Chapter Summaries

Steve Kerr used the Warriors’ small-ball Death Lineup to speed up the game and cut the Lakers’ lead, while Vogel urged the Lakers to slow the pace. Wang Yi proposed answering the Warriors with an even faster approach, leaving Vogel puzzled as he named the Run and Gun Tactic.

• Kerr replaced Wiseman with Green at center and ordered the Warriors to use their Death Lineup to run the Lakers into their preferred pace.
• James did not return after the timeout, so Kerr focused on tiring Wang Yi, who had already played seventeen straight minutes.
• The Warriors’ aggressive defense forced Lakers turnovers and rushed shots, while their quick offense helped cut the lead to ten points.
• Vogel called a timeout and told the Lakers, especially Wang Yi, to slow down and avoid playing at the Warriors’ pace.
• Wang Yi told Vogel the Lakers could play faster than the Warriors and announced the Run and Gun Tactic.

After LeBron James was injured and ruled out for the night, Wang Yi persuaded coach Vogel to try a run-and-gun offense despite the Lakers having never practiced it. The chapter ended with Wang Yi giving his teammates fast-break instructions as they prepared to resume play.

• Wang Yi proposed using the Run and Gun Tactic, and Vogel agreed to let him try it with the Lakers’ most mobile players.
• Wang Yi told his teammates that James was injured and would not return, then promised he would not let them lose.
• Wang Yi asked Vogel to replace the rattled Kuzma, and Vogel sent Tucker onto the court instead.
• Wang Yi told his teammates to pass him the ball, sprint upcourt, shoot when open, and finish each possession within seven seconds.

The Lakers used Wang Yi’s rapid passing and fast-break offense to outpace the Warriors, building a thirteen-point lead while Wang Yi encouraged Caruso after a missed shot. The Warriors tried to respond, but they ended up playing at the Lakers’ even faster pace.

• Wang Yi passed to Harrell for a dunk, then caught the Warriors’ inbound after their quick score and launched the ball upcourt for another Lakers dunk.
• Wang Yi directed the Lakers’ transition attack, and Pope passed to Caruso for an open corner shot that missed.
• Wang Yi reassured Caruso after the miss and later drew four Warriors defenders before passing to him for a made corner three, extending the Lakers’ lead to thirteen points.
• Wang Yi urged the Lakers to shoot within seven seconds, and their fast possessions pulled the Warriors into the Lakers’ pace.

The Lakers took a 20-point halftime lead over the Warriors by using a run-and-gun style centered on Wang Yi’s court control. In the locker room, Kerr decided Klay should focus on stopping Wang Yi from starting fast breaks.

• The Lakers forced the Warriors into their pace and built a 20-point lead by halftime.
• James welcomed Wang Yi, and Vogel praised the run-and-gun strategy as the Lakers celebrated.
• Yang Yi argued that the Lakers likely had not practiced the tactic and credited Wang Yi’s court control for making it work.
• Kerr told the Warriors to slow the game down and identified Wang Yi as the key to the Lakers’ attack.
• Kerr assigned Klay to shadow Wang Yi and prevent him from quickly advancing the ball after each possession.

The Lakers anticipated that Steve Kerr would use a strong backcourt defender to disrupt Wang Yi’s Run and Gun offense, so Wang Yi proposed using Schroder to create a four-on-four attack. Schroder entered for the third quarter, leaving observers puzzled about how he would fit alongside Wang Yi.

• James predicted the Warriors would send a strong defender to stop Wang Yi from advancing the ball, and explained that beating the defense would require teammates to set screens and run pick-and-rolls.
• Wang Yi suggested playing Schroder, then explained that he could pass to Schroder against backcourt pressure so Schroder could advance the ball and attack in a four-on-four situation.
• Vogel asked Schroder if he was ready, and Schroder eagerly agreed to play.
• Wang Yi told Vogel that the Run and Gun strategy had come out of nowhere because the Lakers had never practiced it before.
• The third quarter began with Schroder on the floor, and Grant and Gateman wondered why Vogel had put him in.

