When Bleacher Report heard that Chen Yilun had agreed—and even brought CJ and LaVine along—they were so excited they practically wanted to pop champagne in the president's office.
You couldn't blame them. Sports platforms back then were still in their wild-west days. Mobile apps had only just started gaining traction, and most were still growing chaotically. Especially in the sports industry, fans were mostly fixated on superstars overseas, waiting for the rare moments they got to see them up close.
So if someone came up and said, "Join us, and you'll get the chance to chat with them online," who wouldn't be lining up at the door?
Bleacher Report gave Chen Yilun the red-carpet treatment. After the deal was sealed, they handed him a full week of prime ad placement on their most important pages, plus wall-to-wall promotion everywhere else. With Chen Yilun's influence, they decided to schedule the stream for Christmas night in the U.S.
Watch the NBA's Christmas Day games in the afternoon, then tune into a live stream in the evening? That was perfect.
"Boss, what should we wear tomorrow?"
The team had already wrapped up their last game before Christmas on the 22nd, so the players were technically on break. But CJ and LaVine couldn't sit still; the two were still grinding away in the gym.
That afternoon, just as Chen Yilun was about to leave work, they cornered him at his office door.
"Just go casual," Chen Yilun thought for a moment. "Why don't you both just wear your practice gear tomorrow? The stream's in the training facility anyway. If the mood's right, you'll probably need to show off a few moves. No need for suits."
Seeing how nervous they looked made Chen Yilun chuckle inside. A few years from now, both would be established names in the league. Maybe not franchise leaders, but certainly respected and in demand. Right now though, they were still far too green.
"Relax. I'll be on camera with you, won't I? Just follow my lead." He gave them a reassuring look.
...
The next morning, Chen Yilun drove to the Kings' practice facility. Bleacher Report had originally suggested streaming from Arco Arena, but Chen shut that down immediately.
Game arenas aren't for casual use. Want to broadcast there? Pay up.
As soon as he stepped inside, he saw several chairs set up at center court. That would be the interview spot.
This time Bleacher Report had really gone all in. Unlike the earlier variety show, here they had everything—professional cameras, multiple setups, and far more staff buzzing around like ants.
Next to the cameras, a man and a woman were finalizing preparations. As soon as they saw Chen Yilun walk in, they set down their work and hurried over.
"Manager Chen, we're today's hosts. We'll be running the live broadcast."
"Oh, hello, hello. Thank you for coming all this way." Chen Yilun shook their hands warmly. He didn't recognize either face—probably Bleacher Report's own up-and-coming hosts.
"No trouble at all. Honestly, I nearly broke my neck trying to land this assignment."
The male host was already chatting freely.
"You don't know—half the people at our office are Kings fans now. Everyone wanted a chance to be here and meet you and the players."
"Half?" Chen Yilun raised an eyebrow. The Kings had been terrible for years, with hardly any loyal fans left. Even with this season's promising start, they'd only played half a year of good basketball. By his estimation, they needed consistent results this season before building a real fan base next year.
The host quickly explained, "That's exactly why people are tuning in. Fans know the Kings finally have new leadership, and it's brought real energy back to the franchise. For a lot of people, this is the first time in years the Kings feel worth rooting for again.
Take me, for example. Watching the Kings now feels completely different from the past—it's like seeing a team grow up right in front of your eyes."
That fresh perspective made Chen Yilun laugh. "I see. Then I'd better stay in touch with the fans more often. The more people we bring together, the stronger the fire burns."
...
While they were talking, CJ and LaVine arrived at the practice court. After introductions with the hosts and interpreter, the Christmas special stream officially kicked off.
By then it was early evening on the East Coast, the perfect prime-time slot for Bleacher Report's Christmas broadcast. Viewers at home were already settled in and pulling up the stream.
The instant it went live, people flooded the room from every direction. The chat lit up with messages.
"My god, that's GM Chen! He's the Kings' connection to the future!"
"CJ! Big fan—you've been on fire lately!"
"LaVine's looking sharp tonight!"
"Okay, enough LaVine stans, give someone else a chance!"
The stream's audience shot past half a million in moments and kept climbing.
The male host steadied himself and smiled into the camera. "Good evening, Bleacher Report fans. Welcome to our Christmas special live broadcast! Tonight we're joined by three special guests: Kings GM Chen Yilun, CJ McCollum, and Zach LaVine."
A round of applause rippled through the gym.
"Hello, everyone, I'm Chen Yilun." He smiled and waved at the camera.
CJ and LaVine followed with greetings. Their delivery was a little clumsy, but the effort drew plenty of laughs and cheers.
After the introductions, the hosts steered the conversation forward. "The Kings are arguably the league's hottest dark horse this season. Since Manager Chen is here today, could you share with us the story of the Kings' rise?"
Chen Yilun paused briefly before answering. "I think the most important thing is that we're a young team. Our new owner, Mr. Vivek, has given the front office tremendous freedom, which has allowed us to fully use our talents.
After all, as I said earlier, many of our key players are rookies or sophomores. We have nothing to lose. So why not just go all in?"
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