GRANDMAESTA_30

Chapter 81: Lin or Blake

Zhong Muchen leaned back on the couch, quietly watching Lin Yi, who was staring dead at the 2009 NBA Draft board.

First pick: Clippers.

Second pick: Warriors.

Third pick: Knicks.

Fourth: Thunder.

Fifth: Wizards.

Sixth: Grizzlies.

Seventh: Kings.

Eighth: Timberwolves.

Ninth: Raptors.

Tenth: Bucks.

Eleventh: Nets.

Twelfth: Bobcats.

Thirteenth: Pacers.

Fourteenth: Suns.

That’s your 2009 NBA lottery right ...

Chapter 80: The last dance of Yao Ming

The Rockets finally got it done — beat the Blazers 4-2.
Yao finally made it past the first round. Sitting there on the sidelines, Lin Yi could feel it — that pure, boiling excitement in Ming's heart.

After the game, Yao was out there with the media, grinning, bragging about Ron Artest,  Aaron Brooks, Luis Scola — everybody but himself.

Typical Yao Ming.

Always humble, always low-key. Never hyping himself up.
But Lin Yi knew the trut...

Chapter 79: Watching a playoff game

After a bunch of crazy games and contests, Blake Griffin took home the dunk contest crown, Curry won the three-point shootout, although Lin came close in both competitions.

Meanwhile, James Harden... well, he completely lost his mind when he got back to the villa.

The dude was exhausted — lying there, dead to the world — with absolutely zero interest in partying anymore.

The celebration trip for going to the NBA had officially turned into a full-on basketball training ca...

Chapter 78: Time to party...or not

On a private jet to Hawaii...

James Harden was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Why?!

Why?!

Why the hell did I call that guy?!

Harden slumped into his seat, staring blankly at the ceiling. Damn it... This was supposed to be his big "super party" — a celebration for making it to the NBA.

He was this close to flipping the whole table over:

Harden: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Flashback, a few days ago

March Madness had just wrapped up,...

Chapter 45: The wait game

Maybe it was fate. Davidson Wildcats drew Butler University—coached by Vincent, one of McKillop's old college buddies—in the first round of the Southern League playoffs.

When the bracket was revealed, Vincent nearly fainted.

"Seriously? This damn guy again? This old troll just won't go away!"

Back in the locker room, Coach McKillop grinned at his players. "No mercy out there. Smash 'em."

Lin Yi and Steph gave each other a look. Both of them trading raised eyebrows....

Chapter 44: New agent

"You're sure it's him?" Javier Stanford leaned in, his voice low as he glanced around the cozy private booth in a popular steakhouse in North Carolina.

Lin Yi cracked a smile. "Yeah. I'm sure."

Just then, the door creaked open.

A man walked in. Skinny—almost painfully so, like he hadn't had a proper meal in weeks. His suit was worn thin at the elbows, but the white shirt underneath had been carefully cleaned. His hair color was slightly faded out, face was...

Chapter 43: The life of a NBA agent

Compared to the flashy lives of NBA stars, being an NBA agent was underrated—and a total grind.

You wouldn't believe how many players have borrowed money from their agents before even setting foot in the NBA. Sometimes it's not even the players—their friends or family hitting the agents up for cash.

One agent once told a wild story anonymously. After his client got picked in the lottery, the first thing the player wanted? A vacation—right away. So, he told his agent...

Chapter 42: Last ride

Before the Southern Conference playoffs kicked off, Lin Yi got a text from Javier Stanford.

"Yo Lin, any chance you're down for an exclusive interview? It's for the March Madness."

Lin didn't even think twice—he was in.

He also figured it was time to treat Javier to a meal. After all, the guy had been hyping him up non-stop.

"Gotta feed my number one hype man," Lin laughed to himself.

Honestly, without Javier's non-stop praise, Lin probably wouldn't ha...

Chapter 41: The grind never stops

There were only eight games left in the regular season. After that, it was time for the Southern Conference playoffs.

Coach McKillop knew what time it was—rest time.

He didn't say much, he just started cutting Lin Yi and Steph's minutes down. No need to run them into the ground.

"Fitness matters more than anything right now," he told the team. "We need our guys fresh for March."

