1 Bonus chapter for 400 powerstones
...
Lin Yi decided to come clean and admit his mistake.
"Yao, my bad. That meme of yours that went viral? Yeah… I posted it," Lin Yi said over the phone, a little sheepish but keeping his usual honesty. He never liked pretending — if he messed up, he owned up.
On the other end, Yao Ming chuckled.
"I didn't even call about that," Yao said, amused. "Listen, Lin. The men's national team sent a group of young players to Houston today. Do you have time to swing by and help guide them a little?"
So that was it. Lin Yi let out a quiet sigh of relief — it wasn't anything serious. He quickly arranged a three-day break for himself and promised Yao he'd be there. Word was, among these young guys, there were supposed to be a few future stars waiting to break out.
...
In Houston, a few Basketball Association officials were gathered around with Yao, talking shop. This training camp was Yao's idea — part of his push to prepare the team for the London Olympics, while also scouting some of the more promising youngsters who'd been impressing back home.
The kids, though, looked a little overwhelmed. Especially Zhou Qi — just 14 and still growing into his lanky frame. He was already 2.00 meters tall and thin as a bamboo stalk.
Then there was Guo Ailun, nephew of former national player Guo Shiqiang. He'd come up through the youth ranks along with teammates like Ding Yanyuhang and Zhai Xiaochuan.
The truth was, Chinese men's basketball was in a tough spot lately. The core of the 2008 Olympic team had aged out quickly, and with no strong replacements coming through, the team lacked a real backbone. The Tianjin FIBA Asian Championship had exposed the cracks — a lineup full of rookies with only Yi Jianlian as the veteran to lean on.
Yao studied the kids with mixed feelings. Back in his day, the men's national team was full of warriors — Hu Weidong, Liu Yudong, Gong Xiaobin… he still remembered how much he struggled when he first got called up. These kids, though… they had athleticism, sure, but their fundamentals just weren't there yet.
...
When Lin Yi finally arrived, the main squad was already at the gym. Everyone had heard the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year was coming, and there was an air of anticipation. Even Jianlian, who'd gotten thoroughly embarrassed by Lin in a previous matchup, just grinned and kept quiet this time.
Sun Yue, who'd seen Lin play live, didn't dare act cocky either.
"Lin!" Yao called out from the sideline, dressed casually. Though he was recovering well, Rockets doctors still wanted him to take it easy through the summer.
Lin walked in, smiling, and was immediately greeted by the officials. Having seen firsthand how big Lin had become in the U.S., they knew better than to underestimate his influence. Nowadays, when Americans think of Chinese basketball, they think of Yao Ming and Lin Yi.
T/N: Conversations between fellow Chinese are in Mandarin.
"You ready to see what we've got?" Yao asked.
"Let's do it," Lin replied, taking a deep breath. These kids, after all, were the future of Chinese basketball.
...
The gym was impressive — Yao had arranged for the Rockets to let them use an NBA-level training facility. The drills they set up were similar to the NBA Skills Challenge — dribbling, shooting, and passing.
First up was Guo Ailun.
"This is Guo Shiqiang's nephew," Yao told Lin, watching closely.
But… Guo froze under the pressure and stumbled through his turn.
Next was Ding Yanyuhang.
"This kid's versatile. Can play inside and out," Yao added hopefully.
But Ding also struggled, nerves getting to him.
Then came Wang Zhelin.
"This center's not bad. His footwork's decent," Yao said.
But Wang, too, cracked under the spotlight.
Yao just stood there, clearing his throat awkwardly. "…Well."
Lin glanced at him and smiled faintly, deciding not to let Yao jinx anyone else. The kids were too nervous after every introduction.
"How about I show them how it's done?" Lin said, stepping onto the court with a ball in his hands.
The gym fell quiet. Everyone — even the Basketball Association officials — watched attentively as Lin started his run.
There's a saying among Knicks fans:
If you've never watched Lin Yi play, you've never seen what a versatile big man is capable of.
Sure, it's a little over the top — Knicks fans were known to be dramatic — but as Lin went to work, you could see why they said it.
When Lin Yi started his drill, even Liu Wei — the starting point guard — couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Lin was nearly as tall as Yao, yet he handled the ball like a guard: crossovers, spins, behind-the-back moves, all at lightning speed and with total control. His passing was crisp, his timing perfect. And then he capped it off with a three-pointer, calmly stepping a full stride beyond the arc before letting it fly.
It looked effortless — almost too easy.
Yao decided to just stay quiet and watch.
Then Lin walked over and started addressing the young players one by one.
"You're Guo Ailun, right? Look — you've got good instincts, but you need to fix your shooting form. You're a guard — if your release is that slow, it won't matter how good your range is. And when you drive, you've got to keep your head up. You're great at getting into the paint, but if you can't kick it out when you're doubled, you're dead."
He turned to the next player.
"Ding Yanyuhang — solid build, nice motor. But you need to speed up your shot, work on your core strength, and stop relying so much on just being physical. Lateral quickness — that's your next focus. Defense will get way easier once you can move your feet quicker. And if you're serious about being a dribble-drive guy, you've got to tighten those handles. Really put in the work."
Then he looked Zhou Qi in the eye.
"Zhou Qi, you're built narrow — you're not going to bang inside like a traditional center, so don't even try. Watch tape of Kevin Durant. Yeah — that's more your lane. Work on your shooting, your touch around the rim, and your timing as a rim protector. You've got great mobility — use it."
As the drills continued, Lin kept stepping in, pulling players aside to offer little tips and adjustments. Yao just stood there, a little stunned.
Lin's tactical sense was incredible — he picked up on the same flaws Yao saw, but explained them so clearly and directly. And the crazy thing was, he'd only been watching for a few minutes.
Of course, Lin couldn't exactly tell them the truth — that he'd already seen how their careers would play out. He knew some of these guys would eventually make it to the NBA… but just barely, as fringe players. He'd read enough discussion boards and seen enough keyboard coaches dissect their games. And, frustrating as those online critics could be, there was often a grain of truth to their takes.
Out of all the prospects here, Lin had a soft spot for Zhou Qi. He didn't want to see Zhou wasted trying to become something he wasn't. With his frame and skill set, Zhou could carve out a niche as a modern, mobile shot-blocker — a turret, not a bruiser. Even if he never got a huge contract, he could still stick around in the NBA.
Lin felt it was his responsibility to give back to Chinese basketball. He might not single-handedly make these kids into stars, but if he could at least help them find their roles and stay functional after Yao retired, that would already mean something.
After all, if he remembered correctly, the 2019 FIBA World Cup was going to be held in China. And with a little luck in the draw, they might even bring home a medal.
On the sidelines, the Basketball Association officials traded glances. One of them leaned toward Yao.
"Lin's ideas… they sound better than Deng Huade's system," he whispered.
Lin walked over to Yao, still watching the drills.
"You know," Lin said casually, "we don't have to force a twin-tower lineup at the Asian Games. Against fast, small teams like South Korea, we could go small ourselves — one big, four quick guys. We're still taller than them, and they like to run and gun. But if we use our speed and length, we can control the game."
"You're something else, you know that?" Yao said, cracking a smile.
For the first time in a while, thinking about the upcoming London Olympics, Yao felt a little hope.
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