Lucas Oil Stadium was straight-up boiling.
Wildcats fans were losing their minds—chanting Lin Yi and Steph Curry's names like they were rockstars. Meanwhile, shell-shocked North Carolina fans sat frozen, still trying to process what had just happened.
Lin and Steph were swarmed by reporters after the game. No surprise—they were the stars of the night.
Lin Yi had put up a monster stat line: 45 points, 11 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 5 blocks. The debate about who the top big man in the '09 draft is—him or Blake Griffin? Yeah, that's gonna keep heating up.
Steph, on the other hand, just hit the biggest shot of his college career. That three wiped away the pain of last year's loss to Kansas. Pure redemption.
Naturally, the media wanted to know: what were Lin and Steph saying during that last timeout?
Lin didn't dodge the question. "I told him, 'You're gonna be my Steve Kerr,'" he said, grinning. "I knew if I got past the first defender, they'd collapse on me, so the plan was always to kick it to him. He was ready."
No need to play coy—someone was gonna read their lips anyway. Better to just own the moment. Besides, giving Steph that credit only made Lin look better.
The reporters ate it up.
A female reporter jumped in, all excited: "So Lin, does that mean you want to be like Michael Jordan?"
Lin chuckled. "It's not about being as great as MJ. What matters is I won't waste a single second—I'll keep working, every day, every minute."
He was quoting Maradona. When someone once asked Diego if he wanted to be Pelé, that's how he answered. Lin just borrowed it respectfully.
Then he added, "Of course, I want to be legendary… maybe even beyond legendary."
It wasn't arrogance—it was intent. In this country, if you don't show ambition, you'll get buried. Be humble, sure, but don't act like you're not here to dominate.
Lin had rehearsed those lines. And when he delivered them, the room lit up. Favorability meter? Maxed out.
Media Favorability over 9000.
NBA scouts were paying attention. Your attitude matters, especially if you're a potential franchise guy. Be confident, but not cocky. Don't go full Dampier.
"Legendary, beyond legendary." That was also a Canon slogan back in the day. But Lin meant it—he wanted NBA teams to know: "I'm ready. Pick me."
Steph's postgame interview wrapped not long after. The Wildcats had two full days to rest and soak in this Final Four moment.
With Lin's breakout, Curry's draft stock was about to skyrocket, too. This felt like a comeback arc straight out of a movie.
Coach McKillop gave both of his guys tons of love postgame. On the flip side, UNC coach Roy Williams? Dude looked defeated. After all, he had four future NBA players on that roster and still couldn't get it done.
Roy had no choice but to give Lin and Steph their props. "Lin's something else," he said. "I've rarely seen a big like him at the college level. A truly enviable once-in-a-decade talent."
He meant Lin was a rare breed, but the media ran with it. Once-in-a-decade-talent Headline gold. Chinese news outlets were already spinning it with wild clickbait titles.
After knocking off North Carolina, Davidson became the team to watch in March.
.....
Fairy tales don't always have happy endings.
Despite all the hype, Davidson, after beating Villanova, fell short of the championship. They gave everything they had in that UNC and Final Four game. Steph's ankle was still bothering him, and couldn't play in the finals, and Lin was still running on fumes. Michigan caught them at the right time and took them down.
Even in that loss, Lin dropped 28 and 14. He gave it everything.
And just like that, Davidson's incredible run came to an end. No title, but they'd already won the hearts of fans everywhere. Beating 2009 North Carolina? That alone made them legends.
That game? Highest viewership in NCAA history.
...
Back at Davidson, Lin was already back in the gym, waiting for NBA training camps and prepping for the draft. He wasn't worried about where he'd go. He had a plan for the summer.
With a plug-in like his, Lin had one goal: to become the greatest of all time.
It wasn't gonna be easy. He knew that. But he also knew he had to do three things:
Level up. Fast. Wherever he trained, it had to push him past his limits, which he was doing.
Take control. Wherever he got drafted, he had to establish himself as the franchise guy—quick.
Build his team. Not just teammates—his team. Lin didn't believe in forming super teams or riding coattails. He wanted to lead.
No holding hands, no chasing rings with stacked squads. Lin wanted to earn everything and earn the love of the fans. Because at the end of the day?
Without the fans, basketball is nothing.
This summer, Lin had already made a promise: special training sessions with Steph. He wanted to help him tweak his shooting form—speed it up, make it smoother. Right now, Steph's release wasn't nearly as quick as it would be in the future. Lin knew that'd be a problem at the next level.
Steph still had room to grow—his handles, his defense, his playmaking… but Lin saw the potential. And he had no idea how much he might shape that future.
Inside Davidson's basketball gym...
Lin and Steph were running one-on-ones when Lin's phone suddenly buzzed.
He glanced at the screen.
Huh?
"Yo, it's James Harden."
What the hell did he want?
....
TN: I know a lot y'all are gonna come for my head after reading the ending of the tournament. I decided to leave the same as in the original. Sorry if you wanted them to win. Peace out.
....
PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW AND SOME STONES.
Just created a Patreon.
Feel like joining for free and subscribe to advanced chapters?
Visit the link:
p@treon.com/GRANDMAESTA_30
Change @ to a