Chapter 1 The Start

The viewership ratings that night hit a new high before the game even started, and the New Orleans Arena was packed inside and out.

Above the arena, the Pelicans had unveiled a new poster featuring the imposing figures of their Big Four.

Inside, Walker and Butler's images had joined Tang Tian and Davis' on the walls.

Walker's eyes were full of murderous intent, while Butler stood with his arms outstretched, ready to lock down everything.

The atmosphere inside and out made it clear that this season was destined to be a Pelicans' celebration.

Fans entering the arena screamed incessantly.

Perhaps, for them, being a Pelicans fan was the happiest thing in their fan lives!

Before the player introductions, there was a ceremony to award the championship rings.

Gayle Benson presented the Pelicans with their second championship rings on behalf of Tom Benson.

Compared to the first year, this year's ring design wasn't as innovative, but it was heavier and more valuable.

NBA President Adam Silver also appeared at the award ceremony.

Interestingly, because of the past grudges between the Pelicans and Silver, each of the Pelicans players, starting with Tang Tian, gave Silver a provocative look after receiving their rings.

Silver was so angry that he wanted to kill someone, but he still managed to force a smile.

This year was crucial for his probationary period, and he didn't dare openly break with the Pelicans.

After the award ceremony, the Pelicans' second championship banner was raised to the rafters of the arena.

The words "2016-2017" were placed next to "2015-2016".

With two consecutive championships, the Pelicans had become one of the most dominant teams of the new century!

The fans' cheers were deafening and lasted for a long time.

They knew that this was far from the Pelicans' limit; the current four-star lineup was the foundation for a dynasty!

Silver stood there, his heart aching.

He already knew about the live ratings, and he had also received calls from several team owners whose teams were also playing their opening games at the same time.

Those owners had threatened him that if the current situation didn't improve, they wouldn't give him their support vote next year.

In other words, if this trend continued, Silver's fate would be like Tatum's, maybe even worse.

But there was nothing he could do now, so he could only silently curse the Pelicans to play poorly.

After the ring ceremony, the player introductions began.

The starting lineups of both teams were announced one after another.

For the Thunder, it was Westbrook and Oladipo in the backcourt, Roberson and Griffin on the front line, and Adams at center.

The biggest change in this lineup compared to last season was the addition of Griffin, which was also their biggest upgrade.

For the Pelicans, it was Walker, Tang Tian, Butler, Davis, and Dedmon!

The Four Stars came out together, starting with Walker and ending with Tang Tian.

The cheers from the fans grew louder and louder, incredibly excited.

Since the Pelicans formed their brotherhood basketball, after waiting all summer, the fans finally ushered in their official game!

The game was about to begin, and the players took to the court one after another.

Tang Tian was the last to enter.

And then, something unexpected happened.

After wiping his hands with magnesium powder, Tang Tian didn't go straight onto the court as usual. Instead, he grabbed a handful and, facing the audience, threw it high into the air.

A burst of lights flashed around the court. Although this scene came suddenly, it was captured by many media reporters.

"What is he doing?!"

Kenny Smith on the commentary booth was stunned.

Throwing magnesium powder was LeBron James' signature move!

Although James had stated at the beginning of last season that he would no longer use the move until he won another championship.

But what did Tang Tian mean by doing this now?!

Stealing James' move?

Was this stirring up trouble?!

Tang Tian remained calm, turning and walking onto the court after throwing the powder.

That's right, he was stirring up trouble!

He wanted the Pelicans to monopolize all the attention and topics in the new season!

The NBA was like a big pot of delicious food, and the Pelicans were going to eat it all in the new season!

As for the other teams, those who could drink soup could drink soup! Those who couldn't, should stay where it was cool and energy-consuming!

The fans in the arena whistled continuously after realizing what was happening.

Awesome!

This was the feeling of crushing everything and having everything!

The Thunder players all had a helpless look on their faces.

The Pelicans' dominant performance in the preseason had already made them feel defeated before the game even started.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Pelicans were like a towering mountain standing in their hearts, one they couldn't climb over and that made it hard for them to breathe.

"Beep!"

As the referee blew his whistle, Davis tipped the ball back to the Pelicans' half, officially kicking off the new season.

Walker dribbled the ball to the frontcourt to organize the offense.

The Thunder were playing with high defensive intensity. The team's characteristic was defense, and they were best at fast breaks.

However, Tang Tian broke through Roberson on the first play and hit a pull-up jumper one-on-one.

Walker, Butler, and Davis all had strong defensive draw, and compared to last season, Tang Tian rarely had one-on-one opportunities.

And for him, such opportunities were as good as giving away points.

Back on defense, the Pelicans still played a 2-3 zone defense, just like in the preseason.

The Thunder's outside shooting ability was as bad as the Lakers they had faced before.

Roberson was left open and his three-point attempt was an air ball, and Dedmon grabbed the rebound directly.

The pressure that the Pelicans put on them at the start of the game naturally affected their performance!

On the Pelicans' offense, Dedmon stood on the three-point line to pull Adams out.

Dedmon's three-point shooting percentage in the preseason was close to 40%, and the Thunder knew this, so Adams didn't dare to let him go.

Walker ran a pick-and-roll with Davis on the right side, and after the screen, he accelerated past Griffin and hit his signature fadeaway finger roll.

Griffin's short arms couldn't block the shot, and he hit Walker's hand instead.

The referee blew his whistle, signaling a defensive foul on Griffin.

The ball bounced off the backboard and fell into the net!

Walker completed the 2+1!

The crowd cheered continuously.

Walker had been playing in the East before, so they weren't very familiar with him, but from the preseason to now, they had a new understanding.

He was definitely an explosive offensive scoring guard!

Walker made the free throw, and the Pelicans took a 5-0 lead!

"Defense! Defense!"

In just two possessions, the fans' emotions had been completely ignited, and their spontaneous cheers were overwhelming.

The Thunder still didn't have many ways to deal with the 2-3 zone. Roberson was left open again and didn't dare to shoot, so he passed the ball to Oladipo.

Oladipo used Adams' screen to break through to the inside.

Dedmon didn't come out, and Butler went to help defend.

Oladipo drove one-on-one into the paint, but Butler defended him so well that he had no chance to shoot. Finally, he tried to turn and pass the ball, but it was intercepted by Davis!

Terrifying defensive pressure!

Fortunately, the Thunder retreated in time and didn't give the Pelicans a chance to fast break.

In the half-court set, Walker continued to dribble and run a pick-and-roll with Davis. This time, the Thunder chose to double-team Walker.

Walker jumped up and passed the ball in the air from under Griffin's arm to the middle. Davis rolled to the basket after the screen, caught the ball, and dunked it with both hands!

7-0!

After the Bucks, the Thunder were also being rubbed on the floor by the Pelicans!

The difference was that this was the regular season!