Although they had no idea what had just happened, Wang Yi's words and everyone's expressions made it clear: Wang Yi had called the owner, and the owner had fired Dante on the spot.
If even the team's former second-in-command at the start of last season could be cut because of a single call from Wang Yi, then the rest of them had even less room to argue.
Dante might still find another team after being cut, but for fringe players like them, getting cut could mean leaving the NBA for good.
After Wang Yi finished speaking, the players fell silent. Not one of them dared say a word.
Even so, none of them was truly convinced.
Why should one man get to decide who started?
Why should one phone call decide whether they stayed or went?
Was this Raptors team Wang Yi's personal fiefdom?
Coach Dako was even angrier with Wang Yi now, but for the sake of team unity, he forced himself to keep his temper. Still, he couldn't help trying to talk Wang Yi down.
This was doing the team no good at all.
But Wang Yi didn't wait for the coach to speak. He continued, his voice ringing out.
"I know you're not convinced."
He pointed at the ring in the middle of the gym. "If you're not convinced, get in the ring. No rules. Eye gouges, groin kicks—use every dirty trick you can think of. Anyone who can make me submit gets a starting spot. If I make you submit, you listen to me without complaint."
At first, no one responded.
Wang Yi had been in real fights more than once.
He had subdued a criminal with his bare hands in a supermarket.
He had killed an armed thug bare-handed at a kindergarten.
He had subdued