October 26, 2016.
After a dramatic and eventful offseason, the long-awaited new NBA season finally tipped off.
Out of respect for the league's newest powerhouse, the Kings were given center stage—the opening game of the season, hosting last year's Western Conference Finals opponent: the Golden State Warriors!
Team owner Vivek Ranadivé had gone all out for the occasion.
Originally set to open at the end of the year, the Kings' new home—the Golden 1 Center—was rushed to completion two months early through nonstop construction, just in time for the season opener.
Inside the sparkling new arena, the energy was electric—louder and more intense than even the Western Conference Finals.
The entire venue had become a sea of black and purple.
The ambitious Sacramento Kings were about to begin their championship quest.
Watching the packed stands, Chen Yilun couldn't hide his grin.
This year's revenue numbers were going to shatter records.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to our new home—Golden 1 Center!"
The Kings' home DJ hyped up the crowd as waves of cheers rolled through the arena.
When Kevin Durant was introduced last, the noise reached a deafening peak.
"Tough opponents…"
Steve Kerr muttered courtside, glancing around the roaring arena.
After winning the 2015 championship, he thought his golden era had begun—only to face setback after setback since.
Tonight's starting lineups:
Kings: CJ, Booker, Butler, Durant, Jokić.
Warriors: Curry, Thompson, Barnes, Green, Gasol.
Both teams had brought their best possible lineups from the offseason.
"This is insane!"
A Kings fan shouted, eyes wide. "So many All-Stars in one game—right here in my hometown! We'll never see something like this again!"
Chen Yilun, meanwhile, noticed a familiar face sitting on the Warriors' bench.
Ding Yanyuhang caught his gaze and smiled brightly from across the court.
He really made it here.
When Ding was drafted, Chen Yilun had worried that someone might block his path to the NBA. Seeing him now, he realized he'd been worrying too much.
...
The Kings had first possession. CJ brought the ball past half court, reached the top of the key, and handed it off to Durant.
The moment the ball changed hands, CJ used Durant's quick screen as cover and darted toward the weak side.
The Warriors couldn't react in time—Draymond Green, who was guarding Durant, got pulled away by CJ's cut.
In an instant, it was Durant isolated against Curry!
"Starting off like this, huh?"
Curry looked up at the much taller Durant with a wry smile.
Durant crossed over, pulled back, and rose for a smooth jumper from deep—nothing but net.
"How am I supposed to guard that?!"
Curry yelled in disbelief. "Even if I jump, I can't reach his face!"
Fuming, Curry brought the ball back down, used Thompson's screen, and drilled a deep three of his own.
"This game's already heating up," the commentator said after just two possessions.
"From the very start, it's the top scorers of both teams going head-to-head. We're in for a thriller tonight."
As expected, neither team held back. Each saw the other as their biggest rival in the West—and both wanted to strike first.
...
Jokić handled the ball at the top of the key while the other four Kings spread out in a five-out formation.
Booker feinted a screen on the right, then slipped left as Jokić faked in the same direction.
The Warriors' defense shifted toward Booker's movement—
and right then, Butler cut sharply from the corner, slicing into the paint.
Jokić's pass fired through the defense like a missile, landing perfectly in Butler's hands.
With no one inside to contest, Butler finished the layup with ease.
"A diamond set leading into a V-cut, huh…"
Kerr watched helplessly as the Kings shredded his defense with precise execution. There was nothing he could do.
It wasn't a lack of coaching—Durant's presence on the perimeter was simply too overwhelming.
The Warriors had no choice but to assign their best defender, Green, to guard him.
But once Green was dragged outside, the Kings' offense opened up effortlessly.
Still, the Warriors weren't out of options.
On offense, they stuck to their usual system—Curry's perimeter gravity and penetration paired with Green's playmaking at the top of the key.
During the next timeout, Kerr gathered his players.
"Pau, you stay glued to Jokić," he instructed. "I've got their system figured out—it's not the CJ-Jokić two-man game anymore.
Now they're using spacing to let Jokić run the offense alone at the top. Barnes, Klay, be ready to help. Jokić isn't that fast—Pau, you can handle him.
"We just need to disrupt his passing lanes, cut off his connections. Do that, and their offense collapses."
It was a solid strategy—in the original timeline, the Warriors had locked down Jokić with a similar scheme.
But Kerr didn't realize—this wasn't the Nuggets.
These were the Kings, and Jokić had more than one weapon beside him.
...
Back on the court, Malone saw Jokić's passing stifled and quickly signaled a change.
The setup was the same—Jokić up top—but now he added a handoff between Jokić and Durant.
With Durant's unstoppable scoring ability, the play was deadly.
If Jokić popped out, he'd have an open three; if he cut inside, it was an easy finish.
And if the Warriors tried to stop him, they left Durant one-on-one—instant punishment.
"This is only our second set, and I haven't even started showing off yet!"
Malone grinned as the lead widened. "In all my years coaching, I've never felt such a dominant edge."
"Quit showing off."
Chen Yilun, sitting behind him, rolled his eyes.
"Listen, I'm warning you—don't burn out the players or blow through all your plays this early."
"Relax, relax, I know what I'm doing," Malone replied.
By the second quarter, both teams began rotating their starters.
When Curry and Durant sat down together, Butler—who'd been quiet for most of the first quarter—looked across at the Warriors' second unit and smirked.
Finally. My turn to take over.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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