Wang Yi helped the Lakers exploit a four-on-four offense by setting Schroder free to attack, and their lead grew to 20 points by the end of the third quarter. The Lakers seemed poised to win Game 5, but Curry Hao and the Splash Brothers still stood in their way.

• Schroder missed an early three, then scored in transition after Wang Yi passed him the ball and Klay Thompson blocked Wang Yi's fast-break outlet.
• Schroder repeatedly attacked in four-on-four situations while Thompson guarded Wang Yi, and Vogel and James praised Wang Yi's tactical insight.
• Kerr told the Warriors to collapse on defense, but Schroder passed out to open teammates, who kept making three-pointers and stretched the Lakers' lead to 25 points.
• Kerr shifted the Warriors' focus to stopping the three-point shots, and the Lakers finished the third quarter ahead by 20.
• Lakers fans celebrated Wang Yi's 27 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds as they anticipated a win, but the chapter ended by reminding them the Warriors had the Splash Brothers and Curry Hao.

With Klay Thompson’s hot start cutting the Lakers’ lead, Wang Yi took responsibility for guarding Stephen Curry while the Lakers planned to double-team Thompson. Wang Yi then showed he could direct the Lakers’ half-court offense, leaving the team with a way to protect its lead.

• Klay Thompson hit three three-pointers in the first minute of the fourth quarter, helping the Warriors reduce the Lakers’ lead to 11 points.
• Coach Vogel called a timeout as the Lakers struggled to score and Thompson continued to make contested shots.
• Wang Yi offered to guard Stephen Curry so the Lakers could double-team Thompson without leaving Curry free.
• The Lakers returned to play, and Wang Yi used Harrell’s pick and roll before passing behind his back for Harrell to dunk.
• Vogel realized Wang Yi could help the Lakers’ half-court offense as they tried to hold onto their lead.

The Warriors erased the Lakers’ 20-point lead with a barrage of threes, leaving Los Angeles ahead by only three with more than eight minutes remaining. During Vogel’s timeout, Wang Yi remained eager to fight, but he had no clear plan for stopping Curry and the Warriors’ surge.

• The Lakers’ defense denied Thompson and Curry clean looks, but Curry hit a three to cut the lead to 10 points.
• Curry scored another three in transition after Green blocked Harrell, shrinking the Lakers’ lead to seven.
• Caruso missed an open shot, and Curry made a three while drawing a foul on Wang Yi; his four-point play cut the lead to three.
• Vogel called a timeout as the crowd roared, and James tried to encourage the shaken Lakers.
• Vogel asked Wang Yi how he planned to play, and Wang Yi said he would keep playing the same way, excited by the close battle.

Wang Yi took over the decisive fourth quarter with a string of three-pointers as the Lakers battled Curry and Thompson in the King of the Mountain Battle. His fifth three stretched the Lakers' lead to nine, forcing Kerr to call a timeout.

• Wang Yi told the coach to give him the ball, then laughed with James before play resumed.
• Wang Yi created space from Thompson and sank a logo three to give the Lakers a six-point lead.
• Curry answered with a three over Pope, and Wang Yi replied with a three of his own.
• Curry and Thompson kept scoring from beyond the arc while Wang Yi hit three more threes, including shots off screens.
• Wang Yi made his fifth three of the quarter, pushing the Lakers' lead to nine and prompting Kerr to call a timeout.

Wang Yi caught fire from three in the fourth quarter, forcing the Warriors to double-team him and prompting the Lakers to get him open with off-ball screens. He tied Klay Thompson’s single-quarter record with nine threes, with four minutes left to try to break it.

• Kerr ordered Thompson, Green, and the Warriors to double-team Wang Yi whenever he got the ball.
• Vogel told Wang Yi to avoid holding the ball and instead run off screens to create open shots.
• Wang Yi made his sixth, seventh, and eighth three-pointers of the quarter as the Lakers freed him with off-ball movement and Little Gasol helped organize the offense.
• Thompson stayed close to Wang Yi, but Wang Yi shook him, faked out Green, and made his ninth three-pointer to tie Thompson’s record.
• Fans and commentators reacted to Wang Yi tying the record, while Thompson watched with four minutes remaining in the game.

