Experience the NBA: A basketball carnival that never fades

This summer, the focus of global sports is undoubtedly the NBA Finals. When the Knicks defeated the last champion Celtics with a score of 4:2 in the Eastern Conference playoff semifinals, my thoughts were instantly pulled back to 2016 - that unforgettable moment when I first visited the NBA in Washington, USA to watch the Wizards VS Knicks game.

I have set foot on the land of the United States many times before, but I have never been able to feel a refreshing NBA event. This has always been a great regret for my trip to the United States. As a fanatical NBA fan, I was unable to be in the highly anticipated arena. Listening to the deafening shouts and witnessing the boiling moment of blood, I always feel that there is something missing in my heart. In the United States, sports events have long been integrated into people's daily lives, just as ordinary as we watch movies in the country. In March 2016, my wife's brothers and sisters gathered in the United States. My second brother is also an NBA fan. He enthusiastically ordered four tickets online and invited us to go together. We live in Washington, which is the home court of the Wizards and belongs to the Southeast Division. The ticket price at the official ticket office of the

The price range of tickets in the

The official ticket office of the

The price ranges from ten dollars to hundreds of dollars. There are also scalpers selling off the court, but there is no need to take risks in regular season tickets. After all, if you travel across the ocean to watch the game, buying tickets online is both reliable and worry-free. The unit price of the tickets we bought was as high as US$260. According to the exchange rate at that time, it was equivalent to about RMB 1,600, which really made people feel so distressed that they were "hard".

The Washington Wizards and the New York Knicks, who are about to showdown, both have a profound historical background. The Wizards joined the NBA in 1961 and were once a strong team in the league. They entered the playoffs and finals many times, and won the championship trophy in 1978. However, in recent years, it has gradually become a "bottom team" with poor performance. The Knicks were founded in 1946 and have written brilliant chapters in different eras in the league, reaching the finals three times and winning the championship twice. Especially during the period when center Patrick Ewing played for the finals in both the 1993-1994 and 1998-1999 seasons. Although the two teams are not the strongest team of the year at this time, the duel with comparable strength is destined to be full of excitement. Moreover, Chinese player Yi Jianlian once joined the Wizards, and Jeremy Lin also set off a "Lin Crazy" craze in the Knicks, which have become a powerful driving force for us to watch the game. What's more, the Knicks have long been at the top of the NBA team's market value. Even with their fluctuations in the record, their commercial value is still unparalleled. With the huge market in New York and the super appeal of Madison Square Garden, it has always been the focus of the league.

Our residence is an hour's drive from the competition venue Washington Sports Center, and four people set off by themselves. The expressways in the United States are spacious, most of which are 6 lanes, and the sections close to Washington reach 8 lanes. Many sections of the road are made of cement, and some are bumpy due to disrepair. However, more than 90% of highways are free, and toll stations are rare. Speed ​​limits are usually between 70 and 80 miles, with most states requiring a cap of 100 miles. On a section with a speed limit of 80 miles, speeding is generally not pursued by the police, but the police are elusive and can always scare people when they suddenly appear. We arrived at the Washington Sports Center before five o'clock, and hurriedly filled our stomachs in nearby Chinatown and couldn't wait to get into the venue.

Since 1997, the MCI Center Arena, the home court of the Washington Wizards, has been located in Chinatown, the capital Chinatown. The Chinese logo and wizard themed sculptures at the entrance attract diverse cultural groups and enhance the sense of belonging to the community. This arena, which can accommodate 20,674 spectators, is the third largest venue in the league. It is not only the venue for sports events, but also the cultural center of Washington. During major festivals, the lighting decoration on the exterior facade of the arena is dazzling; the internal corridor displays team historical photos and souvenirs of Hall of Fame members, and more than 200 events are held annually, making it a landmark building for the city's "sports-culture-commerce". The stadium adopts minimalist design with glass curtain walls and metal frames. The dynamic light show at night complements the Washington landmarks, and modern vitality and urban history are perfectly integrated. However, in terms of appearance alone, it is not as tall and spectacular as domestic venues. The stadium is seamlessly connected with the subway red/yellow/green line "Gallery Square - Chinatown Station", and the surrounding catering, shopping and entertainment are all available, which is the core of Washington's "Japan Economy". The interactive LED screen on the facade scrolls the classic moments of the Wizards, and fans can also scan the code to upload photos of the game to jointly create a "fan history gallery".

After strict security checks, we stepped into the arena one hour in advance, as if we were entering a wonderful world half underground. The outside hall is very lively and the shops are lined up. There are food stalls selling pizza, hot dogs, popcorn, McDonald's, and Coke, as well as sports goods stores, souvenir shops, and shops that take close-up photos and sell clothing from various NBA teams. There are a wide range of things. There were even stars signing autographs for fans on site. Dynamic music and passionate commentary came to my face, instantly igniting everyone's emotions. The design in the competition hall is a big deal. The large screen in the center of the field is controlled by the advanced LED technology SVS system, with extremely high brightness and clarity, and the details of the game are clear. The Dolby Atmos system switches the sound effects in real time according to the game progress. The heart-pounding sound when the ball is defeated, and the "red wave" simulated by thousands of programmable LED lights on the ceiling have all pushed fans' emotions to a climax. Colorful welcome slogans and practical data on the big screen are constantly jumping, and the Washington team's award-winning banners have been hung around, showing their glorious history. The ordinary auditorium adopts a stepped layout to ensure that every seat is blocked from sight, and there are also different price options. The high-end viewing area is equipped with independent seating areas, catering services and exclusive access, and the 114 luxurious suites are extremely luxurious.

