Lin Yi chose to wear number 44 this season.
Before that, Coach D'Antoni asked if he wanted to wear number 23.
Lin Yi laughed it off.
"No way, Coach. That number's been blown way out of proportion. If throwing on MJ's jersey turned you into MJ, every guy in the league would be wearing 23."
The truth was, Lin Yi had a personal plan about the whole thing. He didn't want to wear someone else's legend—he wanted to build his own.
He purposely picked a less iconic number. One that might seem random now, but if things go his way, could end up as a revered basketball number.
"Think about it," he once joked to Zhong, "a few years from now, no one's gonna want 23. They'll all want 44."
...
October 1st.
Madison Square Garden.
Preseason opener.
Packed to the brim.
New York's basketball scene was already buzzing, but ever since that scrimmage footage of Lin Yi went viral, the hype hit a whole new level.
Lin still hadn't signed a sneaker deal. He wasn't in a rush—he knew the offers would get juicier once he started putting up numbers in the NBA. Money wasn't an issue right now; he'd already asked Zhong to find a brand that fit him.
Outside of basketball, Lin Yi didn't care for trending stuff. No League of Legends, no PUBG, no Honor of Kings. Streaming platforms weren't huge yet either. But Lin had business sense—he knew where the money could be.
If Riot Games ever went public, he'd love to buy in early. Imagine dragging some NBA stars online for a stream to play a couple of games. Now that thought got him excited.
Too bad Gordon Hayward hadn't entered the league yet—Lin would've loved to challenge another gamer.
Further, his friendship with Elizabeth was going strong. They regularly called each other when free. Even had video calls with her and Wiggles, adding a bit of fluff and warmth to the calls.
...
Tonight's opponent? The Atlanta Hawks.
A solid squad. Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford. Add Jamal Crawford off the bench, a young Jeff Teague, Mike Bibby, Marvin Williams… honestly, on paper, the Hawks looked better than the Knicks.
As Lin Yi saw it, the Knicks were the underdogs. But hey, that just made wins taste sweeter.
Some people say it's better to be envied than pitied.
The Hawks weren't a flashy team, but their front office knew what they were doing. Unlike some of the messier Eastern Conference franchises.
Inside the Garden, the crowd was electric. Even during introductions, you could feel the energy. Lin Yi soaked it in—it was his first real taste of the NBA stage.
Only downside? Preseason minutes didn't count for stats. Otherwise, he'd ask to play 30 minutes a night just to make a statement.
Starting lineup for the Knicks:
Point Guard: Chris Duhon
Shooting Guard: Danilo Gallinari
Small Forward: Al Harrington
Power Forward: David Lee
Center: Lin Yi
Aside from Lee, everyone could shoot threes. Lee might not stretch the floor much, but he was elite at cutting and finishing—the ultimate "roll man" with a nose for easy buckets.
The Hawks started with:
Point Guard: Mike Bibby
Shooting Guard: Joe Johnson
Small Forward: Josh Smith
Power Forward: Marvin Williams
Center: Al Horford
TNT was broadcasting the game. And of course, Charles Barkley— shareholder in the "Lin Yi is a future superstar" stock—was hyping him up.
"With Lin Yi in town, New York has a chance of making the playoffs," Barkley declared confidently.
Kenny Smith raised an eyebrow. "The Hawks are a real playoff team, though. Their roster's miles ahead of the Knicks."
Barkley shrugged. "It's preseason. I just hope the Knicks give us something different. They've been called rotten apples for years. Maybe this year's different."
...
Tip-off.
Horford was ready… until Lin Yi jumped way higher and snatched the ball with ease.
Cheers erupted around the Garden. New York hadn't had a real big man to rally behind in years. Lin Yi was quickly becoming the city's new favorite.
Duhon brought the ball up. Solid guy. Played two seasons under D'Antoni, didn't do too much, didn't try to do too much.
He passed it to Lin at the top of the key.
"Looks like they're running high-post offense through Lin," Barkley commented.
Kenny added, "You sure Lin can break down defenders up top? This ain't college ball."
Lin gave Horford a few feel-out dribbles. He was quick, but Horford was no slouch either.
So, Lin called for a screen. David Lee stepped up.
Double bigs running pick-and-roll?
The crowd buzzed with curiosity.
Horford got caught in the screen, and Marvin Williams switched onto Lin. In that instant, Lin fired a no-look pass inside.
David Lee didn't waste it.
Two points. Clean and simple.
Lee and Lin high-fived. On the bench, the Knicks' guards were side-eyeing each other—Lin running pick-and-roll with the other big was more threatening than anything they'd managed.
Opponents didn't know it yet, but Lin could basically Euro-step from the three-point line. Dude was a walking mismatch.
Lee just had to do his job—set good screens and eat.
"Damn, don't blink or you'll miss it!" Barkley yelled.
Kenny Smith sighed. "Okay, that was clean…"
...
Joe Johnson responded with a smooth mid-range jumper. Gallinari had good intentions on defense, but experience-wise, he was still green. Joe might be aging, but even old Joe could cook young guys in the playoffs.
Back on offense, Lin had the ball again. Horford looked uneasy—was Lin going to pull another inside pick-and-roll?
Sure enough, Lee came over. Another screen.
Horford hesitated. Too late.
Lin exploded past him.
One quick step, and he was inside. Then, without even glancing, he whipped a no-look pass straight to Al Harrington in the corner.
Splash.
Three-pointer.
2-5 Knicks.
Barkley cracked up. "Is this dude a center?"
Kenny grumbled, "That flashy pass doesn't always work in real games."
Lin knew that. But this was the preseason.
Why not have some fun?
He pointed to the crowd as they roared with excitement.
...
And sitting at home, David Stern cracked a smile.
This kid's got something.
And New York might just be back.
....
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