[Image for Lin's 86 points shoes]
...
Darko Milicic had long since moved on to the Timberwolves, signing a long-term deal. Meanwhile, Michael Jordan was still running the Bobcats with the same penny-pinching tendencies. Not even Gerald Wallace could get a $10 million contract out of him.
Wallace had everything you could ask for — elite athleticism, defense, consistency. But somehow, MJ managed to fumble it. Lin Yi shook his head, thinking about it.
When he played, he was ruthless. As an owner, he's just cheap… and blind.
The Bobcats' current stars were Lance Stephenson — who barely made the Knicks' rotation last year — and Gerald Henderson, whose shooting form looked a lot like Jordan's, though that was where the comparison ended.
Every time the topic of Wallace came up, Lin Yi couldn't help but get annoyed. Not because he was a fanboy, but because what happened next was just absurd.
When the Mavericks heard that the Bobcats weren't re-signing Wallace, they swooped in with a sign-and-trade — sending Jason Kidd and two draft picks for him.
Then, as soon as the deal was done, Charlotte waived Kidd, whose contract was expiring anyway. And where did Kidd go after his short break? Right back to Dallas.
In other words, the Mavericks basically got Wallace for free — a masterclass in exploiting the rules.
And as if that wasn't enough, before the regular season even started, they picked up Caron Butler on a minimum deal.
Lin Yi had to laugh. "This isn't just the Mavs I remember — this is a full-blown superteam. Even the future Warriors wouldn't look this good."
Their starting lineup looked like something straight out of a fantasy draft: Amar'e Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki, Gerald Wallace, Caron Butler, and Kyrie Irving. The bench? Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry… basically an All-Star team.
Fans joked that even in NBA 2K, you couldn't pull off a trade like that — because the Bobcats' AI would've said no. Reality, though? Reality was wilder than any game simulation.
Lin Yi had to admit — the Mavericks' transformation was just ridiculous. Dallas was already an offensive powerhouse, but now, with Wallace shoring up their defense, they were terrifying. Just two days ago, they'd blown out the Spurs by 25 points.
After that game, Popovich sighed and told reporters, "The Mavericks have broken the league's balance."
Lin Yi could almost hear Pop's dry tone in his head. The Knicks, sure — they'd built their success from the ground up. But the Mavs? They'd just gamed the system.
Next time I'm in San Antonio, Lin Yi thought, I'll buy Pop a drink. Maybe we can brainstorm how to beat the Mavs'... Bubble tea, maybe.
As for the game that night, the Knicks didn't waste time. They demolished the Bobcats from start to finish. Losing to this Charlotte team would've been embarrassing.
With Stephenson and Henderson leading the charge, it was clear the Bobcats were tanking — all eyes on the upcoming draft and that once-in-a-generation talent, Anthony Davis.
Lin Yi glanced at the scoreboard — Knicks 125, Bobcats 81 — and smirked.
"I just hope The Brow doesn't end up here," he muttered. "Would be a waste of a mythical beast."
After the game, the Knicks packed up and flew straight to Cleveland. The Cavaliers' new star? Carmelo Anthony.
To be fair, Melo was thriving. Averaging 29.7 points, 48.7% from the field, and 41% from three — pure isolation brilliance. Cleveland loved him.
Cavs fans couldn't stop hyping him up — and why not? Melo versus LeBron had always been a rivalry, and now, rooting for Melo gave them another reason to jab at LeBron.
The Cavs front office was satisfied, too. Sure, Kyrie Irving was blossoming in Dallas, but Melo's popularity sold tickets — and annoyed James. Win-win.
Lin Yi chuckled when he thought about it.
"Imagine if LeBron actually went back to Cleveland one day," he mused. "Two of the top 2003 draft picks together again… and if Riley screws up, maybe even Wade joins them."
He grinned, shaking his head. "Now that would be something. The NBA never runs out of stories."
...
On the 26th, at Quicken Loans Arena.
While most fans were curious to see if Anthony could turn the Cavaliers around this season, the bigger story in the media was whether the Knicks could keep rewriting history by setting the best season start across all four major North American leagues.
After beating the Bobcats, New York's win streak had reached 17 games to start the season.
Before tip-off, Barkley shook his head with mock regret.
"What a shame it's a shortened season. Otherwise, I'd say the Knicks had a real shot at breaking the Bulls' 72–10 record."
Kenny Smith laughed.
