Outside the window, Los Angeles blazed with lights.
Wang Yi took out his phone and opened the Raptors' group chat.
The chat was still lively. Dauding was complaining about the new coach's hellish training, Locke had posted a photo of his freshly trained abs, and Zhang Yu was asking if anyone wanted to go in on a bulk order of protein powder.
Wang Yi's finger hovered over the text box. He thought about typing, "Keep it up, guys," but deleted it in the end and simply left a like.
Charlie Hannum's profile picture was grayed out, as if it would never light up again.
Wang Yi thought back to last year's Playoffs. After an opponent had maliciously fouled him and knocked him to the ground, Charlie had been the first to charge over and shove the guy away, then roar at the referee until the veins in his neck bulged.
After the game, Charlie had patted his shoulder and said, "Wang, if anyone tries that on you again, I'll take him apart."
Back then, Charlie had been a tough guy full of energy. How could he have retired just like that?
His phone vibrated. It was a message from Phil Jackson, with a manual on the Triangle Offense attached.
Wang Yi opened it. The pages were packed with diagrams of player movements, with him, King Arthur, and Doncic marked at the triangle's three points.
The Zen Master had always built his plays around his Stars. Jordan and Pippen had been that way back then, and so had Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal later on.
Wang Yi smiled and saved the manual to his phone.
The next day, the atmosphere in the Training Hall was even more lively than the day before.
The players were racing around on the electric bikes