GRANDMAESTA_30

Chapter 102: FA Cup Final

Saturday, May 11, 2013 — 1:00 PM, London Time

London had been caught in a stretch of gloomy weather lately. Light rain had drizzled for three days straight, clinging to the air like a damp curtain.

Billy sat in the passenger seat, gazing out at the misty rain. The skies were heavy and gray, the droplets tracing slow, winding paths down the car window, blurring the world outside.

“What miserable weather to play a final in,” Billy muttered, exhaling a lo...

Chapter 101: Seven Years

The 35th round of the Premier League came to a close, and Arsenal had to settle for a draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Both sides shook hands at the final whistle, sharing the spoils and taking a point apiece.

This result didn’t change the title picture much — Arsenal failed to cut the gap at the top.

United remain league leaders with 82 points.

Arsenal: 24 wins, 6 draws, 5 losses — 78 points.

Manchester City: 22 wins, 8 draws, 5 losses — 74 p...

Chapter 252: Reality Check For Europe

I’m not sure who suggested authentic Sichuan food, but Griffin’s private gym was now a battlefield, with only Lin Yi and Jianlian standing tall.

Even though Jianlian wasn’t a fan of spicy food, for some of these NBA stars, the meal was a nightmare. Harden, who had been itching to hit the nightclub afterward, now lay on the court like a fallen soldier, clutching his stomach. He looked like five Ibakas rolled into one, groaning without the will to stand.

Anyway, their special ...

Chapter 251: The Dog That Bites

Like last year, the Knicks’ Summer League squad was again led by assistant coach Dan. And this summer, one player caught Dan by surprise — Jeremy Lin.

After talking things over with his agent, Montgomery, Jeremy joined the Knicks’ Summer League team and quietly averaged an impressive 18.9 points and 5.1 assists across six games.

Dan, much like his brother Mike, liked guards who could attack off the dribble. He felt like he’d stumbled upon a hidden gem. But when Dan went to...

Chapter 250: The Weight Of Leadership

After Shaquille O’Neal signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Knicks, GM Donnie Walsh finally let out a long sigh of relief:
“Well… at least we hit the league’s salary floor.”

However, instead of earning praise, the move drew even more skepticism. The Knicks, already underestimated, became a running joke in some circles. Especially after Shaq passed on the Celtics, Kevin Garnett couldn’t help but take a jab:

“Man, Shaq’s ambition got eaten up by rap. He wen...

Chapter 249: Shaq Bait In New York

After two days helping out with the Chinese team training, Lin Yi brought Yi Jianlian back to Los Angeles to continue the summer training. The Basketball Association officials finally understood why Yao had warned them not to bother Lin unnecessarily — the NBA level of one-on-one defense wasn’t just hype.

When Lin scrimmaged three-on-three and five-on-five with the national team’s starters, he was unstoppable. The Chinese big men had never seen anything like him, and the guards we...

Chapter 100: Manchester United vs Arsenal End

Kai was observing. Always observing.

That was all he could do now.

His legs were screaming, and he knew he wouldn’t last much longer. The substitution was inevitable, but until then, he still felt he could contribute.

One last push.

Kai’s eyes went to Arteta.

The Spaniard had been immense tonight. You could see it in the way he ran—he hated to press normally, but with the title race so close, every Arsenal player was giving everything they had. Arteta was n...

Chapter 248: Hope Rekindled

Lin Yi decided to come clean and admit his mistake.

“Yao, my bad. That meme of yours that went viral? Yeah… I posted it,” Lin Yi said over the phone, a little sheepish but keeping his usual honesty. He never liked pretending — if he messed up, he owned up.

On the other end, Yao Ming chuckled.
“I didn’t even call about that,” Yao said, amused. “Listen, Lin. The men’s national team sent a group of young players to Houston today. Do you have time to swing by and ...

Chapter 99: Manchester United vs Arsenal 3

“Ice pack! Someone get me an ice pack!”

Kai stormed into the locker room, calling out toward the staff.

Pat quickly handed one over without saying a word.

Kai slumped onto the bench, pressing the pack to his thigh, but it didn’t seem to help much. Frowning, he tore open the pack, dumped the ice cubes straight into his underwear, and hissed.

The sudden chill made him suck in a sharp breath as the exhaustion finally hit him.

He tried to lift his foot again, b...

Chapter 246: Opportunity Favors the Prepared

As the Knicks’ general manager, Donnie Walsh was visibly tense. And for good reason — he didn’t want to screw up what the Knicks had become. They had gone from a regular-season punching bag to an NBA playoff-bound team.

Sure, Amar’e Stoudemire was tempting. But Donnie kept that urge in check.

One thing he liked was that Lin Yi was polite and easygoing when he shared his ideas on transfers. So he did his best to please his franchise guy within a limit.

The deal with t...

Chapter 247: The Grind Don't Stop!

In Los Angeles, Blake Griffin’s private gym had been taken over by Lin Yi.

For Griffin, training with Lin again was a mixed bag. On the one hand, it was exhausting — everyone else was gearing up for the season, while he was still stuck fighting for rookie honors against next year’s crop of freshmen.

And yet… he couldn’t deny it: every time he worked out with Lin, he pushed him to the limit.

Lin even flew in his two personal chefs to keep his nutrition on point — ...

Chapter 245: The Calm Before The Storm

If there had been a punching bag in his office, David Stern might’ve turned into a heavyweight boxer right then and there. Anything to let out his frustration.

The league’s crown jewel, they’d been building up for years, just left Cleveland for Miami. And not just with Wade… but Bosh, too. On top of that, all three of them took pay cuts, meaning they not only played by the rules, they even left cap space for reinforcements.

Stern rubbed his temple, his broad forehead alrea...

Chapter 98: Manchester United vs Arsenal 2

The intense pace of the match was already draining the players’ energy.

Even though it was still the first half, several were visibly gasping for breath — a clear sign of just how relentless the tempo had been.

At that moment, Manchester United suddenly played a piercing through ball.

It came from Rooney, who capitalised on a misplaced touch by Arteta to steal possession.

Without hesitation, Rooney sent a defence-splitting pass straight into Arsenal’s exposed bac...

Chapter 244: The Heat Wave Begins

At Beijing Capital International Airport, Lin Yi hadn’t even arrived yet, but the arrival hall was already packed with fans craning their necks, waiting eagerly.

Local authorities had taken Lin Yi’s visit seriously, and if not for his quick thinking, he might never have made it out of the terminal.

“Good thing we came early,” remarked his agent, Zhong Muchen, shaking his head as they slipped through a side exit. “Or we’d have been mobbed back there.”

Lin Yi lan...

Chapter 243: Building Blocks

Lin Yi was at home, watching the 2010 NBA Draft with a big bowl of popcorn between him and Curry, who was sitting cross-legged on the couch. Half-empty bags of chips and a few cans of soda were scattered across the coffee table.

The Knicks didn’t have a first-round pick this year, so Lin’s attention was more on the second round.

Curry, already digging into another handful of popcorn, was watching the broadcast like a kid on Christmas morning. “Man, I hope my Warriors pick so...

Chapter 97: Manchester United vs Arsenal

Talking about the confrontation between Arsenal and Manchester United, the first thing that comes to mind is the epic duel between Ferguson and Wenger.

The two were at each other’s throats for 17 unforgettable years in the Premier League — from bitter rivals to perhaps the only men who truly understood one another.

When Wenger first arrived in England, Ferguson scoffed:

“Who is Wenger?”

And Wenger, with a wry smile, quipped about himself:

“...