Chapter Summaries

Wang Yi blocked Embiid repeatedly and brought the Kings close to a comeback, but the 76ers erased their lead with a barrage of threes. Wang Yi answered with a series of long-range shots that put the Kings back ahead.

• Rivers urged the 76ers to attack the paint, and Bagley and Damian Jones fouled out while Embiid drew fouls and scored inside.
• Wang Yi blocked Embiid twice more, reached 18 blocks and 13 rebounds, and left himself one assist short of a quadruple-double.
• Seth Curry and Danny Green made four consecutive threes as the Kings missed their shots and fell behind by two.
• Wang Yi hit a shot from the 76ers' Logo to give the Kings a one-point lead.
• Wang Yi and the 76ers' shooters traded threes, and Wang Yi made three more as the Kings took a four-point lead.

Wang Yi helped the Kings extend their lead over the 76ers and earned the assist that completed his quadruple-double. After Embiid shoved Bagley following a dunk, Wang Yi retaliated, and the players and referees rushed in to separate them.

• Wang Yi entered the final five minutes with 42 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists, and 18 blocks, leaving him one assist short of a quadruple-double.
• Embiid made a three-pointer, and Wang Yi answered with one of his own before taunting him; Danny Green restrained Embiid when he nearly confronted Wang Yi.
• Wang Yi drove at Embiid and flicked a pass behind himself to Bagley, who dunked over Embiid and gave Wang Yi his tenth assist.
• Embiid shoved Bagley to the floor, and Wang Yi retaliated by knocking Embiid down and cursing at him.
• The referees, Kings players, and 76ers players separated Wang Yi and Embiid, while Drummond hurried over to help break up the confrontation.

Wang Yi broke up a brawl involving Bagley and Gary Clark, but the confrontation escalated until Clark shoved a referee and was ejected. Wang Yi left the court before the referees announced that he had also been ejected, vowing to remember Philadelphia.

• Drummond and Gary Clark separated Wang Yi and Embiid, and Clark secretly shoved Wang Yi, prompting Bagley to charge at him.
• Wang Yi restrained Bagley and grabbed Clark, pinching him and throwing him to the floor as Hield and Barnes also knocked Clark down.
• Clark charged at Wang Yi, shoved a referee, and was pinned down by security guards before being ejected.
• Wang Yi shouted back at the hostile Philadelphia fans and walked into the Player Tunnel without answering their insults.
• After reviewing the footage, the referees announced that Wang Yi had been ejected, but he had already left.

After Wang Yi was ejected, the Kings rallied to beat the 76ers, and Wang Yi was named the West's Player of the Month. Back in the locker room, he strengthened his bond with Bagley before boasting about his award at the press conference.

• The referees ejected Clarke, Embiid, and Wang Yi after reviewing the fight, and Wang Yi had already left the court.
• The Kings intensified their defense after Wang Yi's ejection and defeated the 76ers 122–117.
• NBA officials named Embiid the East's Player of the Month and Wang Yi the West's Player of the Month.
• Bagley thanked Wang Yi for defending him and decided to follow him as his boss, while Wang Yi urged the team to stand together.
• At the press conference, Wang Yi said the East's Player of the Month had been blown out by the West's Player of the Month.

After Wang Yi vowed to crush Embiid and the 76ers, Shaq defended his bold predictions, and the NBA promoted him as his performances drew growing attention. The Kings surged into sixth place in the West, setting up a nationally televised Christmas showdown against Wang Yi’s former team, the Lakers.

• Wang Yi told reporters that he would crush Embiid and the 76ers whenever they faced each other again, stirring controversy online.
• Shaq argued that Wang Yi’s past boasts had come true, prompting debate among fans and a repost from the NBA’s official account.
• The Lakers climbed to a 20–4 record under James, while Wang Yi’s Kings reached 16–8 as he continued scoring at a spectacular rate.
• The league replaced the injured Warriors with the Kings for its Christmas broadcast, scheduling Wang Yi’s return to face his former Lakers team.

