Chapter 372: The Five Tigers of Dust and Wind, The Olympics Opening Ceremony!
Team USA's 2008 roster was as stacked as it looked on paper.
The coaching staff alone could intimidate a tournament bracket. The head coach was a legendary NCAA winner, and even the assistants were heavy hitters: Mike D'Antoni, fresh off an NBA championship, Nate McMillan, head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Jim Boeheim, the iconic Syracuse coach.
As for the players, it was a blend of East and West All Stars that felt unfair just reading it out loud.
Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Jason Kidd, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, and Chris Bosh.
Offense, defense, size, speed, shot creation, leadership, it was all there. The names alone carried weight.
…
While most Olympic athletes stayed in the Olympic Village, Team USA did what the Dream Team had always done.
They booked a luxury hotel.
This year, their base in Beijing was the InterContinental on Financial Street. The tradition went all the way back to 1992, and the reason was simple. NBA superstars were used to comfort, privacy, and space. To them, the Olympic Village felt like a cramped dorm.
In Barcelona in 1992, the original Dream Team stayed at a high end hotel in the city center with a terrace, a pool, and a view that looked like a vacation postcard. They basically came to relax and happened to play basketball on the side.
In Atlanta in 1996, with the Games on home soil, the team went even bigger and booked out an entire luxury hotel.
In Sydney in 2000, the arrangement got even more extreme. The Dream Team stayed in an apartment style hotel that cost about 50 million Australian dollars, built with them in mind. The beds were 2.3 meters long, longer than typical five star hotel beds, and even the showerheads were mounted extra high so the giants would not crack their heads.
In Athens in 2004, the team took luxury to another level and chose not to stay on land at all. They moved onto the Queen Mary 2, a massive cruise ship with 17 decks, 10 restaurants, 5 pools, and even a small planetarium.
Team USA's standards were consistent. The only thing that changed was the location.
…
On the evening Team USA checked into the InterContinental, Chen Yan received a call from LeBron.
"Hey, Chen. It's LeBron. How you been?"
Chen Yan found it amusing. He had just beaten LeBron on the biggest stage in the NBA, yet LeBron's tone was friendly and casual, like they were catching up after an All Star weekend.
"Hey, LeBron. I heard you guys just landed. How's Beijing? You gone out yet?"
LeBron laughed. "That's why I'm calling. I've got a few guys who want to find a massage place to relax. You got any recommendations?"
"Massage?" Chen Yan asked. "Team USA short on trainers now?"
"Nah," LeBron said, still laughing. "We want to experience the real Chinese kind, you know."
Chen Yan paused, then asked calmly, "You want a legitimate place or an illegitimate one?"
LeBron choked for a beat. "Where are the illegitimate ones? Don't get it twisted, I'm asking for my brothers."
"I'm a decent man," Chen Yan said, perfectly serious. "I wouldn't know anything about places like that."
There was a long silence on the other end.
LeBron sounded like he was reconsidering every life decision that led to this phone call. "Alright. Legitimate, then."
"Bad news," Chen Yan replied. "It's my first time in Beijing too."
LeBron went quiet again, the kind of quiet that felt dangerous.
Then Chen Yan added, "But I can ask my national team teammates. They know the city."
LeBron exhaled. "Okay. Thanks, Chen."
After hanging up, Chen Yan quickly got an address for a proper, legitimate massage center. Since he was the local host in this situation, he decided to take LeBron there personally. He had rushed back to China right after the Finals, and his own shoulders and neck could use the help.
When they met up, Chen Yan realized LeBron's "brothers" were Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul.
All familiar faces. All trouble magnets when they were together.
They greeted each other, then headed to the massage center.
Chen Yan got paired with an older therapist whose technique was precise and efficient. The session loosened everything that had been tight since the playoff grind. Afterward, Chen Yan said goodbye and returned to the Olympic Village to sleep.
What he did not know was that paparazzi had tracked them along the way.
There was no hiding it. 5 NBA All Stars moving together in Beijing was basically a walking headline.
…
At 8:00 AM the next morning, Chen Yan woke up, checked the news, and went completely blank.
The headlines were absurd.
"Massage Center Chaos, Chen Yan and NBA All Stars Caught in Late Night 'Luxury Care'"
"Big Spenders Before the Olympics, Final Indulgence?"
"National Team Star Meets First Opponent Group After Midnight"
"Chen Yan, James, Paul, Wade, Anthony, The Strongest Starting 5 at a Bathhouse"
"Shocking Scene, Chen Yan Brings 4 Giant Stars Out for 'Relaxation'"
Chen Yan stared at the screen, then rubbed his forehead.
So that was how it worked.
A normal massage became "grand health care" in one night, and the old joke about "Four Men of Dust and Wind" had apparently upgraded itself.
Now it was the "Five Tigers of Dust and Wind."
Chen Yan's reputation took a hit, and the negative noise spread fast. The national team responded immediately. Over the next few days, they went into full closed door training. Jonas did not want the media around the players, and he definitely did not want anyone distracted.
…
Time moved quickly to August 8, 8:00 PM.
The Olympics officially opened.
Under the night sky, the National Stadium, shaped like the Bird's Nest, blazed with light. The arena, with seating for more than 90,000, was packed to the brim. The atmosphere felt electric, like the entire city was holding its breath.
A glowing halo lit an ancient sundial.
In the center of the stadium, 2,008 performers struck traditional percussion instruments called fou. The drums pulsed in waves, and white lights flashed in sequence, forming a countdown.
With each beat, the crowd roared along.
"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"
At exactly 8:00 PM, the opening ceremony began.
The performers continued, and a line echoed through the stadium, "Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters?" It was a welcome to athletes and guests from across the world.
At 21:10:19, the Parade of Nations began.
Bands performed music representing the styles of 5 continents. Greece entered first, as the birthplace of the Olympic movement, followed by the other delegations in the stroke order of their simplified names.
When Team USA entered, the director immediately cut to Kobe for a 10 second close up.
Kobe smiled and waved, then casually adjusted the beret in his hand. The volume in the stadium spiked. Later, when Germany entered, Dirk Nowitzki received a huge cheer as well.
These were peak years for NBA popularity in China, and the stars were treated like royalty.
But nothing compared to what came next.
At 23:09, the host delegation entered last.
China's delegation had 1,099 people, including 639 competing athletes, the largest Olympic contingent in the country's history and the largest delegation at these Games.
When the announcer called out "China," the athletes emerged, led by Yao Ming holding the national flag.
Chen Yan, wearing a red suit with a yellow shirt, walked proudly near the center of the group. The moment hit him like a wave.
Representing his country, at home, in the Olympics, it felt unreal.
Watching Yao's towering back as he carried the flag, Chen Yan's chest tightened. He wanted that honor someday. He wanted to be the one leading the line, carrying the weight of the nation in his hands.
…
In the 2 days after the opening ceremony, the competitive tension sharpened.
You could see it on every face in the men's basketball program. Their first opponent was Team USA, and almost nobody outside believed China could win.
China had 2 elite NBA players, but basketball was still a team sport. The gap at the other positions was enormous.
Even so, there was no fear in the gym.
This was Beijing. This was home.
And in front of their own crowd, the Chinese team had only 1 attitude.
Just play.
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