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Chapter 130: The Big Man Terminator
🕑 Added 2025-05-17 15:49:42 +0000 UTCAfter the Knicks pulled off a few trades, their three new guys wouldn’t be available until at least November 28th. So, for the first couple of games on their West Coast trip, the Knicks had to reshuffle things a bit. Tony Douglas was bumped into the starting lineup.
Nate Robinson? Not happy at all.
"I can’t believe this," he muttered in the locker room, clearly pissed. “Tony? Seriously? I’m better than him.”
But D’Antoni didn’t sugarcoat things. He didn’t even bring Nate on the trip out west. Just left him in New York.
Like that.
With the current Knicks squad, you give D’Antoni ten players—or even just seven and he’ll find a way to make it work.
Nate was stunned. This was the two-time Slam Dunk Champ we’re talking about here. And they just benched him like a role player?
In Lin Yi’s memory, Nate basically talked himself out of a job. The Knicks were already looking to trade him, and if anyone had wanted him, he’d have been gone. He still had some value, but the front office was quietly hoping to swap him for a reliable shooter.
...
On the evening of the 23rd, the Knicks landed in Los Angeles. Lin Yi was no stranger to the city—he’d spent the summer here training with five of his crew. It was also where he met Elizabeth Olsen.
The next morning, the Knicks held an open training session. The media was all over it, still buzzing about Lin Yi’s 61-point explosion in three quarters. Reportedly, Kobe had said something in an interview like, “I see a lot of myself in Lin.”
And Lin? He'd been caught more than once saying in public—or private—“My idol Kobe once said…”
So yeah, his Kobe fanboy status was locked in.
After practice, a reporter asked with a grin, “Lin, tonight you’re going up against your idol. How are you feeling?”
Lin Yi looked straight at him and answered seriously, “My idol Kobe once said no one sees L.A. at 4 a.m., but he has. That’s why every summer, when I’m training in L.A., I get up at 4 a.m. to hit the gym. But... I was told I was disturbing the peace.”
The room went quiet for a second, then broke into chuckles. Disturbing the peace?
Yep—definitely a Kobe fan.
...
The American media had been hyping tonight’s Knicks vs. Lakers game for days. Lin Yi’s 61 in three quarters vs. Kobe’s 62 in three? That was the hottest debate in town.
New York and L.A. are the two biggest cities in the U.S., but when it comes to basketball? Lakers fans were riding high. The Lakers were aiming to defend their title, and they weren’t shy about it.
With Kobe, Bynum, Gasol, and Odom, this was a powerhouse team. The Knicks, led by rookie Lin Yi, were still trying to shed the lottery regulars tag.
TNT’s pregame show? Pure entertainment.
Kenny Smith was clowning around, pretending to kiss a donkey, while Barkley couldn’t stop laughing.
“Haha! Kenny, how’s that taste?” Barkley cracked up.
Kenny rolled his eyes. “Still better than tasting one of your hot takes, Chuck!”
Fans at home ate it up. No one took it seriously—just good TV. Who wants dry commentary when you can have this?
Kenny then shifted tone, “Look, the Knicks still have a ways to go to catch the top teams, but tonight’s all about Lin and Kobe—61 vs. 62. Let’s see what happens.”
Barkley, surprisingly, nodded. “They’re both incredible. No need to split hairs over which was harder. But I’ll be honest—it’s gonna be tough for the Knicks tonight.”
Kenny couldn’t argue.
But what he didn’t realize? Barkley was hyping up Lin Yi, little by little. Lin was still a rookie, but Barkley respected what he was doing. And Kobe? A certified legend. Barkley’s both are great take was more of a compliment to Lin than it sounded. The dude saved him from kissing a donkey.
...
It was Lin Yi’s first time at Staples Center.
He spotted Kobe warming up, totally locked in. The guy looked good in person, and that shooting form? Deadly smooth.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
What more could you say? The dude was just that good.
The Lakers were elite, no doubt. But D’Antoni didn’t want the team feeling pressured. The Knicks were sixth in the East—this was just a big test.
Tonight’s starting five for New York was set: Lin Yi, David Lee, Harrington, Gallinari, and Tony Douglas.
No traditional point guard? No problem. Old Man D had a simple plan—let Lin handle it.
“Lin’s gonna take over the point for parts of the second and third quarters,” he told the squad.
No one batted an eye. The team had already gotten used to watching this 7’2” dude run the offense like a guard. And honestly? Lin was better at it than most actual guards.
The Lakers rolled out their usual starters: Bynum at center, Gasol at the four, Artest at the three, Kobe at the two, and Derek Fisher at point.
Phil Jackson and D’Antoni shared a polite, knowing laugh before the game. Two veterans, both fully aware of the chess match ahead.
When it was time for tip-off, Lin Yi noticed Bynum staring sharply at him. What was that about?
What he didn't know was that Bynum was mad.
Yesterday, at Lakers practice, Phil Jackson had said flat out: “Bynum can’t guard Lin.” So he assigned Artest to take the job.
Phil wasn’t being shady—just honest. Artest, with his weight and experience, was a better matchup.
But Bynum? He took it personally.
He didn’t say anything to Phil, but inside, he was fuming. He thought Phil didn’t respect him. Thought he was being overlooked.
One of the reasons Bynum never became a true superstar was that he lacked self-awareness. He genuinely believed he was the best center in the West. Even with Lin as the top pick, he didn’t think Lin was better than him.
It’s true what they say—sometimes IQ is the real difference between a good player and a great one.
So when Phil said, “You can’t guard Lin,” Bynum heard, “Lin is better than you.”
Lin had no clue he’d accidentally triggered Bynum’s ego. Kobe, ever the leader, gave Lin a quick pat on the shoulder pregame.
What no one realized just yet?
Trying to guard Lin Yi was becoming a league-wide problem.
He was making veteran bigs look bad—and in some circles, people had started calling him:
The Big Man Terminator.
