Li Nan stepped in at the crucial moment to save the day, temporarily resolving the issue.
The men's basketball team won three consecutive awards, overshadowing the women's volleyball team and standing out at the selection ceremony.
At this point, the awards ceremony was nearing its end.
The final award presented was also the most prestigious one: the Jury Grand Prize.
This award recognized overall contributions to sports over the past year. Unlike the previous awards, it could be given to either a team or an individual.
The 2013 award went to the China Go Team, while Li Na and Lang Ping received it in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
So there were no nominees for this award; everyone present was a possible recipient.
The host and presenting guest played up the suspense. The first envelope they took out was empty, and only the second one revealed the final answer.
"The recipient of the 2016 Sports Personality of the Year Committee Grand Prize is... Tang Tian!"
When Tang Tian's name was announced, deafening cheers erupted throughout the venue.
Over the past year, whether in terms of public attention or individual performance, Tang Tian had been the most influential athlete.
Moreover, his charity foundation had continued to grow, helping more and more people. Like his participation in Yao Ming's charity game, he embodied the Chinese virtue of helping the world when one had the means to do so.
He truly deserved this award.
But when the camera lens showed Tang Tian getting to his feet with a bitter smile on the big screen, another burst of laughter swept through the venue.
Tang Tian had just said earlier that he was out of words, and Li Nan had needed to save the day.
But this time, it was his personal award. No one could