Pippen continued:
"Twenty-year-old Wang Yi was a miracle."
"Thirty-year-old Wang Yi was a miracle."
"But forty-year-old Wang Yi, you could only call him a legend of the past."
"You couldn't call him a miracle of the present."
And so, the two debated back and forth on the show.
In the end, neither managed to convince the other.
Then time reached 8:00 p.m. on June 14.
Game 7 between the Lakers and the Pistons was held at Staples Center.
Before the game began, Wang Yi stood at center court.
He felt the flashes of countless cameras around the arena.
He felt the noise and clamor of more than twenty thousand people in attendance.
He felt the spotlights shining down from beneath the dome.
He felt the atmosphere of the Finals.
This was the sixteenth time in his career that he had played in the Finals.
Of the nineteen championship banners hanging from the dome of Staples Center, two had been won under his leadership.
Throughout NBA history,
the Purple-Green Rivalry between the Lakers and the Celtics had endured for many, many years.
Over the decades, the two sides had competed in more than just other areas.
They had also competed in the number of championships.
Before Wang Yi arrived, the Lakers had won seventeen championships.
The Celtics had won eighteen.
After Wang Yi arrived, he led the Lakers to two more championships.
They surpassed the Celtics in one stroke.
And this year, he was determined to lead the Lakers in extending that advantage.
At that moment, head coach Phil Jackson came to Wang Yi's side.
"How are you feeling, Wang?" he asked.
The question carried two meanings: one asked about Wang Yi's physical condition, while the other asked about his feel for the game.
Wang Yi nodded without hesitation.
His voice