Boston Garden, the home arena of the Boston Celtics. Today, it was hosting the fateful clash between the two NBA teams with the most championships in league history.
The visiting team was, naturally, the Los Angeles Lakers.
The founder of American gaming giant GAMENOVA showing up to watch the game was far too big a story to go unnoticed by reporters, and the moment Ethan appeared near the visiting team's bench along with Sam, countless cameras and microphones were already pointed at them.
Did this hint the direction of GAMENOVA's next game? Or was Ethan planning to invest in the sports industry? No one knew the answer for certain.
The two of them carried themselves with an unmistakable "keep your distance" attitude, making it clear that they were simply here on vacation to watch a basketball game.
So, anyone reckless enough to shove a camera into their faces at a time like this would only be looking for trouble.
"I never knew you were a Lakers fan. I don't think I've ever seen you watch many basketball games before. Though, to be fair, I don't watch them much either."
Sam curiously looked around the arena, paying no attention to the gazes directed at the two of them.
As far as Sam could remember, the handful of sporting events they had watched together were almost all football rivalry games between USC and their longtime rival, UCLA.
Basketball games like this? They had hardly watched any. Forget attending one in person, even on television, they rarely tuned in.
"I guess you could say that, but I'm actually here to see him."
Ethan swept his gaze across the court before it settled on the black man who was taller sitting down than most people were standing up.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
Nickname: The Cap.
The towering 2.18 meter tall player was the inspiration behind Lucky Glauber, the member of the American Sports Team in their recently released The King of Fighters.
He was already thirty eight years old, and for a basketball player, that was considered quite old.
However, Ethan's impression of him came more from outside basketball. Interestingly enough, besides being a basketball superstar, Jabbar had another identity: an actor.
In 1971, he accepted an invitation from his close friend Bruce Lee to appear in the film Game of Death. In the movie, he went up against Bruce in a memorable fight scene, where their huge height difference was impossible to ignore.
Seeing the 7'2" basketball legend standing across from the much shorter Bruce Lee made the scene feel both intense and strangely funny at the same time.
He had also appeared in the comedy film Airplane! playing Roger Murdock, a calm and serious co-pilot whose role became one of the movie's most unforgettable comedic moments. These performances revealed another side of Jabbar beyond his legendary basketball career.
Unlike the Lakers' rising star Magic Johnson, Jabbar was quiet and reserved. Sitting alone on the bench, he stared blankly at the basket, lost in thought.
Ethan patted Sam on the shoulder, signaling him to follow.
There was still an hour before tip-off, giving them plenty of time. Ethan walked over to Jabbar and greeted him with a smile.
"Mr. Jabbar, it's great to finally meet you."
Ethan looked at the man in front of him and couldn't help but remember the move that had dominated basketball for decades.
The Skyhook.
A shot so unstoppable that defenders could only watch it go in. He was so incredibly consistent and efficient with it that whenever he took the shot, it seemed destined to score. All he had to do was raise the ball high over his head and flick his wrist gently.
Two points.
It was the very definition of mastering one move and conquering the world with it.
But that move was a bit like Guile's Sonic Boom. As effective as it was, watching it over and over inevitably led to aesthetic fatigue, and as a result, he never enjoyed the enormous fanbase that many other superstar players had.
Jabbar looked over at Ethan and returned the greeting with a polite smile. For a moment, he looked confused, as if he was trying to remember where he had seen him before. Then his expression changed as recognition clicked.
"Ethan Hayes?"
A hint of surprise appeared on his face.
"Mr. Jabbar, I never had the chance to meet you before, so when I heard you had a game today, I came by with a friend to watch you play."
Ethan chuckled, doing his best to sound familiar.
"I wonder if you've ever followed GAMENOVA's EVO Evolution Championship or The King of Fighters?"
Perhaps it was Ethan's friendly attitude that put Jabbar at ease. He quickly relaxed and smiled as well.
"I don't know any special move that lets me shoot lasers with a basketball."
Jabbar knew exactly what Ethan was referring to.
Lucky Glauber, the member of the American Sports Team in GAMENOVA's new title, The King of Fighters.
His appearance was obviously based on the character Jabbar had played in Game of Death. But Jabbar didn't mind at all, in fact, he seemed pretty excited about it.
"I'm not the player I used to be."
He looked towards Magic Johnson, who was warming up nearby. This season, his average points per game had fallen to the lowest level of his career, and his rebounding numbers were far from ideal as well.
Age was every athlete's greatest enemy.
"What are you talking about? I think this is exactly the age for you to win MVP."
Ethan waved his hand dismissively. From what he remembered, although Jabbar's performances in the upcoming games would be fairly ordinary, he would continue to approach every game with unwavering professionalism.
He would embrace his supporting role, leaving all the spotlight to the Lakers' rookie sensation, Magic Johnson.
"Then I'll gladly accept your good wishes, Ethan"
Jabbar simply took the comment as polite flattery. But Ethan clearly wasn't planning to leave it at that.
"Sam, use your personal account to place a bet. Bet that Jabbar will be today's MVP. Put down fifty thousand..."
"No, make it one hundred thousand dollars."
If they wanted people to take their sports gaming brand seriously, they couldn't afford to play small. Sometimes, making a bold move was the best way to show they were serious.
Ethan grabbed Sam by the collar and leaned closer, lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear.
"Make it as high-profile as possible. I want everyone to see it and let those reporters know exactly what we're doing."
Even after the Lakers had fallen behind by a full twenty points and the game had entered garbage time, Sam was still hoping Jabbar would unleash a spectacular comeback like he did in The King of Fighters.
The third quarter came to an end, and Jabbar's performance was far from spectacular.
Ethan, however, showed no signs of disappointment. Every time Jabbar made a play, Ethan made sure his support was heard from the sidelines.
This was a crucial game being broadcast live across the country. Millions of viewers watched as the man behind one of the world's biggest gaming companies openly showed his support for a veteran player who was no longer at the peak of his career.
Finally, during the short break at the end of the third quarter, a reporter could no longer contain himself and made his way over to Ethan.
"Mr. Hayes, we've heard you bet one hundred thousand dollars on Kareem winning today's MVP. What do you think of his performance so far?"
Facing the cameras, Ethan flashed his trademark innocent smile, as if the question had caught him completely off guard.
"Huh? The game's not over yet, is it?" he said with a small shrug. "So, seems a little early to judge."
Without waiting for a follow-up, he turned towards the court and waved, "Kareem! I brought you a gift!"
In his hands was a pair of basketball wristbands, boldly printed with GAMENOVA's logo in an outrageously bright neon gradient, it was just impossible to miss.