GRANDMAESTA_30

Chapter 115: Cavaliers vs Knicks 2

O’Neal’s always had a large personality—big guy, big heart, big laughs. He loves putting on a show, whether it’s for the fans or just for fun.

But right now? Watching Lin Yi’s handle get faster and flashier with every bounce? Nah, Shaq wasn’t smiling anymore.

The man who once made NBA bigs cry, who’d battled legends like Olajuwon and come out grinning... yeah, even he was starting to sweat a little.

“How the hell do I guard this dude?” Shaq thought...

Chapter 114: Cavaliers vs Knicks

The Yao vs. Shaq duels?

Yeah, absolute classics—etched deep in every Chinese fan’s memory.

A lot of people, including some seasoned analysts, even believe Yao Ming packed on all that weight just to go toe-to-toe with the Big Diesel himself.

Back in those days, almost every team had their walking brick wall—big-bodied centers whose whole job was to deal with Shaq’s dominance.

Let’s be real, those guys owe Shaq a thank-you card. Without him, ha...

Chapter 113: The King Comes To Town

Lin Yi clocked out after three quarters—again.

In the Knicks' 125-87 blowout over the Sixers, Lin Yi played just 30 minutes but went nuts: 8-of-13 on twos, 4-of-7 from deep, and 5-of-6 from the line for a career-high 33 points. He also racked up 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks.
Oh, and by the way—those 33 points? Best single-game scoring mark for any rookie so far in the 2009 season.

The season’s barely started, and Lin Yi still remembers Brandon Jenn...

Chapter 112: 76ers vs Knicks 2 ( Beast Mode)

Iguodala gave Dalembert a quick pat on the shoulder—poor guy was made into a highlight today. No shame in that... okay, maybe a little shame... okay, a lot of shame. That was rough.

The 76ers were back on offense. Jrue Holiday, still green from the '09 draft, was running point.

And don’t think this was just Lin Yi’s show tonight.

Coach D’Antoni—New York’s resident mad scientist—was cooking up some plays too.

He threw Larry Hughes into the starting lineup ...

Chapter 111: 76ers vs Knicks (Ankles Taken, Crowd Shaken)

October 31st, Evening — Madison Square Garden

After two straight away games to open the season, the Knicks were finally back at home. MSG was packed — you couldn’t squeeze a mosquito in.

Tonight’s opponent? The Philadelphia 76ers.

Before the game, Lin Yi ran into a familiar face — none other than Eli Manning, the New York Giants’ QB.

“Yo! Lin, you got to bring a chip home,” Eli grinned as he pulled Lin in for a bro-hug and a conversatio...

Chapter 110: Trade Discussions

After getting back to New York from Charlotte on October 31, Lin Yi met up with Javier Stanford at Silvestri, a cozy Italian place in Manhattan.

The Knicks had a back-to-back that night against the Sixers, so Lin scheduled lunch early. He’d hit the training facility in the afternoon for some light recovery work.

The specials today were Risotto and Salami—D’Antoni’s recommendations. The risotto was rich and buttery, fried up with diced onions and ...

Chapter 109: The Chandler Problem

On October 30th, the Knicks flew down to Charlotte with zero pressure on their shoulders. They were feeling good after their win over the Heat and now had to face the Bobcats—they haven't been called the Hornets yet.

Flying cross-country for back-to-back games is always a test of stamina, but luckily, that early win gave the Knicks some breathing room. With the game basically in the bag, Coach D'Antoni didn’t push anyone too hard.

Now, 2010 was when the Bobcats officially ente...

Chapter 108: Miracle Generation

The Knicks just stunned everyone.

They kicked off the new season by crushing the Miami Heat 115–98 on the road, and Knicks fans? Yeah, they’re losing their minds.

I mean, c’mon—this is the Heat we’re talking about. One of the toughest playoff teams in the league. Meanwhile, the Knicks were scraping the bottom of the standings last year. But now? They walk into Miami and dominate. Suddenly, it feels like the Knicks are for real.

Knicks fans are hyped, and a big chun...

Chapter 107: Knicks vs Heat 3 (No Shortcuts)

The Flash, Dwayne Wade was played like a man possessed in the first half—19 shots, 11 makes, 28 points.

And yet… the Heat were still down by 14. What the hell?

During halftime, Pat Riley stormed into the locker room like a man on fire. First thing he did? Slammed the door shut with a bang. Second? Smashed the TV with the remote. And just for good measure, he yanked off his suit and hurled one straight at the tactical board.

Every Heat player froze. Nobod...

Chapter 106: Knicks vs Heat 2

Lin Yi only played six minutes in the first quarter before D'Antoni subbed him out.

In that short time, he racked up a solid stat line for a rookie: 2 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. But those numbers didn’t tell the full story of his impact—he made the whole Knicks team look sharper.

The Heat saw him as a threat. To slow him down, they threw Haslem at him instead of the aging O’Neal.

