Logically speaking, for Wei Guo's retirement season, his former team and old rivals should have prepared a gift.

The Trail Blazers were unprepared...

Wei Guo was only there to collect the championship ring. He already had six championship rings in six seasons in the league. Some of them he received on the spot, while others were delivered to him by his former team. Because of Wei Guo's special circumstances, he played for a different team every season, and the league often arranged for his new team's first game to be played at his former team's home stadium.

The team manager explained that the reason for not preparing a gift was that Wei Guo would be visiting Portland twice more. The Lakers will have two away games in Portland this year, and the team will give him a precious gift when Wei Guo visits Portland for the last time.

This might be part of the culture of country M.

In China, no matter how valuable the gift, people will humbly say that it is just a small token of their appreciation. Only people in the US would say that a gift is precious before it has even been given.

Cummings was very envious of the sense of ceremony the Trail Blazers gave Wei Guo.

If he retires after this season, will his former teams prepare a precious gift for him? The answer is no... Cummings knows very well that he is nothing without Wei Guo, and he will most likely leave the league after Wei Guo leaves.

Although he hasn't made much money over the years, Cummings likes to invest. He now owns several small stadiums and three Chinese restaurants, and his life is quite comfortable after retiring.

......

On November 1, 2007, the Lakers played their first game!

They've already racked up eight consecutive wins in the preseason...

The Lakers' current feeling is that their opponents have already fallen before they've even exerted their full strength. The preseason is not the regular season, and the regular season is the real test. Whether Kobe and Weiguo are compatible, and whether Gasol and Paul can integrate into the team, are all unknowns. It's not that having more stars guarantees a championship.

The US Dream Team, with its star-studded lineup, still lost on the international stage.

Wei Guo once said that he wanted to create an undefeated season, with 82 wins in the regular season, sweeping opponents in the playoffs, and winning the championship without losing a single game.

This is extremely difficult...

Even with the Lakers' impressive roster, achieving this would be extremely difficult. Most people think it's a pipe dream, and breaking the 73-win record would be a great achievement.

Game 1 of the regular season!

Lakers vs. Rockets

Gu Tao has left the team; he went to the Raptors to team up with Bosh... Since McGrady joined, the Rockets have made the playoffs every year and are considered a strong team in the Western Conference, but they have yet to make it to the second round.

Starting lineup for this match:

Rockets: Alston, McGrady, Battier, Hayes, Yao Ming

Lakers: Paul, Kobe, Wei Guo, Odom, Gasol

The Rockets' bench features Scola, Bonzi Wells, Luther Head, and Mutombo... The Lakers' bench features Farmar, Walton, Turiaf, Ariza, and Bynum... The Rockets' starting lineup is not as good as the Lakers', but their bench depth is sufficient, and may even be no worse than the Lakers'. However, the Lakers also have Bynum on their bench, which makes all the difference.

This match is attracting a lot of attention...

Both Paul and Kobe need the ball, and Wei Guo and Kobe's positions overlap somewhat. This game will truly reveal just how strong the Lakers' roster is, and the Rockets will also be a good test.

Wei Guo and Yao Ming stood in the center circle, ready to jump ball.

Yao Ming, standing at 2.26 meters tall, and Wei Guo, standing at 2.16 meters tall, were two giants who brought Chinese basketball to the top of the world.

"Beep!!!"

The whistle blew, and the game began.

The basketball was tossed into the air. Wei Guo jumped a fraction of a second later than Yao Ming, but Wei Guo's jumping speed was too fast, and he still touched the basketball first. He passed the basketball to Paul.

Paul dribbles the ball up the court...

Paul's playing style is characterized by his ability to break through and pass the ball to Wei Guo outside the three-point line. His speed and dribbling skills are top-notch in the league. He is very threatening when he drives to the basket or passes the ball. His excellent court vision allows him to easily find Wei Guo outside the three-point line.

Catch the ball and shoot.

"Whoosh!!!"

The basketball went into the net.

Wei Guo's three-point shooting is very consistent. If given an open shot, the probability of him putting the ball in the basket is over 90%.

Paul excitedly gave Wei Guo a high five, and Wei Guo praised him, saying, "You're pretty good... your passing ability is only slightly worse than Nash's."

Paul: "......"

Wei Guo is right, but it's not really a compliment to Paul. In this league, which player who's just trying to make a living isn't arrogant? It's really hard for them to admit that someone is better than them, especially for a player like Paul who aspires to be the greatest point guard of all time.

Paul remained unmoved by Wei Guo's praise. Odom, standing nearby, nudged Paul, "Wei Guo praised you, why don't you say thank you?"

"Thank you... thank you for the praise, Weiguo."

He squeezed out those words with difficulty, and they seemed insincere.

This isn't the time to fuss over such trivial matters...

The Rockets have launched their attack. Yao Ming receives the ball under the basket, uses his dream footwork to shake off Gasol, and easily scores a layup.

3:2!!!

Playing against Gasol should be relatively easy...

Yao Ming spent his rookie season with Wei Guo, who taught him a lot. Yao Ming's progress over the years has been remarkable. With Shaquille O'Neal past his prime and Dwight Howard still developing, the best centers in the league today are Yao Ming and Amar'e Stoudemire.

Lakers on offense!

Paul has the ball at the top of the key, and Wei Guo and Kobe cut towards the basket from the left and right sides, with Odom able to facilitate from the free-throw line.

Paul passed the ball to Odom...

The fact that Odom has the nickname "Little Wei Guo" shows that he is a very well-rounded player, good at passing and rebounding. When Kobe and Wei Guo both had scoring opportunities, Odom passed the ball to Wei Guo without hesitation. Wei Guo caught the ball, jumped, and made a reverse layup in mid-air, putting the ball into the basket.

The Lakers' offense was going very smoothly.

The Rockets didn't have it so easy. Alston had been outmaneuvered by Wei Guo several times before, and he always underperformed when facing Wei Guo. Tonight, he was contained by Paul from the start! With Kobe's defense and Wei Guo's help defense, McGrady didn't have any scoring opportunities. The Rockets' main scoring method was Yao Ming's one-on-one attack on Gasol under the basket.

Not long after...

The Lakers have taken a 7-point lead.

Gentry called a timeout, having discovered something truly alarming: if this issue wasn't properly addressed, the Lakers would definitely face serious problems this season!