Wang Yi chose Anta’s five-year, $150 million endorsement offer after learning it would include a signature shoe, and he prepared to fly to China to sign. Nicole offered to join him on a private jet, shortening the trip and arranging a movie date along the way.

• Luo Lin told Wang Yi that Anta had offered $250 million for five years and promised to make him a signature shoe, while Nike and Adidas had made larger offers that he did not want to consider.
• Wang Yi favored Anta’s deal because it matched his preferred five-year term and could include royalties from his signature shoe.
• Wang Yi and Luo Lin planned to fly to China to sign with Anta, despite the trip’s timing before the Christmas game against the Lakers.
• Nicole invited Wang Yi to watch a movie, and he apologized that he needed to travel to China to sign a contract.
• Nicole offered to accompany Wang Yi on her friend’s private jet, reducing the round trip to about twenty hours, and teased him about giving her a kiss.

At Nike headquarters, Ann Herbert tried to secure Wang Yi’s endorsement after learning he was about to fly back to China. Wang repeatedly rejected her calls, including Nike’s offer of $250 million over ten years, signature shoes, and two percent of sales, leaving Ann stunned.

• Ann Herbert reviewed Nike’s endorsement contract for Wang Yi, prepared at the higher-ups’ order before the evaluation report was finished.
• An assistant told Ann that Wang Yi would fly back to China soon and had been in frequent contact with Anta.
• Ann called Wang Yi directly, but he dismissed her offer to send the contract and hung up.
• Ann called again to request a meeting, and Wang again refused and ended the call.
• Ann offered Wang $250 million over ten years, signature shoes, and two percent of sales, but Wang rejected the deal once more.
• Ann and her assistant were left stunned by Wang’s refusal of Nike’s enormous offer.

Wang Yi signed a five-year endorsement deal with Anta, then returned to the United States and joined his team in Los Angeles for the Christmas showdown. After seeing the changes around his former arena, he vowed to silence the city that night.

• Ann Herbert gave up on pursuing Wang Yi after he ended Nike's calls, while Li Ning later raised its offer to no avail.
• Wang Yi signed a five-year, $250 million endorsement contract with Anta, which included a five percent royalty and a signature shoe, and received 500 million yuan upfront.
• Wang Yi's parents met Nicole, who charmed them with her Chinese and thoughtful gifts, and Wang Jianhua told Wang Yi that he approved of her.
• Wang Yi spent the day with his parents and Nicole before flying back to the United States and heading to Los Angeles, where his team was preparing for the Christmas showdown.
• After seeing the altered poster outside Staples Center Arena, Wang Yi told Barnes he would make everyone in the city shut up that night.

Wang Yi returned to Staples Center as a Kings player for a Christmas game against the Lakers, where the crowd’s hostility and his quiet resolve turned the matchup into a personal battle. As the game began, he checked in and received an Intermediate Peak James Experience Card.

• Kings fans outside Staples Center insulted Wang Yi, but he ignored them and entered the visitors’ locker room, where he vowed revenge on Jenny Bass and Pelinka.
• Luke Walton told the Kings the nationally televised Christmas game was a chance to prove themselves and a must-win battle for Wang Yi.
• Wang Yi stayed calm while thousands of Lakers fans booed him during warm-ups, making James and Vogel wary of his anger.
• Westbrook volunteered to guard Wang Yi, while James warned him to be careful.
• At the start of the game, Wang Yi checked in and received an Intermediate Peak James Experience Card.

Wang Yi returned to Staples Center as a King and answered the Lakers fans’ boos with two extraordinary long-range three-pointers. The game continued with Wang Yi undeterred by the crowd as his second shot went in from before the center circle.

• Wang Yi learned that his Intermediate Peak James Experience Card granted him James’s peak abilities for 20 minutes.
• Wang Yi and James greeted each other warmly before the Lakers and Kings began the game.
• Holmes tipped the opening jump ball to Wang Yi, who answered the crowd’s boos with a Logo three-pointer.
• James made a three-pointer for the Lakers after Westbrook passed him the ball.
• James disrupted the Kings’ fast break, and Hield passed to Wang Yi, who launched and made another three-pointer from before the center circle.

