He darted back and forth across the court all game, charging forward and cutting through the defense. It felt like he was everywhere.
The key was that after playing an entire game, he wasn't even flushed or out of breath. He didn't seem tired at all.
Sometimes, even after playing one, two, or even three overtimes, he'd only look a little flushed and slightly winded.
So in the end, one reporter reached this conclusion:
"Wang Yi's stamina is a mystery."
That assistant coach couldn't get those words out of his head.
Wang Yi's stamina really was a mystery. Sometimes it was impressive, and sometimes it was downright superhuman.
Unfortunately, tonight the Celtics had run into the superhuman version of Wang Yi.
How could he know that Wang Yi had indeed burned through too much energy in the first quarter, but had used that Beginner All-Around Experience Card in the second?
The Beginner All-Around Experience Card didn't just boost Wang Yi's stamina. The moment he used it, it also replenished his energy.
That let him start over from his most well-rested state.
In other words, although Wang Yi looked like he'd been playing for fifteen minutes, as far as his stamina was concerned, he'd only used up enough energy for five minutes.
Naturally, the Celtics' assistant coach had no idea.
He told the head coach that Wang Yi's stamina was a mystery.
When head coach Joe Mazzulla heard that, he nodded. He had read that article, and its analysis did make sense.
So he made up his mind. "Change our defensive strategy! If two players aren't enough to double-team him, use three."
"Whatever it takes, force Wang to pass the ball. We absolutely can't let him score again."
The players all answered in unison.
When the timeout ended, both teams returned