When we sat down, two men's teams of middle school students were playing on the court. Although they are young, their football skills are excellent. Looking at the children sitting in the audience around me, I have to sigh that American basketball can maintain the world's leading position for a long time, and this kind of influence and professional training since childhood have made an indelible contribution.

In the blink of an eye, this stadium that can accommodate 20,000 spectators was full. Players from both sides began to enter the court to warm up, and many huge display screens above the court broadcast live in all directions. When introducing the visiting team players, they just pronounce the names in a plain way; when introducing the home team players, especially star players, the lights and sounds are all in the game, and the close-ups are constantly being shot. The stars pose in a handsome POSE, and the audience cheers resounded throughout the audience, and the home advantage was fully displayed. Before the competition began, a group of elementary school students led the national anthem, cleverly integrating sports, business and politics, perfectly demonstrating the characteristics of the American cultural industry. The Knicks' starting lineup is Calderon, Vujasic, Anthony, Porzingis, and Lopez; the Wizards' starting lineup is Wall, Bill, Porter, Morris, and Gotat. With a whistle, the long-awaited showdown officially kicked off.

The experience of watching the game on the spot is completely different from that in front of the TV. Not only can you truly feel the team's performance, but your mood will also rise and fall with the changes in the score. When each team is suspended, the mascot of the home team will come out to interact with the audience, full of cuteness, and even "pseudo-fans" who don't know much about basketball can easily integrate into it.

The match begins with a whistle. Both sides jumped the ball, the Knicks grabbed the ball, quickly pushed it to the frontcourt, took off, shot, and flew towards the basket, drew a beautiful arc, and the good ball entered, and the Knicks won the ball and scored two points first. The two sides fought back and forth and started a fierce showdown, with the scores rising and falling, and the tits intertwined. The first half ended at 53:43 and the Knicks temporarily led the way.

On the spot, you can not only personally feel the team's performance, but your mood fluctuates with the team's scores, but you can also feel the atmosphere different from that in front of the TV.

When each team is suspended, the mascot of the home team will often run out to interact with the audience, which is very loving. Even "pseudo-fans" who have little understanding of basketball can easily integrate into it. During the intermission, the interactive session of the big screen was even more joyful. Sometimes pop music is played, and the randomly captured audiences have to dance improvisably; sometimes it is "kissing time" or "hug time". Most open Americans, even if they are not real couples, will cooperate generously, and laughter and cheers are heard one after another. In the

game, the Wizards, who played at home, finally found the offensive rhythm in the third quarter and launched a fierce offensive. Gott showed his power in the inside, scoring 7 points alone, leading the team to a 9-0 counterattack wave, narrowing the gap to 1 point. Porzingis' dunk temporarily stabilized the situation for the Knicks, but the Wizards then set off another 14-0 climax, and Wall and Porter's three-pointers allowed the team to lead by 10 points at the end of the third quarter. During the game, the handsome and handsome guys brought a hot dance. The boys fired small gifts to the audience in the middle of the venue, or ran into the audience to interact. The occasionally thrown jerseys pushed the atmosphere to a climax. The photographer on the scene puts the audience's carnival scene on the big screen in real time, and the DJ cooperates with changing music to render the atmosphere with all his might. In the fourth quarter, the Knicks tried to counterattack, and Avraro and Porzingis jointly hit 3 three-pointers to chase the score to 80-85. However, at the critical moment, they failed to hold on to the score, and the Wizards once again reached an offensive climax. Porter scored two consecutive three-pointers, Morris scored a score of 10-2, leading the team to a small climax. With 58.9 seconds left in the game, the Wizards led by 12 points with 99-87. The whole audience was instantly excited, and the audience stood up one after another, with applause and shouts deafening. Although the Knicks then fought back tenaciously and Anthony performed well, the Wizards became more and more brave and with wonderful movements, wonderful passes, screens, layups and defensive steals, they finally secured the victory 99-89.

The three-hour competition passed quietly with music and shouts. We clapped, shouted, swayed to the rhythm, and immersed in this basketball feast. This is the charm of basketball. It not only strengthens the body, but also shows vitality and confidence, demonstrates teamwork spirit, so that everyone can put aside their worries and enjoy simple happiness. From the beginning to the end of the game, the entire venue was always in an excited state. The audience even rushed to the bathroom after halftime, for fear of missing any wonderful moments. After the game ended, we reluctantly left the field. When I walked to the entrance of the venue, I accidentally found that the live broadcast scene of the TV station was located on the left side of the exit. The two hosts were talking endlessly for post-match explanations. Under the mobilization of the on-site director, fans cheered behind the host, cooperated to complete post-match analysis, interviews and advertising inter-broadcasting, continuing the popularity of the event to the last moment.

NBA represents the highest level of basketball in the world, is a perfect fusion of strength and beauty, and is the pinnacle of personal technology and teamwork. It is no exaggeration to call it an art. Americans have played a small basketball with great business value, and the experience is worthy of our in-depth thinking and reference. No wonder former Microsoft China President Chen Yongzheng is willing to give up his annual salary of tens of millions and devote himself to the establishment of a Chinese company in the NBA.

March 20, 2016, during the Spring Equinox, this wonderful NBA game will always be frozen in my memory. Now, the 2024/2025 American Professional Basketball League - Eastern Conference Finals G1 will start at 8:00 on May 22, and the Pacers will challenge the Knicks away. In the regular season, the Knicks ranked third with 51 wins and 31 losses, while the Pacers ranked fourth with 50 wins and 32 losses. Can the Pacers continue their good condition in this strong dialogue and make a concerted effort? Can the Knicks defend their home glory? I am full of expectations, hoping to regain the passion and passion of the year in the Knicks' home game and witness them achieve another success in the playoffs.