All-Star Weekend.
For players without events to compete in, it was basically a short vacation, a chance for players who had spent the season grinding through a packed schedule and traveling from city to city to finally catch their breath.
A time to rest and relax.
For the players taking part in the events, even with championships on the line, most of them still approached the competitions with a fairly relaxed mindset.
Winning would be great.
If they really could not win, they could just treat it as fun.
However... the All-Star Game was different. Getting selected for the All-Star Game was not as simple as signing up and getting a chance.
It required real popularity and real ability.
Only stars with true strength could step onto that stage.
So when players competed in the All-Star Game, they did not feel tired. Instead, they saw it as an honor, a recognition of who they were as players.
Everyone wanted to become an All-Star.
For fans, just imagining ten stars on the court at all times, all of them players they loved, matching up and trading blows, was enough to make their hearts race.
That was why the All-Star Game had always been the main event of All-Star Weekend, and why it was always saved for the final day.
The next day.
As newspapers and media outlets covered the three thrilling events from the night before, they also began building hype for tonight's All-Star Game.
Online, the fans' heated discussions showed no sign of slowing down.
That afternoon, across the ocean, where it was still early morning, the hashtag #AllStarGame# was already sitting high on the trending list.
The comments under the hashtag were endless. It was clear that overseas fans were also full of anticipation for tonight's All-Star Game.
However, beneath that trending topic, there was another one, a tag that seemed to have never appeared before.
#LeagueOfLegendsServerLaunch#
League of Legends?
A new server?
That was right.
League of Legends, the competitive online game Riot Games launched in 2009, had become hugely popular in the American esports market almost as soon as it appeared.
In a very short time, it had also won over players all around the world.
And naturally, it was quickly noticed by companies in other regions.
Major gaming companies were no exception.
Especially those tech giants skilled at adapting successful ideas. They had been watching this game for a long time, and at the beginning of this year, a fully localized server version had finally been completed.
It officially went live early this morning.
The response was immediately full of praise, and the comments under the trending topic had already exploded.
"Damn, the new server is finally here!"
"Playing on distant servers was such a pain, and it lagged like crazy. Now I don't have to worry anymore. The company actually did something good this time. I'm pulling an all-nighter no matter what."
"Man... the localized version just feels better to look at and better to play."
"I love it, I love it!"
"Wow... it's finally live."
"Tonight, my Riven is going to slaughter Summoner's Rift!"
"I heard your Riven is strong. Then... come on, let's nerf Irelia together!"
"Five-stack, let's go!"
"Rain or shine, I'll be waiting for you in the Rift!"
"..."
The All-Star Game running into the launch of the new League of Legends server was a huge source of excitement for fans who loved both basketball and gaming.
At the same time, on major streaming platforms, some streamers in the online gaming and esports sections had already started trying out the localized server version of League of Legends.
Of course, since it had only just launched, its popularity was not very high yet.
But no matter what, the launch of the new League of Legends server could be seen as the beginning of the esports market gradually opening up on a much larger scale.
...
Back in Los Angeles.
After finishing their late-night meal the night before, the Suns players did not return to the hotel to rest until well after midnight.
At 10 a.m., Blake Su finally woke up. He was not hungry yet, so he scrolled through the news for a while and happened to see that the new League of Legends server had launched. His eyes immediately lit up.
"Hm?"
"Did it launch early? Then again, this is a parallel world. Not everything is the same as before, so that makes sense."
After confirming the news, Blake Su could not help smiling.
"Now that the new League of Legends server is live, it won't take long for it to push out games like Speed Racer and CrossFire and sweep across the market.
Still, that will take some time.
But I can start preparing now and seize the League of Legends market first. The first step is investing in major streaming platforms, then having them strongly support the League of Legends section.
Second.
I need to find the right opportunity for Quinnie to start streaming. With her gaming skills, her singing voice, and her looks, combined with League of Legends' rising popularity, she will definitely blow up fast.
Maybe... she won't just become one of the platform's top streamers. She might become one of the biggest online personalities around.
Of course.
Besides League of Legends, I need to get involved in the NBA basketball section as early as possible too. In the future, that will definitely be a project that can make a fortune.
In fact.
Because of my existence, that day will arrive even sooner."
The more Blake Su thought about it, the clearer his mind became.
...
Time passed quickly.
A few hours went by.
7 p.m.
Staples Center.
Two hours before the game, the stands were already almost full. There were also many stars on the court, some warming up and others chatting.
For the fans, simply seeing so many stars gathered together was a joy in itself.
After all, other than this one day each year, it was extremely difficult to get dozens of stars to appear in the same arena at the same time.
For the players, the All-Star Game was not only a stage to perform and show off their popularity and strength.
It was also a place to make connections.
Players like Blake Su, Kobe, and LeBron had both massive popularity and incredible ability.
Even among other stars, plenty of people were willing to take the initiative and talk to them, hoping to get acquainted.
About an hour later.
With one hour left before tipoff, the stands were basically full, and all the All-Stars taking part in the game had arrived.
In the stands, aside from the All-Star players competing tonight, many teammates had also come to cheer them on.
There were Suns players like Curry, George, Steve Nash, and Carter, Thunder players like Harden and Ibaka, and Lakers players like Artest and Odom.
Besides them, many celebrities and major names had also come to the arena tonight to watch the most exciting event of All-Star Weekend.
There was the popular singer "Taylor Swift," the tennis superstar "Nadal," who had reached world No. 1 three years ago, and American film and television star Scarlett.
Also present were Yoona and Jessica from Girls' Generation, one of South Korea's hottest girl groups, along with Jessica's younger sister... Krystal, who had once again come to the arena to watch the game.
Beyond them, there were many, many other celebrities and major figures, all brought here by their love of basketball to watch this star-studded All-Star Game.
...
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