Wang Yi wouldn't bow down for a little money.
He dared to think and speak, dared to speak and act, and dared to take responsibility for his actions.
The PR staffer was helpless and could only say to Wang Yi:
"Fine, then we won't pay any attention to this. We'll wait for the buzz to die down on its own."
Not long after Wang Yi ended the call, NBA President Xiao Hua called him.
He got straight to the point. "Wang, I'll be blunt. You laid hands on a player last night. You should've been suspended for at least seven games. And with what you said this morning, the rules call for a ten-game suspension."
"After more than ten veteran referees reviewed the league's rules, we determined that if you apologize and pay a fine of at least one million dollars, your suspension can be reduced to two games. That would give the Kings a chance."
Hearing this, Wang Yi asked Adam Silver:
"Apologize? Doug can talk again already? He's well enough to apologize to me?"
Wang Yi's single remark nearly left Adam Silver speechless.
You'd beaten the man so badly that, according to authoritative doctors, there was little chance he'd ever return to the basketball court. And now you were saying he should apologize to you?
"Wang, I'm trying to help you. Only if you apologize can I turn this into a minor issue. You have to understand, Doug Lambier's family has considerable influence too. If they make a fuss, it'll be a real headache. Of course, they wouldn't dare come after you, but they'll definitely come after me."
Wang Yi shook his head. "If I apologized, I wouldn't be Wang Yi anymore."
Xiao Hua gave a bitter laugh and shook his head helplessly.
In truth, he'd known all