China vs. France in the Semifinals

China vs. France in the Semifinals

September 13, 2023, 7:30 p.m.

The semifinal between China and France was about to tip off at the Philippine Arena.

That evening, more than 50 million people across China were glued to their screens, watching the game.

If China beat France tonight, they would be guaranteed a silver medal.

For Chinese fans, witnessing the national team win a medal would be an immense honor.

Even people who didn't like basketball would naturally tune in when China was playing.

Wang Yi's classmates had once again rented out a movie theater to watch the game.

Some companies had also rented out theaters and organized screenings for their employees.

For one thing, their bosses were basketball fans. For another, renting a theater to watch China's semifinal was a way to support the team—a show of patriotism.

CCTV had exclusive broadcast rights to the game in China.

The livestream's real-time viewership had already surpassed 59 million and was on the verge of reaching 60 million.

Total views had reached an astonishing 180 million.

And those numbers had been recorded five minutes before the game even started.

By the time it ended, they would be even more staggering.

Meanwhile, all 50,500 seats in the arena in the Philippines were packed.

With so many seats, games held at this arena rarely sold out.

But tonight, every single one of the 50,500 seats was occupied.

That was because, besides Chinese and French fans, a large number of Filipinos had come to the game.

The Philippines was a basketball-loving nation that treated the sport as its national game. Its people idolized players who put on outstanding performances on the court.

Wang Yi's astonishing 18 alley-oops in the previous game had already made him a household name in the Philippines.

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