Basketball: Reborn as EJ, I’m Way Too Versatile

[A No-System Basketball Story from the Beginning]

"...I mean, in my next life, I wanted to be a gifted second-generation superstar...

"But what the heck, why did I get reborn as EJ Sauce?!"

As the clock turned back to early January 2009, Yi Jie, who had just been reborn, couldn't help wanting to complain.

But for him, the chance to achieve the basketball dream that had been utterly out of reach in his previous life mattered far more than the small surprise of being reborn as one of Pupu's widely acclaimed goddesses.

Even without a System, and even after becoming a chubby kid who had never played basketball...

It was still worth it.

And so, more than a decade later...

"My second son is invincible!"

Magic Johnson

"Brother Yi always tells me, 'The future is yours,' but watching him now, I can see he's been lying to me all along."

Giannis Antetokounmpo

"E-Jack's influence on a team goes far beyond the role of a player. If I could, I'd cast my votes for him as both Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year, even though he'd surely deny having any part in running the team."

Brad Stevens

"I don't want to join the debate about who's the GOAT, but if I had to choose one of these two to keep, I'd put Mike on a plane immediately, without a moment's hesitation."

Steve Ballmer

"Yi Jie's story of striving from nothing is the most precious spiritual legacy in basketball history."

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

"In my opinion, Yi Jie is the perfect embodiment of the true meaning of basketball. There's no one else like him."

Gregg Popovich