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Chapter 176: A Nod From Legends
🕑 Added 2025-06-08 15:53:24 +0000 UTCTNT Studio – Postgame
“Man, Lin’s rookie year was gonna be tough. Gonna average 15 points a game, huh, Kenny? He indeed only dropped 14 tonight,” Barkley grinned, throwing a look at Kenny Smith.
Ernie Johnson, the host was just chilling in his corner enjoying the show.
Kenny just sighed and shook his head. “…”
“Oh, come on. 61 points over three quarters? That’s just beginner’s luck.” Barkley piled on.
Kenny put a hand over his heart. “…”
“And what’s with the triple-doubles and buzzer beaters? Total flukes!” Barkley added, acting like he was reading from some invisible stat sheet.
Kenny blinked slowly. “….”
“Look, Lin just accidentally stumbled into a quadruple-double tonight. No big deal.” Barkley said, as if it was no more impressive than hitting a free throw.
Kenny leaned back in his chair, dramatically pretending to die. “TNT’s Kenny Smith — age 44. Cause of death: Barkley’s nonsense.”
...
Postgame – Bobcats Coach Larry Brown Press Conference
Bobcats coach Larry Brown never imagined that his stubborn game plan would help Lin Yi make NBA history...
At the postgame presser, one reporter asked, “Coach Brown, any comment on gifting the quadruple-double?”
Larry gave a tight smile but sidestepped it. “We didn’t play well tonight. Gave the Knicks too many chances. We’ll need to regroup and figure out what went wrong.”
Another reporter asked cheekily, “Do you think your system’s outdated? I mean, you had Darko Milicic — he could dribble and shoot too, right?”
The reporters tonight were out for blood.
Larry frowned. “I’m not answering anything unrelated to this game,” he snapped. Then, shifting into full old-school mode: “Centers should play in the paint. Defense comes first. Guys like Big Ben — that’s what a real center looks like.”
Reporters chuckled. The whole room cracked up. It felt like a sitcom for a minute.
Brown just couldn’t wrap his head around Lin’s performance. To him, it didn’t make any sense.
But like it or not, Lin’s quadruple-double was very real.
...
Historic Night for Lin Yi
First rookie in NBA history to post a quadruple-double.
Fifth player ever in the league to do it.
Only the fourth time the NBA has seen a legit quadruple-double.
First Chinese player to ever achieve the feat.
Twelve hours after the game, Lin Yi’s name was everywhere. American sports sites lit up. It was like 16 years of silence shattered in one night.
Pundits rushed to weigh in. Old-school heads argued it wasn’t as impressive as what Olajuwon, David Robinson, or Nate Thurmond did — “The league’s too soft now,” they claimed. “Defense is weaker, pace is slower.”
But Lin’s fans clapped back hard: “Bobcats ran full-contact wrestling out there! Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson don’t play soft!”
Even Hakeem The Dream Olajuwon chimed in:
“Look, a quadruple-double is a quadruple-double. Only five guys in history have ever done it. Let that sink in. Lin’s rookie year isn’t even halfway done, and he’s already doing this? That’s wild.”
Olajuwon praised Lin’s footwork and said he could see Lin reaching any height in the league, even among the elite big men of the '90s. “He might’ve even made us call it the big five instead of the big four.”
Knicks legend Patrick Ewing was just as amazed:
“I double-checked those 10 blocks myself. It’s legit. I’ve never seen anyone play quite like that recently. Wishing the Knicks all the best — they’ve got something special here.”
One reporter couldn’t resist poking the bear:
“So, Coach, any thoughts on Dwight Howard’s new basketball moves?”
Ewing, deadpan: “Let’s not ruin a good night by bringing up technical day. We’re still working with each other, though.”
"I chatted with Hakeem about Lin," said David Robinson with a grin. "Man, a quadruple-double? That's huge! And hey, thanks for remembering I got one too back in the day!" The Admiral laughed before continuing. "Look, you don’t need to break down Lin’s numbers—if quadruple-doubles were easy or inflated, someone would've pulled it off in the last sixteen years, right?"
Then came Shaquille O’Neal’s turn.
