Capítulo 1363: Chapter 542: Raise a Glass as You Take the Court (Part 3)
Zhang Yang said in an interview, “This is the most exciting and highest-level Rookie Challenge I’ve ever seen.”
The reporter asked, “Even higher level than your year? If you participated in this ga, could you still score that high?”
Zhang Yang laughed upon hearing this and replied, “If I went to college for a few years and got my degree before entering the NBA, I might have been on the rookie or sophomore team this year. Whether I could score that high would really make curious, don’t you think?”
The Dallas reporter’s question was clearly loaded, but Zhang Yang caught onto the ambiguity in their words, leaving the reporter stamring without a follow-up.
However, this interview got the fans watching on TV dreaming.
Even Zhang Yang’s haters wouldn’t think he couldn’t perform in college; they directly equated his college-going self with college-era Big Bird or Duncan.
Wade’s fans were upset; Zhang Yang completed his graduation defense early in 2008. If he had entered the NBA then, they would have had a Wade Zhang Yang combo, one driving, one shooting. Just the thought… is upsetting.
Los Angeles fans were also freaking out. If Zhang Yang had completed college before entering the NBA, considering he skipped 12th grade in 2005 and still earned a spot at North Carolina with his grades, even without entering the NBA he would have gone to college. That ans entering the draft in 2009, the Lakers wouldn’t have been able to pick him, but the Clippers could have, and they would have been able to watch local ga broadcasts every day… Moreover, if Zhang Yang went to college, he would likely go to USC or UCLA. Local talent local university star—if Sterling didn’t pick Zhang Yang in that situation, they would definitely give him an Arican-style glare.
…
The next day, Zhang Yang, Felton, and their entourage arrived at the ga venue.
Zhang Yang looked around, feeling as if he was back at the Olympics opening ceremony a couple of sumrs ago.
The arena was surrounded by people, and standing on the court, it seed as though it stretched on forever! Tonight, there would be at least a hundred thousand people on site!
The All-Star Weekend is at a new stage!
The Dallas Arican Airlines Center is considered one of the best arenas in the NBA, only comparable to the Hawks’ Philips Arena, the Bobcats’ Tuhang Stadium, and the Trail Blazers’ Rose Garden arena in terms of advanced equipnt.
But for this year’s All-Star Weekend, this venue only hosted the Rookie Ga.
The newly nad skill challenges and main ga were all hosted at the ho of the NFL’s most prestigious franchise and the world’s most valuable sports club, the Dallas Cowboys’ Arlington Cowboys Stadium.
This stadium, located about 5 miles north of Dallas, began construction in early 2005, took 4 years to complete, and was finished in early 2009. It was put into use in the fall of 2009, after just hosting an NFL season, at a cost of over 1.2 billion. Ignoring other factors and looking only at the cost, it’s nearly three tis that of the Bird’s Nest, though the size and internal specs of the two stadiums are pretty similar.
The owner of the Dallas Cowboys and the Cowboys Stadium is Jerry Jones, a friend of the Mavericks’ owner Cuban and the owner of the largest sports investnt group in Texas.
Back when Cuban applied to host this year’s All-Star Weekend, he had already discussed with Jerry Jones to hold the skill challenges and the main ga in the newly-built stadium that wasn’t yet complete.
This could give Cuban face, and hosting basketball gas at Cowboys Stadium, starting with at least a hundred thousand spectators, could also earn a lot more money.
Even though the revenue from the All-Star Weekend goes to designated charities and doesn’t go into his pocket, those willing to buy tickets are likely to buy so rchandise too. It’s all money.
Jerry Jones could leverage the NBA All-Star Weekend to enhance the Cowboys Stadium’s global reputation. The global influence of football is indeed far less than that of basketball, and the stadium, which cost over a billion to build, could not just serve as a ho field. The NFL season is really short, much shorter than even the NCAA.
As for why the Rookie Ga wasn’t held here, it was mainly because Cuban was worried about the tickets not selling out. With over ten thousand seats, he was concerned that the first- and second-year players couldn’t handle such a high ticket sale.
The venue was confird before the training camp started, and though the 2008 rookie class had shown their talent, who would have thought that 8 of the 9 second-year team players would beco the tactical core, with even the worst among them being the top scorer for the Brooklyn Nets?
And who knew the 2009 rookie season would bring out players like Evans, Jennings, or Curry? After all, the top pick was out.
This led to last night’s Rookie Ga being a ticket scarcity, with ratings hitting a new high.
And because it was so popular, Cuban gave out over two thousand tickets, with hundreds of current players watching.
After the ga yesterday, when Zhang Yang saw the dia reports, Cuban probably regretted it imnsely. Seeing last night’s market, even holding it at Cowboys Stadium wouldn’t have had trouble selling tickets, missing out on at least 80,000 paying viewers—it would miss selling so much rchandise, just the jerseys alone would sell several ten thousand fewer, let alone the fans might like more than just one young player.
Moreover, over 2000 giveaway tickets are just a fraction for the Cowboys Stadium, but for the Arican Airlines Center, it’s over one-tenth of the seats…
He figured that’s why Cuban had such a stern face last night. At the ti, he thought it was because the Mavericks had picked the wrong player in 2009; the previous pick was Casspi, the next was Ty Gibson, both of whom had starting rotation strength as rookies. The Mavericks had picked a white center, Byron Mullens, who couldn’t even play well in the middle.
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