McCollum stepped back, leaving Wang Yi a meter behind him, then took a three.
By all conventional wisdom, Wang Yi should have rushed forward with a hand raised to contest the shot—even if there was a 99.9 percent chance he wouldn't block it.
But Wang Yi didn't rush forward.
Instead, he jumped straight up from where he stood.
As he leaped high into the air, he raised his left arm and reached for the ball.
Bald Kevin, the commentator at the game, couldn't help smiling when he saw it.
A mocking remark was already on the tip of his tongue: This guy from the East is way out of his league.
But the next moment, the words died in his throat.
It was as if someone had stuffed a fly into his mouth.
Wang Yi's leap was astonishingly high.
His waist was almost level with McCollum's shoulder.
His left hand met the ball squarely and stopped it in midair.
Then he snatched it right out of the air.
A forceful block!
The spectators cried out in astonishment:
"Oh my God—"
"Is he even human?"
"This guy must be from Mars."
Even commentator Bald Kevin was stunned by the play.
For once, the man who was usually so quick with his words fell silent.
His co-commentator turned to him, still shocked, and asked with a laugh:
"Kevin, what's wrong?"
Bald Kevin finally snapped out of it and shook his head again and again:
"That guy's got an unbelievable vertical."
On the sidelines, all the Lakers players on the bench shot to their feet.
They waved their towels and bounced around excitedly.
James sprang up as if there were a spring under his seat.
He widened his eyes, pulled a comically disbelieving face, then raised both arms.
He kept shouting:
"Oh my