Headlines around the world were completely taken over by one name—Lin Yi.
China reaching the Olympic final didn't just stun fans back home. It sent a ripple of unease through the entire international basketball community.
That summer, The Showtime made everyone feel it.
A whole generation of young big men began treating Lin Yi as the benchmark. The idea of attacking while retreating—stretch bigs who could shoot, move, and punish mismatches—started spreading faster than ever.
In the years to come, plenty of incoming NBA big men would even brag about their three-point shooting, the same way young centers in the early 2000s used to pound their chests and claim they could guard Shaq.
Of course… history proved otherwise.
No one really stopped Shaquille O'Neal.
...
On the 11th, while China's men's team rested and prepped for the final, the Los Angeles Lakers officially announced they had re-signed two-time MVP Steve Nash.
Lakers fans collectively hit peak happiness.
A lineup of Howard, Gasol, Kobe, and Nash felt unreal—like the seventeenth championship banner was already hanging in Staples Center.
"If this team doesn't win 72 games, it's a failure!"
"Seventy-two? You're thinking too small. Eighty-two and a clean 16–0 playoff run!"
"League's done. Kobe's getting ring number six!"
The confidence was wild. But then again, not everyone knew the future. Even analysts started buying into the hype, worried the league might lose all suspense if a roster like this wasn't checked.
Nash really does love Kobe, Lin Yi thought when he saw the news.
After spending an entire year being hunted on defense by Kobe, Nash still chose to stay. If that wasn't love, what was?
Truth was, Nash had considered leaving. But pride still mattered to players of his generation.
With Howard joining, the Lakers looked every bit like contenders. Nash decided to give it one more run.
The Knicks had reached out too, but Nash did the math.
In New York, he'd be the third guard behind Paul and Livingston. With the Lakers, even if his numbers dipped, he'd still start.
More than anything, Nash wanted a ring he could earn on the court—not one handed to him from the bench.
…
That afternoon, Lin Yi met Chris Paul at a Chinese restaurant in London. It was the first private meetup of the 404 duo during the Olympics.
No secret deals. Just business.
"After tomorrow night," Paul said seriously, "we start prepping for next season."
The Olympics weren't even over, and Paul was already locked in.
Lin Yi nodded. They talked about assembling the Knicks early, early September instead of late.
The idea was simple: get everyone together sooner, build chemistry faster, and let new faces settle in before the grind began.
They'd chosen the Bahamas—good weather, good courts, train hard during the day and unwind at night.
The camp would start on September 7th and run for twenty days. Olympic veterans like Paul and Yao would rest a bit after returning stateside.
As for Lin Yi?
After his vacation, he was ready to roll.
He wasn't about to waste the time between mid-August and early September. The usual Los Angeles offseason camp was canceled, but his personal New York camp was already set.
Zhong had secured a private facility. Once the Olympics ended, Lin Yi would jump straight into specialized training.
Standing still wasn't an option.
Some of his high-level abilities would be hard to upgrade simultaneously next season, but once his fundamentals hit the next tier, his overall ceiling would jump again.
This training cycle had two clear goals: post-play and weight gain.
With a diamond-level Ankle Breaker, Lin Yi wasn't worried about losing a bit of speed. Power mattered now.
He planned to push his weight to around 123–124 kilograms.
When that elbow came up, it would feel like getting hit by a truck loaded with dynamite.
While other big men were busy slimming down, Lin Yi was doing the exact opposite.
And next season, Muscle Lin Yi was going to make his debut.
…
After finalizing the Bahamas camp details, Lin Yi returned to the team quarters for the pre-game meeting.
Compared to earlier rounds, the atmosphere was noticeably relaxed.
The plan for tomorrow was straightforward.
First—play seriously. Lin Yi genuinely wanted to see how he stacked up against five superstars on the same floor.
Second—everyone plays.
No one was delusional enough to think they'd beat Team USA. But sharing the court with legends was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Lin Yi encouraged Guo Ailun and Ding Yanyuhang to attack when they got the chance.
"Don't overthink it," he told them. "Take your guy on once or twice. Feel it."
Sometimes, you needed to get overwhelmed to understand how far you still had to go—rather than hiding behind the Great Wall duo forever.
Within the team, Lin Yi's status was unquestioned. Ding Yanyuhang, especially curious about the NBA, often pulled him aside with questions.
Lin Yi remembered the future—how Ding would give up millions just for an NBA chance, and still arrive too late.
He advised Ding to sharpen his three-point shot and defense. Breaking into the NBA would be tough, but China needed more players willing to challenge that level.
Honestly, even an NBA benchwarmer could dominate most European leagues.
There were barely 400 NBA players in the world. Just standing courtside in that league meant you'd already beaten millions.
After the meeting, Lin Yi sat down privately with Coach Dan to talk tactics.
Using the Olympic final as a testing ground wasn't ideal—but Lin Yi had one personal objective.
Coach Dan understood immediately.
In simple terms, we can lose the war, but Durant has to lose the duel.
Harden had already tipped Lin Yi off—Durant had been talking trash through burner accounts.
Lin Yi wasn't petty.
But the Knicks believed in attention to detail.
And Lin Yi knew that if he shut Durant down on the biggest stage, the league's perception of him heading into next season would rise another level.
As for LeBron?
Under FIBA rules, Lin Yi didn't feel the need to target him specifically.
Better to sit back and quietly enjoy watching James and Kobe share the same court.
. . .
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