The Pelicans-Lakers Showdown, a game fans had been anticipating since the start of the season, was finally here.
And it was taking place in a Christmas Day Game that had captured everyone's attention.
Long before Christmas arrived, fans of both teams had already been arguing furiously on social media.
James, Durant, Tang Tian, the Lakers, and the Pelicans—those names generated more traffic than anything else in the league.
Not to mention the star power of All-Star Players like Davis, Simmons, and Middleton.
Whether in popularity or strength, these were the two strongest active teams in the league.
"Lakers or Pelicans—which team do you think will come out on top?"
The NBA's official website had also posted a poll like that.
This kind of Building Hype escalated the verbal war even further and made this game the focal point of all focal points.
The Christmas Day Game would be played at the Staples Center.
The day before the game, the entire Pelicans team arrived in Los Angeles. They would be spending Christmas Eve on the road again this year.
As usual, Tang Tian gave his teammates valuable gifts, though his gift this year was not the most expensive.
Thanks to their massive Broadcast Contract, the Pelicans had leapt to become the third-most valuable team in the league last year.
Taking advantage of Christmas, Benson traveled to Los Angeles with the team and announced some news on behalf of the franchise on Christmas Eve.
If the team managed to complete four consecutive championships, he would give every player who had appeared in the Finals a watch.
It would definitely not be an ordinary watch, but a luxury one: a custom watch jointly produced by Patek Philippe and Cartier.
Patek Philippe was the world's most luxurious watch brand, with most of its annual