And honestly, the teams they were playing? Not exactly powerhouses.

So Lin Yi decid...

Chapter 40: Future prospects

The showdown between Davidson Wildcats and Oklahoma Sooners was over.

Mission complete

Lin Yi walked off with a new reward from the system.

"Congrats! You've unlocked the system-exclusive NIKE ZOOM KOBE 3."

"Bounce Talent permanently +1"

Just like that, a brand-new pair of Kobes—identical to the ones on his feet—appeared on his system screen in front of him for withdrawal.

"Wait, permanent +1 to bounce?" Lin Yi raised an eyebrow. He wasn't totally sure ...

Chapter 39: Sooners vs Wildcats (End)

How will the Sooners pull off their final attack?

Coach Jeff Capel stood frozen on the sideline, watching his team. This was one of the most nerve-wracking moments he'd faced since taking over the Oklahoma Sooners.

Timeout

Capel didn't make his message complicated.

Get the rock to Blake.

Simple as that.

All he could do now was trust his best player.

Timeout over

Fourteen seconds...

Chapter 38: Sooners vs Wildcats (Take the shot)

Lin Yi pulled off that wild sequence of crossovers and ankle-breaking moves, continuously smashing the expectations of how a big should play.

Then Blake Griffin came down the other end and made the whole arena feel it. Not just the dunk—the shockwave.

It felt like these two giants had hijacked the spotlight.

But somehow… folks had forgotten about Davidson's main weapon.

Stephen freaking Curry.

When Klay gets hot, defenses panic—cau...

Chapter 37: Sooners vs Wildcats ( A move from AI)

SECOND HALF BEGINS

Blake came out aggressive in the second half. He stepped out to the 45-degree angle in his first possession and called for the ball. But instead of the Wildcats' power forward Anthony Beasley guarding him—it was Lin Yi standing there.

You could feel the silence in the arena.

Even the cheerleaders froze, hands over their chests like they were trying to calm their racing hearts.

Basketball is a game of split seconds. Blink and you mi...

Chapter 36: Sooners vs Wildcats (Stars in the making)

Reggie Miller slowly got up from his seat—right now, all eyes were on him.

Across the U.S., fans were dying to hear what he'd say next.

"Yo! Whoever said this rookie gonna flop—stand up right now! I swear I won't trash you… maybe!" Reggie shouted, barely able to contain his excitement.

Man, that was insane!

Lin Yi's mid-air switch-up had people thinking of Jordan.

Then Blake's monster dunk? That was straight outta Vince Carter's prime.

And when they b...

Chapter 35: Sooners vs Wildcats (Lets make some posters)

BANG

The rim shook violently as Blake Griffin hammered down a thunderous one-arm dunk. The whole Davidson arena went silent for a beat—then erupted.

Blake had seen enough.

After watching his brother Taylor get cooked again and again, he wanted in. During the timeout, he'd told Coach Capel, "I'm guarding Lin."

But even then, he still gave Taylor one more shot.

Too bad Lin Yi didn't care about seniority. He broke Taylor down like a bad h...

Chapter 34: Sooners vs Wildcats (Great start)

"F***!" Taylor Griffin slammed the ball on the floor, pissed off.

Early in the game, the Sooners were down 4–8. That Chinese had just knocked down another jumper. Dude already had six points off three clean shots.

Blake Griffin threw a glare his brother's way.

"Man, that Lin Yi is crafty as hell."

Hiding out and pulling up from deep like it's nothing.

When Taylor called for the ball on the next second possession, Lin Yi didn't even bother guard...

Chapter 33: Sooners vs Wildcats (NCAA Showdown)

NCAA Southern League games usually don't get national attention.

But this one. Davidson Wildcats vs. Oklahoma Sooners.

Yeah, everyone's watching.

After three additional straight wins, Lin Yi and Steph Curry finally got their shot at Oklahoma—the final boss of the Southern League.

The last time they played, nobody knew who Lin Yi was. That changed quickly.

This time, it wasn't just a rematch—it was about pride. Oklahoma had to prove they were ...

Chapter 32: New shoes

"Bro... your shoes..."
Steph squinted down at Lin Yi's beat-up sneakers, pointing with a smirk in the Wildcats practice gym.

