Before the game against the Hawks, Gan Guoyang received a warm invitation from Wang Zhizhi to visit his home in Atlanta, which Gan Guoyang accepted gladly.
Wang Zhizhi rented an apartment near the Hawks' training facility, enough for him to live alone, with simple furnishings and decorations unlike the place a millionaire NBA player would usually reside.
Seeing Wang Zhizhi living so simply, Gan Guoyang couldn't help but recall visiting Stockton's house during his rookie season in Salt Lake City; Stockton's living conditions were worse than those of the underpaid Mexican workers, not even willing to turn on the heating and relying on the neighbor's heat, with his fridge full of his mother's frozen foods.
Wang Zhizhi wasn't as frugal as Stockton; he would still spend when necessary, but saved most of his money to send back home to his parents.
"Playing basketball, as long as the basics are guaranteed, it's sufficient," Wang Zhizhi explained.