"Last season, they finished 69–13, remember? Even if they went undefeated this year, it'd still only be 66–0."
Barkley nodded.
"Yeah, but come on—every single game they're scoring over a hundred. This team's the most entertaining thing going right now. Their offense is just on another level."
"And the 'Fried Chicken Brothers'—they just make it all click," Kenny added, throwing shade. "They make everyone around them better. That's why a lot of people say they're even stronger than the old duo."
Shaquille O'Neal, feeling targeted, clapped back, " No amount of kissing ass can still get you a ring, Chuck."
This prompted chuckles from Kenny. This was Shaq's way of shutting Charles up all the time.
The Fried Chicken Brothers were Lin Yi and Chris Paul. Chinese fans called them the 404 Duo, but the American media had long stuck with this fried chicken nickname. It all came from Paul joking during his Knicks signing that Lin had convinced him to come to the Knicks over fried chicken during their conversations. It was a throwaway line—but the name stuck.
Anthony, though, came ready for battle. Cleveland looked surprisingly sharp under his lead—aggressive, focused, and determined.
But that was as far as it went. Unless Melo could drop 86 points by himself, there wasn't much the Cavs could do against a Knicks team this confident and well-oiled.
Still, it was nice to see Cleveland buzzing again. Stern must've been thrilled. Even if he wasn't a big Melo fan, Anthony's quieter, more mature demeanor this season had won people over.
Then again, how could he not be low-key these days? One night, he and JR went out looking for fun. After an hour of driving around, all they found was a convenience store. So they grabbed some beers and went back to Melo's place to talk life.
Lin Yi found that story hilarious. And honestly, he liked Melo—especially tonight, since Anthony's scoring outburst kept the game competitive enough for Lin to check back in for the fourth quarter.
The Knicks weren't slacking off; the Cavs were just playing out of their minds.
But midway through the fourth, the wheels came off. JR Smith made one of those plays only JR could make—he threw a pass straight to Chauncey Billups.
Billups, now a Knick, didn't hesitate. He drained a three on the fast break, then gave JR a thumbs-up like, "Appreciate it, buddy."
And JR wasn't done yet. On the next possession, as Anthony drew a foul and went to the line, JR casually untied Lin Yi's shoelace while jostling for a rebound. The referee, David Sochies, caught him red-handed and immediately tossed him from the game.
Melo just stared at the ceiling in disbelief. After JR's antics, Cleveland's spirit was gone. The Knicks went on a big run and sealed it.
Final score: Knicks 119, Cavaliers 98.
Lin Yi notched another triple-double—30 points, 18 rebounds, and 12 assists—while Paul added 28 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, despite Lin "stealing" some of his assists again.
Melo's 45 points earned him a standing ovation from the Cleveland crowd. For the first time in his career, he was losing games but still earning love. Fans joked that Melo's "CBA teammates" were the real reason for the losses.
At least LeBron had been loyal—he took all the heat, while Melo got all the sympathy.
After the game, reporters surrounded Lin Yi. The Knicks' 18-game winning streak was now the best season start in NBA history, and each new win was another step beyond uncharted territory.
One reporter asked,
"Lin, what's the secret behind this incredible run?"
Lin paused, thought for a moment, then grinned.
"Relax more, train more, eat fewer snacks, and sleep more."
He borrowed the line from iPartment's Zeng ad in his past life, but it fit the moment perfectly. The Knicks weren't tense—they were just having fun and playing free.
That same night in Miami, LeBron James was also watching.
The Knicks were coming to town next, and the Heat—14–4 so far—were playing their best basketball since forming the Big Three.
Through 18 games, LeBron was averaging 28.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists, with nearly 39% from three—a personal best.
Spoelstra might've told reporters that Miami wasn't thinking about New York, but everyone knew better. You don't spend an entire summer sharpening your jumper just to take down the Magic.
This Heat team still stood as New York's biggest obstacle. Lin Yi and D'Antoni knew it, too. The Knicks' iron-chain defense had frustrated the Heat last season, but they weren't naive enough to think it would work forever.
Both sides were gearing up. The Knicks wanted to defend their crown; the Heat wanted revenge.
As for streaks and records—Lin Yi didn't care much. In the end, there's only one thing that matters in this game:
Winning it all.
...
Please do leave a review and powerstones, helps with the book's exposure.
Feel like joining a Patreon for free and subscribing to advanced chapters?
Visit the link:
[email protected]/GRANDMAESTA_30
Change @ to a