Lin glanced at them, then leaned back against the wall, soaking up the afternoon sunlight.
"Yeah... they're looking a bit thirsty now," he said, stretching his legs out.

Steph laughed. Lin's shoes were practically falling apart.

Lin rubbed the back of his neck, a little embarrassed.
"I guess I've been going hard latel...

Chapter 31: Of blowouts and rebounds

The Wildcats' win streak is still alive and kicking. After locking in their 13th straight victory, Lin Yi finally unlocked his dream combo—two shiny new bronze badges: one for Dream Shake at center, and another for Rebounding Maniac at power forward.

 Lin Yi just leveled up again in his basketball IQ. It's like someone downloaded the basketball instincts of an NBA role-playing big man right into his brain. He developed an instinctual improvement ...

Chapter 30: The blocking party

After a quiet stretch, the heat was back.

The NCAA Southern League was back in action, and Davidson was ready to roll.

Coach McKillop's first game of the second half? An away showdown with Butler University.

And guess who was waiting for him? His old buddy, Coach Vincent.

The moment they locked eyes, it was all smirks and shade.

"Damn, Bob," Vincent shook his head as they hugged it out. "You already had Steph droppin' buckets like a video game. Now you bring that...

Chapter 29: Lessons in the paint

Bang, bang, bang.

Basketballs echoed through the Davidson College gym. Players were hustling, dripping sweat, chasing dreams under the squeak of sneakers and shouting of coaches.

"Yo, Dell! What brings you here today?" Coach McKillop looked surprised when he spotted Dell Curry leaning by the doorway of the training hall.

Dell gave him a mysterious grin. "Brought you a little something special."

"Oh yeah," McKillop raised an eyebrow. "What kinda 'special' are we talkin'...

Chapter 28: Chasing Giants: The Road Through UNC

When the NBA first introduced the three-point line, almost every team hated it. No one wanted it—mainly because it came from the ABA, which was seen as the NBA's rival at the time. It just didn't feel like "real basketball." Back then, everyone was drilled to take it strong to the basket, so a shot from way outside—seven or eight meters away—felt like blasphemy.

Even Larry Bird, the man with the nickname "The Hick from French Lick," wasn't all that into threes at first. You can te...

Chapter 27: Christmas Eve-Curry style

Christmas might be a Western holiday, but to Lin Yi, it kind of felt like how Chinese folks treat Chinese New Year. Especially Christmas Eve—it was a big deal here, just like New Year's Eve back home.

That morning, Steph Curry drove Lin back to his family's place in North Carolina.

"Man," Lin said, rubbing his eyes after the long ride, "I seriously need to get my license soon. Can't keep riding shotgun forever."

Steph laughed. "Told you! Put that on the to-do list."

...

Chapter 26: Moves before the Madness

"Mr. Presti." Durant had just wrapped up a set of threes in the Thunder training gym, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Kevin, you've been looking sharp lately," Presti said, casually walking over. "But man, you should be taking more shots. Your shooting percentage is crazy good—why not get a little selfish?"

Durant shrugged, catching his breath. "I like team ball, man. If Russ gets his touches and eats, he's happy."

His relationship with Westbrook? Complicated. Kind o...

Chapter 25: NBA draft evolution

Just like how the NBA went from no three-pointers to living and dying by them, the NBA Draft has gone through some wild changes too.

In the early days, the draft had a rule called the "territorial pick." A team could give up their first-round pick and instead select a local college player to help build local fan interest. In 1956, the Celtics used that rule to snatch up Tom Heinsohn from Worcester. Smart move, huh?

Starting in 1966, the league decided to flip a coin between the wo...

Chapter 24: Wildcats vs Sun Devils (End)

Clang!

Stephen Curry's three-point shot missed.

The buzzer sounded. That was the Wildcats' final chance.

The Arizona State Sun Devils thrillingly won the game, 77 to 79.

James Harden's tired face showed no emotion. He looked completely drained like he just wanted to collapse in the locker room.

Curry looked devastated., Lin Yi patted him on the shoulder.

"Even MJ misses game-winners sometimes," Lin said gently. "If there's another shot like...