The cheers lasted for more than a full minute, and the award ceremony had to wait for more than a minute as well.
The China Team players raised their hands and waved to the audience.
The USA Team players beside them turned to look, their eyes full of helplessness and disappointment.
This should have been their moment, but now it belonged to the China Team!
Not only could they not have this moment, they had to stand by as background figures and witness the China Team enjoying it!
One could only imagine the torment in their hearts.
But sometimes life was just like that. If you lived by the sword, you would eventually pay the price. No matter how miserable they felt, they could only swallow it.
As the cheers died down, the award ceremony continued.
IOC President Thomas Bach and FIBA President Horacio Muratore presented the China Team with their awards together.
"Wu Qian."
"Zhai Xiaochuan."
Each time a player had his gold medal placed around his neck, the host announced his name.
"Ding Yanyuhang."
When Ding Yanyuhang received his medal, the cheers from the crowd were noticeably louder.
The same was true for Zhou Qi and Guo Ailun, both of whom had delivered outstanding performances in the final.
"Yi Jianlian."
When it was Yi Jianlian's turn, the cheers rose several decibels higher.
"Wang Zhelin."
By the time Wang Zhelin's introduction ended, the cheers were already impossible to contain.
Because Tang Tian was next.
"Tang Tian!"
The host emphasized his name, and the cheers in the arena reached their peak.
"MVP! MVP!"
With someone taking the lead, the entire crowd soon broke into synchronized chants.
There was no Most Valuable Player award at the Olympics, but Tang Tian's performance from the Group Stage onward had absolutely been