Every Chinese basketball fan felt it—the pure, uncontrollable joy that followed the quarterfinal clash between China and Argentina.
This kind of happiness was different from watching the NBA.
Why?
Because they won.
96–91.
The Chinese men's basketball team had finally ground down the Pampas Vultures and pushed their way into the Olympic semifinals.
The fourth quarter turned into a duel—Lin Yi against Manu Ginóbili. Possession after possession, shot for shot. But time is merciless. At thirty-five, Ginóbili's body simply couldn't carry him through the final stretch.
Lin Yi, who never left the floor, finished with a staggering line:
16 of 26 from the field, 5 of 8 from deep, a perfect 9 of 9 at the line—46 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks.
After the final buzzer, Lin Yi didn't say anything unnecessary.
He looked at Ginóbili, who was clearly struggling to hide his disappointment, patted the man's shoulder, and said simply,
"Good game, Manu."
Then, after a brief pause, he added with a faint smile,
"See you in the NBA."
For the first time since taking on the weight of the national team, Yao Ming felt something unfamiliar—relief.
For once, he wasn't the one carrying everything.
"As a Chinese basketball player," Yao said during his post-game interview, voice trembling, "I truly hope we can stand on the podium this year."
He had posted 16 points and 12 rebounds, but the emotions overwhelmed him. Tears came before he could stop them.
Back in the CCTV studio, Liu Yudong, invited as a guest analyst, couldn't hide his excitement.
"Honestly," he said, leaning forward, "Lin Yi was an all-around, unstoppable force for Chinese basketball."
The entire CCTV building felt like it was celebrating a holiday. Hosts, reporters, producers—everyone was smiling. It had been a long time since Chinese basketball gave them a night like this.
The last time a building erupted like this was in 2001, when Yu Genwei scored the goal that sent China to the World Cup for the first time.
...
Online, it was chaos.
Within minutes, China Advances to the Olympic Semifinals shot to the top of Weibo's trending list.
Right behind it:
— Lin Yi Reaps The Souls of Argentina
— Lin Yi Is Unstoppable
Celebrities flooded CCTV's Pointing to London post with reposts. Young stars, veteran actors, and award-winning actresses.
After the game, Lin Yi made another statement.
"Our next goal," he said calmly into the microphone, "is to play until the closing ceremony."
...
August 12.
The final day of the Olympics.
The day basketball crowns its champions.
To Chinese reporters, the statement was bold—but measured.
Fans, of course, had fewer filters.
"We can't have Durant win a gold medal before Lin YI," they joked online, "we got to keep his pride in check before he asks for another celebrity's bathwater😨"
Fortunately for Durant, he didn't read Weibo. Otherwise, he might've worn the same confused expression Nick Young made famous.
Lin Yi's words were deliberate. Strong, but smart. He never said they would beat Team USA or win gold. Only someone completely detached from reality would dare say that out loud.
...
Back at the team residence, the emotions finally hit.
Several players covered their faces and cried.
They had done it. They really had.
Then they noticed Lin Yi sitting on the couch, face blank, calmly watching replays.
Someone muttered, "Are you even human?"
Lin Yi said nothing.
This time, even Yao Ming seriously considered flipping him off.
Truthfully, Lin Yi wasn't calm because he didn't care.
He was just saving the joy for the very end.
The semifinals were historic—but the finals?
That would be something else entirely.
Seeing Lin Yi's composure, the rest of the team slowly settled down as well. The celebration faded into focus.
The semifinals would begin on August 10:
China vs. Russia
USA vs. Spain
China had beaten Russia in the group stage, but it was a narrow escape. This rematch would be different. Both teams knew each other now.
A true fifty-fifty battle.
As for Team USA, public opinion expected Spain to give them trouble. But even with the Gasol brothers at their peak, stopping the Dream Team would still be a monumental task.
That said, on paper, Spain remained the team most capable of challenging the Americans.
Chinese fans, meanwhile, were living their best lives.
Some who liked hopping the firewall just to read foreign reactions strutted around online like champions already—chests out, pride unmistakable.
For once, no one laughed at them.
History had earned them that much.
...
Discussions exploded across Tieba, while analysts on Hupu began debating a hypothetical:
If LeBron James and Kevin Durant led this American team, would China still have made the semifinals?
That question immediately upset Chinese Kobe fans.
To them, leaving Kobe out of the conversation entirely was borderline offensive.
Meanwhile, in a private group chat, Stephen Curry expressed genuine regret about missing out on this Olympic roster. James Harden, on the other hand, was far more confident.
"Relax," Harden typed. "I'll show everyone how I deal with the so-called Grim Reaper. Easy business."
Blake Griffin reacted with 🤣.
DeMar DeRozan was less impressed.
"Why don't you talk like that in the NBA?"
DeRozan shot back.
Harden and Griffin blocked him almost at the same time.
Some things were better left unsaid—especially when everyone already knew the answer.
Ironically, the most conflicted group during the London Olympics wasn't Chinese fans or American fans, but Thunder fans.
With Harden already traded to Houston, watching Durant, Westbrook, and Harden appear together again—this time in Team USA uniforms—felt like reopening an old wound.
Lin Yi, watching the games, had a different thought.
This is heartbreaking already?
If all three of them win MVPs one day and reunite again, won't that hurt even more?
As the London Olympics entered their final stretch, the Chinese delegation quietly stacked up medals. Lin Yi remembered clearly—38 gold medals, China's best showing outside of the Beijing Games.
It was also a direct response to foreign media predictions that China's medal count would collapse once the home-court advantage disappeared.
But among all Chinese teams, none drew more attention than the men's basketball team.
On Weibo, a young idol once complained—half-joking, half-serious—about whether Lin Yi had hired online promoters. After all, Lin Yi's name seemed to trend every single day.
The response was brutal.
"Who gave you that kind of confidence to write that rubbish?"
"Go train first, then talk."
"Our Lin brought honor to the country. What have you done, femboy?"
The idol quickly deleted his and realized one thing: Lin Yi didn't need paid promotion.
He was in traffic.
Among Lin Yi's massive fanbase, criticism wasn't debate—it was heresy.
Ironically, the only time Lin Yi was truly cursed on Weibo came the previous year during the New Year Festival, when he casually posted:
"Sweet sticky rice dumplings with white sugar are actually better than the savory ones."
The backlash was immediate.
The savory supporters declared Lin needed, especially to repent, for he had sinned.
Some wars are unavoidable, especially when it comes to food.
...
On the 9th, the Chinese men's basketball team finally got a day off.
Coach Dan, who believed deeply in recovery and maintenance, arranged a full team massage session.
To be clear—legitimate foot massages.
Lin Yi was midway through enjoying it when his phone buzzed.
Woj had dropped another bomb.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Ray Allen had officially agreed to join the Miami Heat.
The reaction was instant.
Garnett, Pierce, and Rondo all unfollowed—and blocked—Ray Allen.
In an interview, Garnett didn't hold back.
"Don't compare cowards to us."
It was a sharp statement, though one that conveniently ignored how crucial Ray Allen's shooting had been to Boston's championship run.
Lin Yi wasn't surprised.
The Knicks had reached out to Ray Allen earlier, but Ray made it clear New York wasn't an option. He didn't want to be Draymond Green's backup, and he definitely didn't want to compete with Klay Thompson for minutes.
Lin Yi felt no regret about Donnie Walsh failing to flip Allen from rival to ally. The Knicks weren't desperate for him anyway.
Next season really is Hell-level difficulty again, Lin Yi thought.
As rosters across the league continued to upgrade, one thing was clear:
The road to building a Knicks dynasty was still long—and full of obstacles.
. . .
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