Wang Yi opened against the Lakers with three astonishing Logo three-pointers, including one launched while trapped in the backcourt by James and Westbrook. After the third shot silenced Staples Center, he taunted the crowd and watched it erupt into boos again.

• Wang Yi opened the game with two consecutive Logo three-pointers, and James answered with a three of his own.
• Vogel directed the Lakers to double-team Wang Yi, but Wang Yi took the ball from Hield near half court as the crowd shouted “Traitor!”
• Wang Yi crossed past Westbrook, then faced James and Westbrook as the eight-second count neared its end.
• Wang Yi launched a one-handed shot from sixteen meters while tightly guarded, and the ball went in for his third Logo three-pointer.
• Wang Yi cupped a hand to his ear and provoked the silent crowd, which erupted into boos again.

Wang Yi opened the game against the Lakers with three consecutive Logo three-pointers, silencing the crowd and impressing the Chinese broadcast team. After James missed a pull-up three, Wang Yi led a Kings fast break, passed when no opening appeared, and received the ball back with James defending him.

• Wang Yi scored the Kings' first nine points with three increasingly distant Logo three-pointers.
• Duan Ran, Wang Shipeng, Yang Yi, and Meina reacted to Wang Yi's hot start during the Tencent broadcast, and Meina said she supported him.
• James missed a pull-up three after switching onto Hield, and Bagley collected the rebound for the Kings.
• Wang Yi pushed a fast break as Lakers fans fell silent near midcourt, then passed when the Kings had no clear opening.
• The Kings moved the ball around before returning it to Wang Yi, who faced James on defense.

Wang Yi faced his former teammate James in a rare one-on-one matchup and used an elaborate move to score from behind the backboard. The crowd and commentators were left stunned by the shot.

• Wang Yi challenged James after the two former teammates called each other out for their matchup.
• Wang Yi used an Iverson-style Death Crossover with a hop step to get past James.
• James and Thick Eyebrows trapped Wang Yi near the baseline, leaving him with no clear shot or passing lane.
• Wang Yi jumped beyond the baseline, evaded James's block with his hang time, and flicked the ball over the backboard into the basket.
• Nicholson and the arena crowd reacted in amazement as viewers flooded the Tencent NBA Live Broadcast Room with comments.

Wang Yi stunned the crowd with spectacular plays, but the Lakers slowed the game and erased the Kings’ early lead. As the first quarter ended tied, Luke Walton planned to exploit Little Jordan’s weakness against the Pick and Roll.

• Wang Yi shook off James and scored from behind the backboard, leaving the crowd and Kings players amazed.
• Vogel told the Lakers to double-team Wang Yi before he could receive the ball, and the Lakers went on a 9–2 run to lead 20–8.
• The system gave Wang Yi a hidden mission to lead the Kings by more than 10 points at halftime in exchange for an Intermediate Peak Westbrook Experience Card.
• Vogel slowed the game and emphasized rebounding, helping the Lakers control the boards and tie the score with two minutes left in the first quarter.
• Wang Yi asked Luke Walton for a solution, and Walton proposed using Pick and Rolls to target Little Jordan’s defensive weakness.

Wang Yi and the Kings exploited the Lakers’ pick-and-roll defense before using their shooting to extend their lead. Vogel responded by ordering a box-and-one as the chapter ended.

• The Kings’ reserves put them five points ahead by the end of the first quarter, and Wang Yi and the other starters entered to begin the second.
• Wang Yi and Holmes repeatedly drew Little Jordan into double-teaming, leaving Holmes open for two dunks.
• Vogel switched Little Jordan onto Thick Eyebrows, but Wang Yi used Bagley for another pick-and-roll alley-oop and forced the Lakers to remove Little Jordan.
• The Lakers switched to a mobile small-ball lineup, but Wang Yi’s passes helped the Kings make four three-pointers and stretch their lead to 13.
• After a timeout, Vogel ordered the Lakers to use a box-and-one against the Kings.

