Marcus Thompson was one of the most respected columnists in the Bay Area, writing for the Mercury News and the East Bay Times. As a longtime Warriors beat reporter, he had earned the players' trust. When Golden State began its climb, Marcus was there, documenting each step with steady detail rather than hype.
He had just sent his latest draft to the editors.
"We all remember when Stephen and Lin were known as the Davidson Duo," he wrote. "Some fans prefer Shooting Stars, though that label has evolved. Stephen once told me that every game against Lin feels different. Familiar, but never comfortable."
He continued, "They've been teammates, competitors, friends. They've grown in parallel. Now they lead their own teams, expanding their reach in different conferences."
Lin Yi would probably never read the piece. In the age of social media, few people wait for the morning paper. If he did, he might have paused at Marcus's name.
In Lin's past life, back in the 2013-2014 season, the Warriors had fallen to the Clippers in the first round. That summer, Marcus wrote an article titled The Future Belongs to the Bay Area. In it, he predicted that Curry and Klay would become the most dangerous backcourt in the league.
Skeptics called it hometown optimism. Maybe it was. But the day before Warriors versus Knicks, Marcus doubled down.
History would later make that line look prophetic.
The Warriors were, in many ways, a product of coincidence. Curry had not expected to land in Golden State on draft night, but Don Nelson wanted him. That was enough.
Klay Thompson's draft comparison had once been Marco Belinelli. Draymond Green fell to the second round. Andrew Bogut carried the weight of unmet expectations. Shaun Livingston fought back from a knee injury that many thought would end his career.
Individually, they came with question marks. Together, they formed something unusual.
In the summer of 2013, Jerry West told the Warriors' staff, "If you want to win big, you need someone who can deal with LeBron."
Some people in the room thought he was getting ahead of himself. Iguodala still arrived.
"No one stops LeBron completely," West had said. "You just make him work."
The core was set.
In this timeline, influenced by Lin Yi's presence, the puzzle shifted slightly. The Warriors drafted Cousins. When the Knicks intercepted Klay in an earlier projection, Golden State pivoted to Kawhi Leonard. When Draymond slipped elsewhere, they chose Khris Middleton.
Lin Yi had joked on Twitter that, "Guarding LeBron is hard enough. Then you've got the San Antonio and whoever else decides to level up. Now I have to worry about this group too. Building a dynasty isn't easy."
LeBron once responded with a tweet, "Sounds like a good problem to have."
. . .
On the 15th, Oracle Arena was packed. The Warriors, third in the West, hosted the league-leading Knicks.
Dell Curry sat courtside with Sonya. Ayesha held Riley. It felt like a family event as much as a marquee matchup.
More than 20,000 fans turned the building into a wall of yellow and blue. The Warriors had not won a championship in decades, but hope was back.
The Knicks adjusted their starting lineup for the night.
During warmups, Klay raised a finger toward Curry, smiling as boos rained down. Curry stood with his hands on his hips, chewing his mouthguard, watching calmly.
Lin Yi walked between them and tapped each on the head.
"How many times have I told you," he said to Klay, keeping his voice low, "on the road, keep it quiet. We don't need to wake the whole arena."
Then he looked at Curry. "And you. That mouthguard isn't food."
Curry laughed. "Relax, Daddy~."
Lin Yi shook his head. If Warriors fans knew what the future held, they might not be laughing at all.
Before tip-off, Klay had already become public enemy number one in the building.
The arena screens flashed the starting lineups.
For the Knicks:
Tyson Chandler
Markieff Morris
Lin Yi
Klay Thompson
Chris Paul.
For the Warriors:
DeMarcus Cousins
David Lee
Kawhi Leonard
Khris Middleton
Stephen Curry
As Lin Yi stepped toward center court for the opening tip, a cluster of cheers cut through the yellow sea. A few fans in blue and orange jerseys stood and waved.
He smiled slightly.
Wherever he played, someone always showed up.
At the opening tip, Lin Yi did not give Cousins any room to show off. He rose cleanly and tapped the ball back. Cousins landed and shrugged.
"Man, I wasn't expecting charity anyway," Cousins muttered. "You've been bullying bigs for years."
Lin Yi smirked. "Good. Saves us both time."
On the broadcast, Yu Jia leaned forward. "People call Stephen and Middleton the Warriors' version of the Splash Brothers. But tonight they're facing the duo. Zhang, which pair has the edge?"
Zhang chuckled. "Right now? Lin Yi and Klay. That inside-outside balance is hard to deal with. You guard the perimeter, Lin goes inside. You collapse, Klay makes you pay. Pick your poison."
First possession, the Knicks went straight to their bread and butter. Lin Yi set a screen for Paul at the top. Curry fought hard to get through it. He had improved, no question. Lin's shoulder did not completely stonewall him, and Curry slipped around with quick feet.
Still, he was half a step late.
Paul drove into the lane and tossed the ball high toward the rim. Tyson Chandler exploded off two feet and hammered it down.
2 to 0.
Yu Jia's voice rose. "That pass was perfect. Paul really is the top point guard in the league."
Director Zhang nodded. "And look at Lin Yi's screen. Completely stable. Even when Curry squeezed past, his base didn't move. That's textbook."
On the other end, the Knicks switched things up. No Paul on Curry tonight. Klay took the assignment.
Lin Yi remembered how, in other seasons, Curry often found ways to score on Paul. Height mattered in those matchups. If you wanted to disrupt Curry, you needed length.
Klay had spent a full year sharpening his defense under Tony. He angled his body slightly, right hand high to shade Curry's vision, left hand low and active.
He did not bite on the first move. He knew Curry loved the behind-the-back dribble. So he waited.
Curry tried to shake him with rhythm dribbles, probing left, then right. Klay stayed patient. No reach, no gamble.
David Lee stepped up to set a high screen. It was solid, but not crushing. Klay slipped around it in one stride and cut off the passing lane just as Curry attempted a quick behind-the-back feed.
Smack.
The ball popped loose.
Klay gathered it cleanly, ignoring the sharp wave of boos from Oracle.
As he pushed the ball forward, he muttered under his breath, "I've seen that move a hundred times."
To beat someone, you have to study them. Klay had done his homework. In his mind, those flashy passes were unnecessary.
Instead, the Knicks were already off to the races.
Paul sprinted wide right. Lin Yi filled the middle lane. Klay advanced the ball and looked ahead.
Oracle Arena roared, half in anger, half in disbelief, as the counterattack unfolded.
. . .
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