Haslem’s quicker, sure. But Lin Yi, being smart as ever, didn’t bite. He didn�...

Chapter 105: Knicks vs Heat

Wade puffed up his cheeks. Body tensed like a coil with eyes of fire ready for the tip-off.

"Gotta give the rookie the NBA welcome," he muttered.

The ref held the ball out at center court at the American Airlines Arena.

Meanwhile, in China and New York, fans were glued to their TVs, anticipation thick in the air.

The 2009-2010 NBA season had officially kicked off, and the new-look New York Knicks were stepping onto the stage.

Tip-of...

Chapter 104: Tip Off in the Magic City

Miami, Florida. Sunny, humid, flashy—just like you'd imagine. The city sat right on Biscayne Bay, packed tight with people and energy, the second-largest in Florida and known as the Magic City in America.

And, of course, it was home to the Miami Heat.

But the Heat weren’t what they used to be. Not anymore. Not since the glory days when Shaq helped bring them their first title. These days, they were a decent playoff team, not a title threat.

Back then, Pa...

Chapter 103: Of Headlines and Headstarts

The photos of Lin Yi and Elizabeth Olsen shopping together were quickly picked up by New York tabloids, courtesy of some relentless paparazzi. Suddenly, Lin Yi was the hottest name in town, and the gossip mill didn't want to miss a beat.

Lin Yi didn't react much when he saw the news. To him, Elizabeth and he were just friends, although he wouldn't mind something more if the opportunity presented itself.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth had become a minor celebrity in her college class overnig...

Chapter 102: Sakazuki

“In other words… Nike gave in?” Lin Yi raised an eyebrow at his agent, Zhong Muchen.

Zhong Muchen nodded. “Yeah. They’re offering a 4-year deal worth $75 million. I pushed them, and this is their max. They’re not going any higher.”

Honestly, Nike really didn’t want to lose him.

Right now, Lin Yi was looking more and more like the new face of New York. Knicks fans had deep pockets—and even deeper loyalty. In addition to that, there was an enormous Chinese ma...

Chapter 101: Poor Blake

The regular season hadn’t even started yet, and already the New York Knicks—and especially Lin Yi—were dominating headlines and fan chatter.

In their second preseason game, the Knicks went up against the Philadelphia 76ers. Lin Yi played 27 minutes and posted a solid line: 12 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, plus 3 blocks and a steal. The Knicks took the W, 111–95.

The 76ers had been hanging around the playoff bubble the last few years, so this win turned some heads. People ...

Chapter 100: Pre-season Drama

The Knicks-Hawks preseason game didn’t just make headlines—it blew up.

The game got stopped for almost half an hour because of the chaos.

New York media, especially The New York Documentary, didn’t hold back. They praised Lin Yi’s NBA debut—“composed, sharp, commanding”—and then went all in on Zaza Pachulia. One article even dug up an old photo of Zaza grabbing Yao Ming by the throat like some kind of WWE move, just to show this wasn’t h...

Chapter 99: Pre-season Game 4 ( Hawks vs Knicks)

After dragging the players apart, the three refs—Tony Blathers, Ken Moore, and Ed Malloy—headed over to the scorer’s table to check the replay footage.

No surprise there: Earl Barron and Ewing Jr were both hit with flagrant twos. Those punches? No way they were walking away from that clean. A suspension was almost guaranteed—maybe even for the rest of the preseason, depending on how mad the league office got.

As for Harrington? Yeah, he grabbed Zaza’s jersey, but he didn...

Chapter 98: Pre-season Game 3 (Hawks vs Knicks)

When resentment takes root, you never know when it’ll bloom into something ugly.

Back from the timeout, the Hawks bricked a shot, and Lin Yi led the charge. Jeffries grabbed the board, and the Knicks were off on a fast break.

Lin Yi found himself open at the left 45. Catch. Rise. Release.

Splash!

The net barely moved. That was smooth. Picture-perfect. Seven points in the second quarter for Lin Yi, and the Knicks were closing in fast.

But just a...

Chapter 97: Pre-season 2 Game (Hawks vs Knicks)

The Hawks still had bite.

With 5:37 left in the first quarter, the Knicks called their first timeout.

The scoreboard said 15–12. Just a three-point gap, but Atlanta had the edge.

Then came the substitution.

Coach D’Antoni pulled Lin Yi.

And the Garden booed.

Loudly.

One of the kids in the front row—one of those little superfans who’d seen Lin in that scrimmage—stood up and yelled, <...

Chapter 96: Pre-season game (Hawks vs Knicks)

Lin Yi chose to wear number 44 this season.

Before that, Coach D’Antoni asked if he wanted to wear number 23.

Lin Yi laughed it off.

“No way, Coach. That number’s been blown way out of proportion. If throwing on MJ’s jersey turned you into MJ, every guy in the league would be wearing 23.”

The truth was, Lin Yi had a personal plan about the whole thing. He didn’t want to wear someone else’s legend—he wanted to build his own.

