested in traditional culture, such as crosstalk, storytelling, opera, calligraphy, and Chinese classics.
He wasn't interested in sports like basketball.
It was genuinely surprising that he had come to watch in person today.
Before tip-off, all the lights in the arena were on to help fans find their seats.
When Wang Yi spotted the celebrities from China, he walked over and greeted them one by one.
Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, and Guo Allen needed no introduction. Wang Yi already knew them well.
After greeting them, Wang Yi went over to Guo Degang.
He reached out and shook Guo Degang's hand, smiling. "Teacher Guo, I'm surprised you came to watch an NBA game."
Guo Degang laughed. "I'm performing in Toronto, and it just so happened to line up. Since I'm so far from home, of course I had to come cheer you on."
Wang Yi clasped his hands in thanks. "I appreciate you coming."
He then greeted several of Guo Degang's disciples.
One minute before the game began, the lights in the stands dimmed, leaving only the court illuminated.
This helped the spectators focus on the game and allowed viewers at home to find the action right away, without getting distracted by other images.
The enormous screen overhead, as large as a wall, was