"I want to retire after the Olympics," Yao Ming said seriously.
For Yao, if not for Lin Yi's sudden rise—and the idea of giving the national team one last Olympic run—he likely wouldn't have bothered losing weight or adjusting his playing style at all. His body had already paid too heavy a price.
As the conversation settled, Elizabeth quietly came out from the kitchen carrying a tray. She placed two cups of tea on the table—one in front of Yao, one in front of Lin Yi.
"Careful, it's still hot," she said softly, offering a polite nod to Yao before stepping back.
Yao thanked her with a smile, wrapping both hands around the cup. "You've got a good setup here," he said to Lin Yi, half-joking, half-sincere. "Much calmer than most NBA homes."
Elizabeth smiled faintly and excused herself, leaving the two of them to their conversation.
Over the past two seasons, Yao had become almost a symbol in Houston. Even when the Rockets were just a step away from the playoffs, he refused suggestions to increase his minutes late in the season.
No one understood his limits better than he did. Twenty minutes per game was already pushing it—this was still NBA-level intensity.
Yao didn't regret that choice. He had already given everything he could to the Rockets.
Lin Yi nodded. He respected Yao's decision completely, though he could hear the reluctance beneath the calm tone.
Maybe Yao's best years were behind him. But could anyone truly say he had no regrets about the NBA?
If he really had none, why risk injury to return to the Staples Center after the Beijing Olympics?
Perhaps, in some unspoken way, Yao sensed it—that season had been Houston's best chance, especially if they could get past the Lakers.
"Keep going, Lin," Yao said, lifting his tea slightly as if in a toast. His smile was still as awkward as ever. "Defend your title properly. The MVP ceremony's coming up, too. I'll congratulate you in advance on winning it again."
Hearing Yao talk about retirement left Lin Yi feeling unexpectedly hollow. Over the past two years, whenever he visited Houston, dinner at Yao's place had become routine. They would eat, talk basketball, and stay up late.
Yao always had stories—about the national team, the Golden Generation, the Beijing Olympics, the collapse in Tianjin, and the redemption in Wuhan.
The Chinese men's basketball team had disappointed fans at times, but it remained the only one among the three major men's ball sports that had never missed an Olympic Games.
Lin Yi knew this well. Until 2016, the flag bearer of China's Olympic delegation had always been a men's basketball player.
After the regular season ended, Yao had already planned everything out. He would stay in New York to watch the rest of the Knicks' playoff run. Then, over the summer, he would personally fund the men's national team's training camp in the United States to prepare for the London Olympics.
Lin Yi figured that by the next Olympics, he might have to start calling him Chairman Yao.
Yao felt relieved—truly relieved. Relieved that Yi Jianlian had stayed in the NBA, and that Lin Yi had reached heights he himself never had.
Was Yao envious?
Of course.
But it wasn't Lin Yi's trophies he envied—it was his durability.
Everyone, at some point, asks themselves what if.
Unfortunately, the world doesn't offer answers.
The two giants talked from dinner until late into the night. Lin Yi invited Yao to play a few games of 2K, and Yao returned the favor by dragging Lin Yi through a dungeon in World of Warcraft.
As the night grew quiet and Lin Yi showed Yao to his room, Yao suddenly paused and asked, almost casually,
"Lin… what do you think our ranking will be at the London Olympics?"
Lin Yi thought for a moment.
A championship was unrealistic. The 2012 U.S. team would be another Dream Team, and once they were fully locked in, they were almost unfair. China might hold an advantage inside, but the gap on the perimeter was still obvious.
"It depends on the draw," Lin Yi said honestly. "If we can avoid the U.S. before the semifinals… a medal should be possible."
Yao nodded slowly, as if committing that thought to memory.
...
The Knicks, having advanced early, were expected to hold a clear physical advantage over the Pacers. However, unlike the veteran Celtics, Indiana was a young team as well—energetic, disciplined, and fearless. Despite the Knicks' favorable regular-season record, no one in the locker room took this matchup lightly.
Public opinion largely leaned toward a Knicks–Heat showdown in the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals was scheduled for the 13th at Madison Square Garden. In the days leading up to it, New York was buzzing.
The Giants had already won the Super Bowl that year. For New Yorkers, if the Knicks could follow that up with an NBA title, it would be a season for the history books.
On the 11th, Curry and Yi Jianlian also arrived in New York to show their support. When Curry heard Lin Yi would be playing in the Olympics that summer, his eyes lit up.
"I want to play in the Olympics too," he said eagerly.
Lin Yi knew exactly what that meant. He wanted a shot at beating him on the international stage someday.
So Lin Yi casually kicked him under the table.
Curry froze for half a second, then immediately fired back with a knee to Lin Yi's leg, clearly offended.
The message was received.
...
By the 12th, the decisive stretch was right around the corner. Whatever the outcome, Lin Yi knew one thing—he'd already adjusted himself to peak condition. This season, at least, he had no regrets.
Before the Eastern Conference Semifinals tipped off, the entire Knicks roster gathered for a team dinner. Compared to the previous year, there were noticeably more new faces. In the modern NBA, maintaining continuity was never easy.
The atmosphere was relaxed—until cards came out.
During a round of Uno, a game that had somehow become the Knicks' unofficial bonding ritual, Lin Yi's luck completely deserted him.
By the end of the night, he was down fifty thousand dollars.
Staring at his cards, Lin Yi silently concluded that basketball might be easier.
...
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