Wang Yi broke Thompson’s record by making his tenth three-pointer of the quarter, thrilling fans around the world as the Lakers protected their lead against the Warriors. James saluted Wang Yi on the way back on defense, creating an iconic image that later became known as the passing of the crown.

• Curry encouraged Thompson to focus on winning, while Wang Yi concentrated on protecting the Lakers’ nine-point lead.
• Curry made a three, and fans around the world watched as Wang Yi ran through screens to get open.
• Wang Yi took a handoff from Little Gasol and made a three after the ball bounced five times on the rim, breaking Thompson’s record.
• Fans in the arena and around the world erupted, while David cheered for Wang Yi.
• James saluted Wang Yi as he ran back on defense, and the media captured the moment that later became an iconic NBA image.

Wang Yi broke Klay Thompson’s records for three-pointers and points in a quarter, helping the Lakers defeat the Warriors 132–123. The Lakers won the King of the Mountain Battle, and Wang Yi finished with 56 points, 13 rebounds, and 16 assists.

• After Wang Yi made his tenth three-pointer of the quarter, Steve Kerr called a timeout to organize the Warriors’ defense.
• The Warriors denied Wang Yi three-point attempts, but he scored two mid-range shots to reach 36 points in the quarter.
• Wang Yi missed a mid-range shot, grabbed the rebound, and dunked while drawing a flagrant foul from Green, reaching 39 points after making the free throw.
• Green was ejected after his second Flagrant 1, and Caruso and Tucker hit late threes as the Lakers beat the Warriors 132–123.
• Wang Yi finished with 56 points, 13 rebounds, and 16 assists after playing all 48 minutes.

After leading the Lakers to victory over the Warriors despite the loss of James and Thick Eyebrows, Wang Yi recovered from the exhausting game and faced questions about Draymond Green’s fouls. The chapter ended with Wang Yi bluntly denying that he and Green were friends off the court.

• Wang Yi sat through his post-game interview on the court, exhausted by the intense 48-minute battle against the Warriors.
• James hugged Wang Yi at the Player Tunnel and made him promise to take him to his hometown someday.
• Curry praised Wang Yi after the loss, Thompson looked forward to their next game, and Green denied that his fouls had been flagrant while claiming he and Wang Yi were friends off the court.
• Wang Yi told reporters that he barely knew Green.

Wang Yi led the injury-depleted Lakers to the brink of victory in Game 7 but lost the series to the Warriors, ending his first Playoffs run. Afterward, he defended his teammates and urged reporters to respect their effort, while the Lakers faced an uncertain offseason.

• After Wang Yi's 42-point triple-double could not prevent a Game 6 blowout, the Lakers lost 123–90 and tied the series at 3–3.
• Wang Yi scored 48 points through three quarters of Game 7, but Kerr's Box1 defense and the Lakers' poor three-point shooting helped the Warriors win 110–107.
• Wang Yi finished Game 7 with 56 points, 15 rebounds, and 18 assists, and the Warriors eliminated the Lakers from his first Playoffs run.
• Curry and Kerr praised Wang Yi's performance, basketball intelligence, and determination in their post-game interviews.
• At the Lakers' press conference, Wang Yi praised his teammates' effort and asked reporters to show them respect despite their missed shots.
• The Lakers players felt guilty after hearing Wang Yi's defense of them and looked ahead to summer training amid uncertainty about who would return next season.

After the Lakers lost Game 7, Wang Yi blamed himself and went straight to the UCLA Training Hall to practice. Nicole found him there and stayed by his side as he trained until exhaustion, but after sleeping for fifteen hours, he returned to the court.

• Wang Yi returned to Los Angeles and went to the UCLA Training Hall at 4:00 a.m. to practice shots instead of going home to rest.
• Nicole flew back to Los Angeles, searched for Wang Yi, and found him practicing at the Training Hall.
• Nicole stayed quietly with Wang Yi, then brought him breakfast, and he ate before resuming his three-point practice.
• Wang Yi practiced for most of the day until he collapsed, and Nicole and the security guard helped him to the players' lounge.
• Wang Yi slept for fifteen hours, then woke up and went straight back to the Training Hall.

