Of course, they had also considered Wang Yi's particular style of play: the tougher the game and the stronger the opponent, the more excited—and more powerful—he became.
But that was Wang Yi in his younger days. He was 37 now. What could his excitement do for him?
To their surprise, the moment he stepped onto the court, Wang Yi entered his Number 0 Thug state.
Now, they had no choice but to outsmart him.
The three exchanged glances, each seeing a hint of helplessness and unease in the others' eyes.
At courtside, commentators LeBron James and Stephen Curry once again shouted excitedly.
This time, though, after getting worked up, high schooler James came out with a few other words.
"Number 0 Thug!"
"Number 0 Thug is back!"
"Do you see that?"
"Number 0 Thug is back!"
"Oh my God!"
"Oh my God!"
"Oh my God!"
He jumped to his feet in excitement, nearly flipping over the commentary desk in front of him. His voice cracked.
Beside him, Stephen Curry was also exclaiming in excitement.
Just watching the first minute of a Wang Yi game was enough to get anyone's blood pumping.
No one had expected the former Number 0 Thug to show up again at the age of 37.
I used to think Number 0 Thug was a thing of the past, that he'd never appear again.
But he was back!
He was back!
Oh my God!
Curry adjusted his glasses, the court lights reflected in the lenses, and his voice was full of astonishment.
At that moment, Lakers head coach JJ Redick called a timeout.
He snatched up the clipboard and slammed it onto a chair on the bench, his face livid.
He'd learned Kerr's clipboard-smashing tactic!
They'd barely played a possession and a half, yet Wang Yi had