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Chapter 270: Only Champions Can Speak
🕑 Added 2025-08-01 13:48:19 +0000 UTCIn the long history of the NBA, only Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O'Neal had ever put up a 60+20 game. Now, there's a new name on that list: Lin Yi.
And truth be told, Lin Yi might deserve to be at the top. Because, unlike the other two legends, he added over 10 assists to that absurd stat line.
Nobody expected Lin Yi to pull off a 60+ point triple-double against the Cavaliers. But he did.
It was a statement game—one that reinforced Lin Yi's growing belief: if the numbers are there for the taking, why hold back?
The NBA felt the shockwave. Not an aftershock—this was the epicenter.
Ever since Lin Yi entered the league, the NBA's been living in an active earthquake zone. The ground shakes every time he steps on the court.
Some sharp-eyed media members pointed out: Lin Yi's legendary "61 in three quarters" performance happened before his 20th birthday. And now, just a few weeks shy of turning 21, he's done it again. One reporter quipped, "At this rate, expect him to break history again before 22."
After the game, Cavaliers coach Byron Scott looked like he had aged five years during the press conference.
"I've got no answers," he said, shaking his head.
And honestly, who could blame him? The Cavs were off to a 3-4 start, and without LeBron, nobody was paying much attention to them—until tonight.
"Lin! Did you expect a 60-point triple-double before tip-off?" Reporters hounded him postgame.
"Huh? Yeah… kinda," Lin replied with a smile.
That was the casual confidence—reporters had missed it. Lin Yi had been quieter lately, but this felt like vintage Lin. The kind who knew how to stir things up.
"After all," Lin said, half-jokingly, "I've dropped 100+ triple-doubles in 2K."
He gave a thumbs-up to the game developers.
In NBA 2K11, Lin Yi's rating had jumped to 92. Only five players in the game broke the 90 mark—and Lin edged out Durant by one point.
"If I'm built like my 2K version, then heck, why not just shout out the Knicks for the championship?" he added, half-mocking himself.
Meanwhile, poor 2K developers was metaphorically sobbing in a corner. "Guys, we tried to keep it balanced."
Yet many fans of the league didn't care. Lin's deep-range bombs, assisting and crafty handles were hard to simulate in the gameverse.
Reporters thought: ...Can you just answer one question without bringing up video games?
His first line thrilled the press. His second made them wonder if he was trolling them on purpose.
So, they pivoted—chasing down teammates and coaches instead.
"What can I say?" Coach D'Antoni grinned. "Stats like that? You may never see it again. Lin's my MVP, hands down."
No surprises there. D'Antoni has always been his biggest hype man.
Shaquille O'Neal, though? He wasn't quite as thrilled.
See, "60+20" had always been one of Shaq's proudest milestones.
Still, Shaq played it cool. "Lin's incredible," he said on the broadcast. "Honestly? I think space is his limit."
Deep down, though, the Big Diesel was frustrated. He even joked off-air that Lin should start paying him royalties for breaking his records.
....
Lin Yi's insane performance skyrocketed his MVP stock. And when Harden eventually got his 60-point triple-double, fans were quick to argue: if the award went to Westbrook again, it would just be insulting everyone's intelligence.
When Steph won MVP with 402 threes, it made sense. When Russ averaged a triple-double and carried OKC post-KD, people were split but accepting.
But now? Lin was leading in almost every metric. He was shooting more than Durant, scoring more efficiently, and putting up numbers that bent the laws of physics.
...
Durant—ever the silent competitor—was averaging 31 a night. He thought leading Team USA to gold and dominating early in the season would have kept him front and center.
Instead, he was forced to break his third phone in frustration.
"Kev, man, relax," said Westbrook, patting him on the back. "I'll get you an iPhone 4 tomorrow. On me."
Durant forced a smile, but the pain was real.
He'd just tried to defend himself on a burner account—and got roasted.
"KD plays like trash compared to Lin. Knicks4lyf."
"Lin's carrying as a solo act, KD's just stat-padding!"
Durant's jaw clenched.
Padding stats? Me? Lin's the one out there chucking shots like Kobe in '06! he thought.
The jabs about his playing style stung, but the personal ones? Those hit harder. Still, Westbrook was there, as always.
"Forget 'em, Kev," Russ said, slinging an arm around him. "You're better than Lin, no contest. Let's grab some strawberry cake later—I'll hit up Harden, too. He's been balling out."
Durant nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, alright." A brother like Russ made the noise bearable.
...
Lin's big night hit others hard, too. LeBron James, watching the highlights, felt a pang as fans hailed Lin like a superhero.
No going back now, he thought, questioning his choices. But Dwyane Wade's steady support kept him focused.
"Win a ring, and the haters shut up," LeBron told himself, ignoring the online shade. Stats-wise, Lin was the MVP favorite—unless an injury derailed him, he was untouchable.
In Los Angeles, Blake Griffin was reliving his rookie days, when he and Lin lit up the city. But Lin was a wall Griffin couldn't scale. Clippers owner Donald Sterling was thrilled with the team's growing fanbase, thanks to Griffin's highlight dunks, but the front office wasn't buying his fake praise. At a presser, a reporter asked Griffin about Lin's triple-double.
"It's… incredible," Blake said carefully, swallowing the urge to boast. A 60-point triple-double wasn't something he could claim—not yet. But the dunk contest? That was his shot to outshine Lin, and he was already plotting. Unbeknownst to him, Lin was scheming for the same stage.
Back in New York, Lin scrolled through the flood of posts praising him. "Got to stay grounded," he told himself, resisting the hype.
A post by Russell on an NBA forum caught his eye—Oklahoma-based, suspiciously familiar. "Russ, that you?" Lin chuckled. Before he could read more, his phone buzzed.
Caller ID: Kobe Bryant.
