Ever since the men's basketball team had improved, the caliber of its Warm-up Game opponents had risen accordingly.
And because this Olympics was being held in Japan, many teams had arrived there early. Many teams played their Warm-up Games in Japan, while some had also come to China.
The quality of the men's basketball team's Warm-up Games this year rivaled that of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
After welcoming back the six-man NBA group, they also kept receiving good news from their games.
The two most outstanding performers were Ding Yanyuhang and the newcomer Lin Yi.
Last season, Ding Yanyuhang broke into the Pelicans' rotation, averaging 8.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists, with a 43% field goal percentage and a 36% Three-Point Percentage.
The numbers were not eye-catching, but it was worth noting that this was the best performance by a domestic guard since Tang Tian.
After being tempered in the NBA, he had become stronger, faster, and more confident.
Especially because he had been Tang Tian's teammate on the Pelicans, he and Tang Tian had excellent chemistry on the court and played with ease.
Lin Yi had yet to play a single NBA game, but his ability and impact were very obvious.
His reliable perimeter shooting could space the floor. On the defensive end, he had size and physicality, while his defensive ability was no worse than Zhou Qi's. Combined with drives uncommon for a big man and solid rebounding, he quickly replaced Zhou Qi as the starting Center Position candidate.
Many fans even gave Lin Yi the "Great Demon King" title that had originally belonged to Zhou Qi, saying he was the one who truly deserved the nickname.
Time flew by, and before long, it was the eve of the Olympics opening ceremony.
The men's basketball team completed