The soccer portion was a friendly match, so Kobe, Hill, and the others could go out on the field and just have some fun.
But the basketball game, on the other hand, was a proper preseason match.
Baggio and the others were just there to warm up the crowd and participate in some pre-game activities.
In truth, there was no need to warm up the crowd; the entire Tianhe Stadium was already packed.
Kobe and Yao Ming, Hill and Tracy McGrady—any one of them was a superstar, more than enough to attract fans.
Chen Yu also sat quietly on the sidelines, ready to get a good look at this game.
Both the Lakers and the Magic were major rivals the Phoenix Suns would have to overcome to win a championship.
Amidst the roar of the crowd, the game officially began.
The Lakers rolled out a starting lineup of Yao Ming, Odom, Granger, Kobe, and Fisher.
The Magic fielded their championship-winning lineup from last year: Howard, Gudeng, Hill, Tracy McGrady, and Nelson.
