With Michael Joe's pride, if he couldn't adjust his mindset or convince himself that there were two kinds of stars in the world—Wang Yi and everyone else—then he'd never recover from the blow he'd suffered today if he kept trying to put himself on Wang Yi's level.
Thinking of this, Susan sighed inwardly.
She said nothing, simply quietly packing the gear Michael Joe would need for tomorrow's practice.
As she sorted through the equipment, she stole a glance at Michael Joe. He remained in the same position, lying silently on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling without moving.
Half an hour later, when she had finished packing everything, she found Michael Joe still staring blankly at the ceiling, motionless.
Susan saw him and quietly lay down beside him, silently keeping him company.
She hoped he could soon emerge from Wang Yi's shadow.
But was it really that easy to move on?
For a full half month after the game between the Kings and Pelicans, the Pelicans played poorly in all seven of their games.
In the more than 40 games before that, the Pelicans had averaged 113 points per game.
But in those seven recent games, their average had fallen to 105 points.
It seemed that everyone—from the coaches to the players—was struggling to find their form.
As a result, they lost six of those seven games.
The one game they won was a narrow two-point victory, and only because their opponents made just 13 percent of their three-point attempts.
Everyone knew the reason.
Many media outlets also gained a deeper understanding of Wang Yi's terrifying ability to intimidate his opponents.
One report after another appeared.
ESPN's official report: Never Mess with Wang Yi
ABC's report: The Consequences of Angering Wang Yi
TNT's program: <Angering Wang Yi Was