The Lakers used a Box-and-one to stop Wang Yi, forcing him to pass while the Kings’ shooters built a 16-point lead. Vogel stuck with the gamble, and after the Kings missed four straight threes, the Lakers cut the deficit to six, leaving the teams locked in a battle over whether the Kings could keep making shots.

• Vogel called for a Box-and-one, and Westbrook agreed to guard Wang Yi while the other Lakers formed a box around the paint.
• Wang Yi drove into the paint and passed to Bagley, who hit a corner three to give the Kings a 14-point lead.
• The Kings hit two more threes after Wang Yi passed out of the defense, stretching their lead to 16 while the Lakers scored through Thick Eyebrows.
• Vogel kept the Box-and-one in place, and the Kings went 0-for-4 from three over the next three minutes as James and his teammates cut the lead to six.
• Walton called timeout and told the Kings to keep shooting threes whenever they had the chance.

Wang Yi used the Peak LeBron Experience Card to break through the Lakers’ box1 defense and help the Kings extend their lead. After a spectacular one-against-five dunk and a three-pointer, he faced the Lakers’ more cautious box1 defense again.

• Wang Yi activated the Peak LeBron Experience Card and drove through all five Lakers defenders to complete a self-toss dunk.
• Wang Yi’s dunk stunned the arena, and the commentators praised his one-against-five play and Shark-style finish.
• Vogel kept the Lakers in the box1 defense, but Wang Yi used his new strength to get past Westbrook and make a three-pointer.
• Wang Yi grabbed an offensive rebound and raced down the court, while the Lakers retreated and prepared to send two defenders at him near the three-point line.

Wang Yi repeatedly broke the Lakers’ Box1 defense, scoring his fifth and sixth three-pointers to help the Kings build momentum. After James powered past him for a shooting foul, Wang Yi used the Lakers’ own Double Elevator Door play to score again, leaving Staples Center silent.

• Wang Yi drew James and Bazemore toward him, then passed to Hield and used Hield’s screen to get free for his fifth three-pointer.
• James cleared the floor and drove past Wang Yi for a shooting foul, then made one of his two free throws.
• Wang Yi let Hield bring the ball up and cut through the paint before sprinting to the arc.
• Bagley, Holmes, Hield, and Barnes formed the Double Elevator Door to block Westbrook, allowing Wang Yi to catch Hield’s pass and make his sixth three-pointer.

The Kings used tactics designed for Wang Yi to counter the Lakers' Box1 defense, while Wang Yi and the Lakers traded spectacular plays late in the first half. The chapter ended with Wang Yi blocking James's final layup attempt at the rim.

• The Kings built a 16-point lead as Wang Yi repeatedly hit threes, but James and Thick Eyebrows sparked a Lakers run that cut the margin.
• James blocked Wang Yi's layup, then launched a full-court pass to Thick Eyebrows for an alley-oop dunk.
• The Kings used their Wall tactic to free Wang Yi for a corner three, pushing their lead to 11 with eight seconds left in the half.
• James drove past Holmes and went up for a finger roll, but Wang Yi chased him down and blocked the shot against the backboard.

Wang Yi blocked James at the buzzer, completing his hidden mission and earning an Intermediate Peak Westbrook Experience Card as the Kings took an 11-point halftime lead. Both teams planned to keep focusing their second-half strategy on Wang Yi and the Kings’ struggling shooters.

• With 1.3 seconds left in the half, Wang Yi chased down James and blocked his layup, preserving the Kings’ 11-point lead.
• Wang Yi completed the hidden mission and received an Intermediate Peak Westbrook Experience Card.
• Barkley and the other commentators noted Wang Yi’s first-half line of 30 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks despite the Lakers’ Box1 defense.
• Vogel decided the Lakers would continue using Box1 against Wang Yi, while James argued that the tactic could wear him down.
• Walton told the Kings that their shooters needed to make the shots Wang Yi passed to them, or the team would lose.