The next morning, Su Xi headed to the Toyota Center Arena for practice as usual. At the hotel entrance, he was met by three separate waves of interviews from the Chinese media. This game was a momentous occasion for Chinese basketball fans.
It was the first time in history that a "China Derby" featured two players who were both core members of their respective teams.
The NBA had also launched a massive promotional campaign. From the moment the Cavaliers arrived in San Antonio, all the major networks that broadcast NBA games had been running promos.
Not only was the game being broadcast live with comprehensive coverage in China, but it would also be televised nationally in the United States on ABC and TNT.
This was a massive game.
Judging by the sheer scale of the NBA's marketing, in terms of regular-season matchups, this was bigger than a season opener, second only to the Christmas Day games.
Everyone was looking forward to seeing how Su Xi and Yao Ming would perform.
