Chapter 491: The 2014-15 Season Begins

The regular season was about to start, and the teammates were all training. The Suns had not changed much from the previous season, except for the retirement of Tracy McGrady and the addition of two rookies. 

The 2014-15 season might be a rather boring one.

The Suns had no rivals, and all sports media acknowledged that the Suns were the top favorite to win the championship this season, even being in a league of their own.

The Big Three of the Heat had disbanded, and although LeBron James had joined the Lakers, Kobe Bryant had already announced that this would be his last season. After this season, Kobe would retire, leaving a tinge of sadness for all Lakers fans.

...

October 27th.

The first day of the 2014-15 season's regular season featured a total of three games.

The most anticipated match was the Suns against the Spurs. The two teams had met in the Western Conference Finals last season, with the Suns ultimately eliminating the Spurs 4-0 to advance to the Finals.

The Spurs' cornerstone, Duncan, had also retired during the summer.

The Suns' first game featured a very important ceremony—the awarding of the championship rings.

Before this, Yao Ming never imagined that he would win a championship ring in his career, and Iverson never thought that he would win another one when he was already out of shape.

Yao Ming, Iverson, and Steve Nash all attended the game.

The Suns' owner, Robert Sarver, presented the championship rings to the players.

"Last season, we achieved so much glory—34 consecutive wins, 74 regular-season wins, and our brother Dong, who knows how many historical records he broke.

Because of you, the Suns won three consecutive championships. You are the most crucial pieces of the championship puzzle. Of course, we must also remember Marcin Gortat, Channing Frye, Goran Dragic, Yao Ming, Iverson, and Nash..."

Sarver mentioned the names of Gortat and the others who had left the team, as well as Yao Ming and the others who had joined on 10-day contracts. 

"Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!"

As the players put on their championship rings, all the fans, including the Spurs players, stood up and applauded.

Popovich joked with Wade Dong on the sidelines, "Three championship rings, and your hand is almost full."

"It's still okay..."

Wade Dong smiled and said, "I'm still young, and I have a chance to fill up both hands."

Popovich, who had coached the Spurs for so many years and already had four championship rings, might have had one more if it weren't for Wade Dong.

After the championship ring ceremony, the game officially began.

Without Duncan, the Spurs were no longer favored by the outside world, and they were nowhere to be seen on the championship favorites list. Some fans even thought the Spurs might not make the playoffs.

The starting lineups for this game were:

Suns: Wade Dong, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Whiteside, and Carter.

Spurs: Leonard, Parker, Danny, Splitter, and Diaw.

Draymond Green and Thompson were not on the starting lineup due to injuries. Green had sprained his ankle during the preseason, and Thompson had strained his muscle while playing video games at home.

"Beep!!!"

With the referee's whistle, the game officially began.

"Swish!"

Whiteside passed the ball to Curry, who dribbled it up the court.

"Long time no see, big guy~"

While Wade Dong greeted Splitter, he received the pass from Curry and made a fadeaway jump shot.

Not long ago, the two had met in the Basketball World Cup, where Splitter's team was blown out by the Huaxia team. The shadow of that loss still lingered in Splitter's mind, and Wade Dong's first shot of the new season went in under his defense.

2-0!!!

From the 1st position to the 5th position, Wade Dong had absolute dominance in the league.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

...

A huge cheer erupted in the arena. For the Phoenix fans, the four-month off-season had been incredibly long, and they had finally waited for Wade Dong.

During the off-season, other players were occasionally spotted by fans, whether on beach vacations or partying at nightclubs.

Wade Dong was different.

After the Finals, he seemed to have disappeared, never returning to M Country after leaving it, as if he had no attachment to the place.

"Wade Dong!"

"Wade Dong!"

"Wade Dong!"

The fans' longing for Wade Dong was evident from the enthusiasm at the arena.

Parker drove and dished to Leonard, who took a step and pulled up for a jump shot, one of his signature moves. The rising star Leonard was already showing signs of greatness.

What frustrated Leonard was that after Wade Dong joined the team, the Spurs and the Suns had faced each other many times, and every time, Wade Dong was the one defending him, except for the series where Wade Dong played the power forward position.

"G~~~"

Leonard's signature move, the step-back jumper, was disrupted by Wade Dong, and the shot hit the rim.

Whiteside took the opportunity to grab the rebound.

Curry received the ball and quickly dribbled up the court for a three-pointer.

"Swish!!!"

The ball went through the net.

5-0!!!

The Suns had a good start, and Popovich immediately called a timeout.

...

After the timeout, the Spurs executed a team play, but the Suns' defense showed some gaps.

After resting for four months and taking it easy during the preseason, many Suns players, including Wade Dong, seemed a bit sluggish.

21-17!!!

The first quarter ended with both teams scoring low, and the Suns only led the Spurs by 4 points.

Alvin Gentry joked with the players, "You guys seem a bit off today. Did you not practice at all this summer?"

"I don't know if we practiced, but at least we maintained our physiques."

Wade Dong gave Gentry a sidelong glance, "And you, you must have gained at least thirty pounds, right?"

"Thirty-seven pounds."

Gentry leisurely sipped his tea, "Huaxia cuisine is truly exceptional. I'm even considering coaching in the CBA so I can eat authentic Huaxia food every day."

"Then go for it~"

"Not yet, at least wait until you retire, brother Dong. I can still get a few more championship rings."

"Damn~"

Wade Dong hummed, "And you're already looking forward to my retirement before the 'NBA: The Strongest Starting Talent' series is even finished?"

...

The second quarter began.

Yi Nan, McCollum, P.J. Tucker, Dingwiddie, and Kevin Durant entered the game.

The Suns, with their abundance of talent, gave the rookie Dingwiddie a chance to play in the first regular-season game, which surprised him.

"Brother Dong, I'll definitely perform well!"

Dingwiddie was full of fighting spirit before entering the game and expressed his determination to Wade Dong.

"Hmm..."

Wade Dong nodded, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You're just filling a spot on the roster."

Dingwiddie, "???"

"Haha..."

The teammates all burst into laughter, and Dingwiddie realized that Wade Dong was just teasing him.

The Suns had a great atmosphere, and the players enjoyed bantering with each other. They didn't hold back with the newcomers, but with Coach Gentry around, there was no need to worry about the rookies' mental states.