"Man, quadruple-doubles aren't just some high school box score nonsense. Sixty-two points in three quarters? C'mon… wait—Lin had 61? Oh well, close enough. At least Lin went to college." He gave a sly wink.
Shaq’s jab wasn’t random—back when he helped D-Wade win that ring in Miami, he once joked their chemistry worked because we’re both college guys, throwing shade at Kobe, who skipped college. It was classic Shaq banter. Kobe probably wouldn’t care. Then again, it’s Kobe—he might care a lot.
...
One by one, the NBA's legendary big men weighed in.
Even Yao Ming, still recovering from injury, chimed in:
"Honestly, Lin’s ceiling is way higher than mine. He’s not your typical center—he shoots like Dirk, handles like a guard. If he keeps growing, he’ll be something special."
Yao also gave an update on his recovery.
"I’m doing well. Planning to start rehab training this summer. You’ve seen I’m trying to slim down—I want to put less stress on these knees next season."
For Yao, losing weight was more important than bulking up. And watching Lin explode like this? It lit a fire in him again. He didn’t just want to come back—he wanted to share the court with Lin, even if just for a couple more seasons.
He’d seen Yi Jianlian evolve too. Maybe Yao was being sentimental. Or maybe, he was just being honest. The glint in his eye said it all.
...
Twelve hours.
That’s all it took for Lin Yi’s name to detonate across both China and the U.S.
In New York, Knicks fans were buzzing. On the subway, in diners, outside MSG—people were calling it the 4x10 Night.
Every bucket, every assist, every block, every rebound… fans were losing their minds.
Lin’s highlights were #1 on YouTube almost instantly.
Sixteen years ago? There weren’t this many cameras, this much social media. But now? Lin Yi had become the new face of New York in under half a season.
Knicks owner James Dolan was glowing. "Guess all those years of paying luxury tax finally paid off. Hey Sterling, maybe I don’t know business, but at least I don’t micromanage stuff I don’t get."
But credit where it’s due—Dolan was usually hands-off. Unless the Knicks were in full meltdown mode, he let the basketball people do their thing.
"Do whatever Lin needs. He’s our cornerstone for the foreseeable next 10 if he plays like this," Dolan told the front office. And honestly? He wasn’t wrong.
Time Magazine
Yeah—they already picked their next cover.
The Amazing Lin Yi.
...
The next morning, Lin Yi woke up groggy. His agent, Zhong Muchen, burst into his room like a kid on Christmas.
"Dude! You’re a superstar now!"
Lin blinked. For a second, he thought he had time-traveled again.
Funny thing is, Lin didn’t feel that different.
The 61-point game? That was a plan. A flex. But this quadruple-double? That was just… weird luck and hustle.
Larry Brown’s refusal to adapt. Lin’s relentless defense. A perfect storm.
He doubted he’d ever get 10 blocks in a game again. Yao’s block numbers weren’t flashy either—guys didn’t test him. Camby looked like a twig, so people challenged him. Yao? Too scary.
Lin had the Camby effect. People underestimated him.
But now? With this 10-block statement on the books, future opponents would think twice before challenging him at the rim.
What Lin didn’t expect was the scale of the reaction. He underestimated just how fast the internet could move.
He forgot this wasn’t just a flashy stat. This was NBA history. Only five players ever had done this.
And he was a rookie. Twenty years old.
No one knew how high Lin could fly. The Knicks weren’t a title team yet, sure. But in a couple of years? With a healthy Lin at the core?
The future was wide open.
And thanks to the Ellen DeGeneres Show being syndicated everywhere, fans were seeing another side of Lin Yi—quick-witted, hilarious, sarcastic as hell, and sharp as ever humour.
A record-breaker on the court. A media darling off it.
...
When NBA commissioner David Stern opened his window that morning, he wasn’t met with protests.
Just sunlight.
A golden beam over Manhattan.
He smiled. And in that moment, his thoughts drifted back to a different legend. One who once saved the NBA with a fax and three words:
“I’m back.”
Now, it was onto the young guard.
And Stern?
He was ready to keep working for a few more years.