He purposely picked a l...

Chapter 95: Earning trust

After Lin Yi gave up the dunk to protect Harrington’s landing, the whole Knicks squad pretty much made up their minds:

This guy? He’s a brother..

Even the most stubborn vets, after seeing his performance and selflessness, started seeing him in a serious light for the upcoming season.

And that included Nate Robinson, even though the guy was still limping through rehab. Nate had a huge ego, but he wasn’t dumb. Lin had been the No. 1 pick for a reason, and the way he domi...

Chapter 94: Scrimmage End

Thump, thump, thump!

"I'm back! What's it gonna be this time?", said one fan.

The Knicks fans packed into the training gym stretched their necks, wide-eyed, practically begging to crawl into Lin Yi's body to see what he'd do next.

On defense, the Blues' team center, Jared Jeffries, looked completely lost.

He was getting cooked out there. No sugar-coating it. The guy couldn't keep up with Lin's speed.

Jeffries knew who he was. A blue-collar player...

Chapter 93: Srimmage

After locking in the lineups, Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, brows raised.

“How the hell are we supposed to lose this scrimmage?” he muttered.

Chris Duhon could defend decently, sure, but Tony Douglas only had a jump shot to his name.

Wilson Chandler? Built like a truck with springs for legs. Ewing Jr? Good, but only got his father's name going for him. D’Antoni didn’t see how Ewing was gonna stop Chandler.

At the forward spo...

Chapter 92: Media day

It was media day, which meant no real basketball—no drills, , no hard coaching and maybe a scrimmage. Just cameras, interviews, and checking in to see who actually kept up with their training over the summer.

At the Knicks' practice facility, Lin Yi spotted a familiar face—or rather, a familiar shape. Eddy Curry. Technically still an NBA player, named "Curry," but the resemblance ended there. Lin couldn't help but wonder how two Currys are so different. Steph was le...

Chapter 91: Ice cream, Hamsters and New Beginnings

With  Lin Yi's conversation skills and a bunch of college basketball stories, Elizabeth easily warmed up to  him.

Turns out, Elizabeth was a total foodie. The moment she saw the coffee and caramel ice cream, her big beautiful eyes lit up like Christmas lights, although she tried to hide.

After some casual chat, Lin Yi learned that Elizabeth had come to L.A. for the summer to hang out with her sisters. She wasn’t the Scarlet Witch yet, hadn’t starred in any R...

Chapter 90: Yao 2.0

Clang!

Clang!

"God, can people not let others train?!"

"It's six in the freaking morning!"

"Ugh, where the hell is that noise coming from? My brain is ringing—I can't even train anymore. Feels like one of those large church bells in the towers continuously ringing for mass..."

It looks like the Los Angeles neighborhood committee sent Lin Yi, Curry, Griffin, Harden, Flynn, and DeRozan a nice little 'friendly reminder'.

"Br...

Chapter 89: The Summer League End

In a restaurant in Las Vegas, Lin Yi was busy stuffing his face with steak while trying to cheer Steph up.

"Bro, don’t overthink it. You and Pat? Different leagues. You are gonna be the greatest shooter," Lin said, talking with his mouth half full.

Steph poked at his food, with no appetite at all.
"But... if I can’t even cook a defender like that one-on-one, how the hell am I supposed to make it in the NBA?"

Lin almost laughed.
"Man, you’re Stephen Curry, not Kob...

Chapter 88: The Summer League 3

On the court, Stephen Curry pulled back on a dribble, shook free, and knocked down a three.

Bang!

The baby face gave Lin Yi a cheeky smile after the shot.

Oh, it is on.

Lin Yi thought while returning a smile of his own.

Lin grabbed Pat Ewing Jr. by the jersey and pulled him aside.
"Pat, listen—when you’re on Steph, get real low, stay glued to him. Don’t let him get comfy. If he wants to take a tough shot, fine. Just make sure it...

Chapter 87: The Summer League 2 (Ewing-Lin connection)

It turns out Patrick Ewing Jr. was the son of the legendary Patrick Ewing. Lin Yi easily found that out from the coaching staff.

As a diehard fan of the NBA, how could Lin Yi not know about the great Patrick Ewing?

Patrick Ewing Sr.'s career was the stuff of legends. Multiple All-Star selections, a cornerstone of the Knicks for over a decade, a warrior in the paint. He never quite got that NBA championship, but his dominance and leadership were undeniable.

...

Chapter 86: The Summer League

“Damn, your speed’s really good for your height”
That’s what the Knicks’ strength coach, Mark Duber, kept saying every time Lin Yi went through a workout.

Lin Yi’s body was straight-up crazy.
Barefoot height? 221 cm.
In shoes? 224 cm.
Wingspan? 235 cm.
Standing reach? 296 cm.
The dude was built in a lab.

Mark shook his head, still half in disbelief.

It wasn’t like the league didn’t have fast bigs.
But someone with Lin Yi’s size ...