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Chapter 244: The Heat Wave Begins
🕑 Added 2025-07-19 15:45:33 +0000 UTCAt 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 landed in Beijing on the afternoon of June 28. This whirlwind one-week trip left no room for him to visit his hometown, so he’d arranged for his parents to come up to the capital. Ever since his incredible growth spurt and move to the NBA, Lin Yi kept in regular contact with them through calls and video meetings.
His parents, both around 180 cm tall, had worried at first that his size came from some kind of medical condition. But thanks to a thorough exam and a reassuring report from North Carolina State Hospital, their fears eased — modern medicine worked wonders.
They still worried about his health and, inevitably, asked when he planned to find a girlfriend. That topic always made Lin Yi squirm. Maybe, as Danilo Gallinari once joked, “the good guys stay single, and the single guys stay good.” Whatever the case, seeing his parents again left Lin Yi in good spirits.
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The NBA offseason was heating up, with LeBron James’ looming decision dominating headlines. By contrast, the Knicks’ moves had been quiet — until now.
On July 1, the Knicks signed Shaun Livingston to a two-year deal. Livingston had fielded other offers, but once he saw New York’s, he signed immediately. A playoff team with a glaring need at point guard, and a young cornerstone like Lin Yi? An easy choice.
Elsewhere, trade talks between the Knicks and Bobcats over Tyson Chandler hit a snag. The Mavericks also made a strong bid for the big man, leaving the Bobcats to let Chandler decide his preferred destination.
Chandler, in the final year of his deal, made it clear he wanted to join a contender — but didn’t want to back up Lin Yi. “That kid’s the Knicks’ franchise player,” Chandler told his agent. “If I go there, am I even starting? This is my contract year.”
That’s when Knicks GM Donnie Walsh stepped in, picking up the phone to convince him personally.
“What? Lin’s moving to power forward next year?” Chandler said, surprised.
“That’s right,” Walsh replied. “And Lin himself asked for you. He said, and I quote, ‘I need Tyson here.’ Think about it — Dallas is full of veterans on their way down. But you and Lin? Offense and defense, a perfect story in New York. You’d be part of something big.”
That piqued Chandler’s interest. Playing alongside Lin Yi, knowing the Knicks would let David Lee walk, meant he’d be the defensive anchor. He’d played against Lin and knew how tough he was — and that his own game would flourish next to him.
Then Lin Yi called him directly.
“Tyson, come to New York,” Lin said. “I need you. You cover so much ground on defense, and your instincts are elite. My pick-and-roll pace is fast — just protect the rim and clean up. I’ll handle the rest.”
Chandler grinned as he listened. Lin’s confidence and vision were contagious. “You don’t even know,” Lin added, “you’ve got Defensive Player of the Year written all over you. And with you here, we’ll finally shake that Knicks can’t defend tag. Plus, you know me — I’ll feed you easy looks all night.”
By the end of the call, Chandler was sold. He told his agent to start house-hunting in New York and made it clear he wasn’t interested in Dallas anymore.
The thought of two seven-footers, both mobile and tough, locking down the paint for the Knicks — and frustrating LeBron when his jumper inevitably went cold — was too good to pass up.
The trade was quickly finalized: the Knicks sent Darko Milicic, Jared Jeffries, and a 2012 second-round pick to the Bobcats for Chandler.
When Dallas coach Rick Carlisle heard the news, he was livid, tearing into his front office: “How’s Dirk supposed to win anything without any help inside? How many more years do you think these old guys have left?”
The Mavericks’ front office, still reeling from losing Tyson Chandler, was stunned. They knew how crucial it was to have a big man who could move his feet and protect the rim, so now they were scouring the globe for a replacement.
Meanwhile, the Knicks were busy reshuffling as well. David Lee headed to the Warriors, just as Lin remembered. On paper, next season’s Warriors starting lineup looked flashy — Cousins, David Lee, Monta Ellis, and Curry. But Lin knew this squad wasn’t built to win.
With Corey Maggette gone and Ellis still playing like a one-man show, unless Golden State moved Ellis to a sixth-man role, their starting five was a sieve on defense. And Cousins… well, the guy was already trying to copy everything Lin did. But Lin could feel it — at his current weight, there was no way Cousins’ knees would hold up for even half a season.
But hey, imitation was the sincerest form of flattery.
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Back in China, Lin’s trip was proving to be a huge success. He’d brokered a deal between Alexander King and Penguin, with Penguin securing the League of Legends national server license. And their partnership with Lin on the NBA side of things was just getting started.
Penguin Sports was smart enough to see that digital rights were the future. With more and more fans streaming games online, they were already moving to acquire exclusive NBA webcast rights.
The only advice Lin gave them?
“Keep the subscription fee reasonable,” he told the executives. “Most of the kids watching are broke students. Don’t make them choose between hoops and their instant noodles.”
Lin also floated the idea of an annual Penguin Celebrity Basketball Tournament — part entertainment, part grassroots development. Basketball already had a strong culture in China, and thanks to Lin’s influence, it was booming even more. He wasn’t surprised. After all, China’s basketball population ranked second only to the United States.
Nike, on the other hand, was thrilled. Lin’s signature sneakers were flying off shelves in China, and they’d already begun work on the Death Series II. Not much else to say there — the numbers spoke for themselves.
The sheer love from Chinese fans also left Lin determined to team up with Yao again for the 2012 Olympics. Everywhere he went, crowds of hundreds of thousands turned up. When he visited Tsinghua University, the fans practically cried — the security simply couldn’t handle the throngs of screaming fans. Countless fangirls tried to sneak in a kiss during autograph sessions, but at Lin’s height, most could only reach his chest.
Even the Chinese Basketball Association got some rare praise after announcing that Lin wouldn’t play in the World and Asian Championships this year. Fans didn’t mind — they knew he needed rest to thrive in the NBA and avoid the injuries that plagued Yao.
Lin himself had promised: “When I reach my best, I see the Men's team challenging the USA's basketball supremacy.” Fans ate it up.
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Across the Pacific, the NBA was heating up.
On July 8, U.S. time, the TV Special The Decision aired on ESPN where Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James announced he’d leave to join the Miami Heat as a free agent. The guy also took a pay cut showing how serious he was.
Not long after, Toronto’s Chris Bosh followed suit, also agreeing to a reduced salary to team up with Dwyane Wade, who himself signed an extension on a smaller deal.
Three superstars, all in their prime, taking pay cuts to join forces?
This Miami summer just got scorching.
Back in the NBA president’s office, David Stern sat at his desk… and smashed his third glass of water for the day.
