A Near Game-Winner

At Staples Center, cheers surged toward them like a tsunami.

Like a volcano, they erupted.

It seemed as if the roof of Staples Center Arena might be blown off.

"YES!"

"Wang! That was so cool!"

"Oh my God, thank goodness!"

The arena DJ's drawn-out voice sounded even more excited.

"Three-pointer, from Wang——Yi——"

Across the Pacific.

The Tencent NBA studio.

Meina let out a long breath and couldn't help clenching her little fists.

As a female host, she was allowed to have a favorite team.

She could also openly show her support for that team during a broadcast.

But when the team she supported made a clutch shot, she couldn't get too carried away.

She could only force herself to suppress her excitement.

Wang Meng pumped his fist and exclaimed in delight:

"Awesome! That was insanely awesome!"

Su Qun couldn't help pushing up his glasses excitedly, either.

"My God, he really dared to shoot! At such a crucial moment, after missing his previous shot, he didn't hesitate at all before taking the second one!"

"What a big heart! He's a real clutch player!"

In the comments, the haters who had been about to bash Wang Yi for missing his previous shot fell completely silent.

It was as if they had all gone mute.

The comments were flooded with "666" and "That's freaking awesome."

But out on the court, the five Lakers players had no time to celebrate.

The Clippers had already used all their timeouts.

The Lakers had to get back on defense as quickly as possible.

The Clippers gave Leonard the ball for their final possession.

Once again, Wang Yi was defending him.

He kept his eyes fixed on Leonard.

On the sideline, head coach Vogel signaled to Wang Yi, "You can take a tactical foul!"

Wang Yi nodded.

With just thirteen seconds left, Leonard was about to make his move.

Wang Yi reached out and grabbed the corner of Leonard's jersey.

Since the Lakers hadn't yet reached four team fouls,

the foul didn't send anyone to the free-throw line.

The ball was inbounded again, and George caught it.

Wang Yi stuck tight to Leonard, giving him no chance to receive the ball.

George tried to pass to Leonard several times, but Leonard never had a good opportunity to catch it.

He also remembered that Wang Yi had already stolen the ball from Leonard twice.

So he gave up on passing to him.

With James guarding him on the perimeter, George forced up a shot.

Thump—

The ball slammed hard off the back rim.

The red light on the backboard came on.

"BEEP—"

The game was over!

118 to 117.

The Lakers won by one point!

The crowd erupted like a tsunami once again.

The Lakers players all raised their arms and shouted.

Caruso was the first to rush over and embrace Wang Yi, overcome with excitement.

"Wang, we won! That clutch three-pointer of yours made all the difference!"

James and the others came over, too.

"Wang, this is your moment!"

James said, "Enjoy it."

As someone who'd been there before, he was sharing his experience.

Tucker, Little Gasol, Harrell, and the others all slapped Wang Yi's hand.

"Wang, you're a real clutch player!"

"Wang, you really dared to shoot. You'd just missed, but you didn't hesitate at all before taking another shot. Incredible!"

"Man, you've got guts!"

The Lakers players gathered together, savoring this hard-earned victory.

After a while, the Lakers players gradually calmed down.

The Clippers players came over and embraced the Lakers in congratulations.

Leonard hugged James first, then came over to embrace Wang Yi.

He wasn't a man of many words. He said only, "You're an opponent worthy of respect."

Wang Yi was even more laconic. "So are you."

After saying that, Leonard quickly headed for the Player Tunnel.

But as they embraced, Wang Yi could feel the surging Fighting Spirit within him.

All the stars were like that.

The stronger the opponent they faced, the greater their Fighting Spirit.

After embracing James, George came over to hug Wang Yi, too.

"After tonight, I'll remember your name. I'm looking forward to facing you next time."

Wang Yi nodded. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to it, too."

After the Clippers left, the beautiful reporter Allie Clifton, who had been waiting on the sideline, hurried over.

She had previously been a beat reporter for the Cavaliers.

When James joined the Lakers, she'd come along with him.

She was a die-hard James fan.

But this time, she didn't approach James.

She went straight to Wang Yi.

She wanted to interview him after the game.

If the postgame interview after the previous game had surprised Wang Yi, then he felt he truly deserved this one.

He'd made the most important three-pointer of the game. Who else would she interview?

"Hi, Wang. Congratulations to the Lakers on winning tonight, and congratulations to you on making the most important three-pointer. How did it feel?"

The beautiful reporter had a sweet voice.

Wang Yi answered with a smile:

"It felt great. That's the shot I've always dreamed of taking."

The beautiful reporter moved on to her second question:

"After you missed your previous shot, what gave you the confidence to take that last one? How did you handle such immense pressure?"

Wang Yi replied, "I practice my three-pointers every day for this moment. Whether the pass comes from James or Caruso, I'll let it fly without holding anything back."

The beautiful reporter asked one last question:

"What are your plans for your professional career going forward?"

Wang Yi smiled. "First, of course, I want to sign a guaranteed contract."

The beautiful reporter said, "After your performance tonight, I imagine Pelinka already has a guaranteed contract ready for you. What comes next?"

Wang Yi continued, "Then I'll put together some great performances and earn a big contract. After that, naturally, I want a championship. I think that's what every player strives for."

He didn't say what came after that.

He wanted more than a championship.

He wanted to become a Star, a superstar, a Superstar, and even a Legendary Superstar!

The beautiful reporter said, "Thank you, Wang. I hope you can play like you did tonight every day."

Wang Yi nodded politely. "Thank you."

Then Wang Yi turned to leave.

But just then, another staff member called out to him.

The man looked apologetic. "Sorry, Wang, but you can't leave yet. There's another interview."

Players were usually exhausted after a game and eager to get back and soak in a bath.

For an ordinary player, a postgame interview was an honor.

But for many big-name players, it was a nuisance.

Wang Yi had already done one interview, and now they were asking him to do a second.

The staff member naturally felt bad about it—and that in itself showed how Wang Yi's standing in people's eyes had risen another level.

Still apologetic, the staff member worried Wang Yi might refuse and quickly added:

"It's a reporter from your country."

Wang Yi nodded.

"Sure, send him over."