The press conference room was brightly lit, with dozens of cameras trained on the stage and microphone cables spread across the floor like a web.
The moment Wang Yi sat down, the camera flashes exploded, blinding him.
"Wang, you reached the 40,000-point milestone at age 38. How do you feel?" an ESPN reporter asked first, getting to his feet, his voice full of urgency.
Wang Yi took the microphone and gently rubbed his fingertips over its cold metal casing. A flush from the game still colored his face.
"Honestly, I feel calmer than I expected."
"This record belongs to my teammates. Without them screening and passing for me time and again, there would have been no breaking through the five-man trap tonight—and no 40,001 points."
He paused and glanced across the room. "Of course, I also have to thank the Raptors' defense. That intensity brought back the excitement I felt when I was young."
A ripple of laughter rose from the crowd, only to be drowned out by an even denser flurry of questions.
"How much longer do you think you can play? Are you confident you can surpass LeBron's 43,830 points?" another reporter pressed.
The familiar curve returned to Wang Yi's lips, and an unyielding light shone in his eyes.
"Thirty-eight isn't the end. As long as my body allows it, and I can still feel that love for the game when I step onto the court, I'll keep playing."
"LeBron is a great rival, and his record is a mountain peak. But the beauty of basketball lies in the challenge. Thirty points per game, 127 games—that's a clear number. I'll get closer one step at a time."
His words sent the room into an uproar. Meanwhile, social media was already ablaze.
LeBron himself posted an update soon after