After two days of silence following the playoff loss, Wang Yi finally spoke and smiled when Nicole brought Zeng Xinyi to visit him. He returned to training and planned to wait until July 1 to sign with the team before going home, while rumors about NBA trades swirled.

• Wang Yi spent two days eating, sleeping, and training without speaking, and James reassured Nicole that the loss had only strengthened his resolve.
• Nicole remembered Wang Yi's fondness for Zeng Xinyi, found her in Sacramento, and brought her back to visit him.
• Zeng Xinyi's cheerful visit made Wang Yi laugh and speak for the first time in two days, and he thanked Nicole for worrying about him.
• Wang Yi resumed regular training and planned to wait until the trade market opened on July 1 before signing with the team and returning to China.
• Rumors circulated about Harden, Wei Shao, and Simmons, including speculation that Wei Shao might join the Lakers despite the team's costly contracts.

Wang Yi agreed to re-sign with the Lakers for two years and $40 million, then considered major endorsement offers while preparing to visit China with Nicole. After they landed, a call from Sister Luo left him frozen before he had even left the airport.

• Pelinka asked Wang Yi to accept a $20 million annual salary, and Luo Lin persuaded him that staying with the Lakers would benefit his future career and endorsements.
• Wang Yi re-signed with the Lakers for two years and $40 million, prompting praise and criticism from media figures and NBA personalities.
• Nike, Adidas, Li Ning, and Anta offered Wang Yi endorsement deals, but he asked Luo Lin's agency to assess the domestic brands before deciding.
• Wang Yi planned a trip home and agreed to let Nicole accompany him, while clarifying that he would not introduce her to his family yet.
• After Wang Yi and Nicole landed in China, Luo Lin called him, and he froze at what she said.

Wang Yi learned that the Lakers had traded him to the Kings in a five-team deal and resolved to prove himself with his new team. Jenny Bass revealed that she had traded him to satisfy a buyer’s anti-East demand and planned to blame Wang Yi publicly, turning fans against him.

• Luo Lin told Wang Yi that the Lakers had traded him to the Kings in a five-team deal.
• Wang Yi accepted the trade and vowed to lead the Kings to the playoffs and a championship, while making Pelinka and Jenny Bass regret their decision.
• Jenny Bass told Pelinka that her failed investment had left her nearly $1.2 billion in debt and that a buyer would purchase a 49% stake only if the team removed everyone from the East.
• Jenny Bass decided to trade Wang Yi and falsely claim that he had demanded a trade because he disliked his $20 million salary.
• Fans in the United States and China reacted with disbelief to Wang Yi’s trade, then turned against him after reports claimed he had asked to leave for more money.

After Wang Yi was traded, false reports portrayed him as demanding more money and a bigger role, turning American fans against him. James and former teammates privately supported him, and Wang Yi accepted that his performance was the only way to answer the accusations.

• Reports claimed Wang Yi had reneged on his Lakers contract because he wanted a higher salary and a larger role, prompting fans to accuse him of betrayal.
• Stephen A. Smith and Pierce publicly criticized Wang Yi, while angry Los Angeles fans burned his jerseys and flooded his Twitter with insults.
• Shaquille O'Neal and Barkley defended Wang Yi, though their posts also drew criticism.
• James called Wang Yi, said the Lakers' front office was likely behind the situation, and urged him to respond by playing well; Wang Yi thanked him.
• Thick Eyebrows, Caruso, Tucker, and Schroder called Wang Yi, and Schroder credited him with helping him improve before they ended the call.

Wang Yi returned to Sunshine Community after nearly three years away and reunited with his parents over a familiar home-cooked meal. As they began drinking together, his father asked him about the trade.

• Wang Yi arrived at Sunshine Community and hurried away from Grandma Sun’s matchmaking plans and neighbors asking for photos.
• Wang Yi heard his parents preparing dinner and discussing how they would handle the trade before he knocked on their door.
• Wang Yi’s mother cried when she saw him, while his father told him to wash his hands and eat.
• Wang Yi ate tomato and egg stir-fry with his parents, and his father brought out his treasured baijiu.
• Wang Yi’s father poured drinks with him and asked what the trade was all about.