December, 2010

The timeline had already shifted. In the original course of events, Stoudemire should've been fighting for redemption — rejecting the Suns' non-guaranteed contract under the advice of their medical staff, much like Embiid's limited appearances in later seasons. After the market chaos that followed, and with Lin Yi's sudden rise closing the Knicks' front door, Stoudemire was left searching for a home he never found.

But now?

Instead of fading into the free-agent wilderness, the Suns brought their old warrior back into the fold. Stoudemire re-signed until 2015, this time with clear marching orders from the team doctor: ease off the relentless rim attacks and lean more on the midrange jumper. It wasn't a glamorous adjustment, but it was a way to preserve the knees, the explosiveness, and maybe the career itself.

If he could hit 70% of games over the next two seasons, he'd earn every cent of his deal. For Phoenix, it was a calculated risk. For Stoudemire, it was a lifeline. And for the Western Conference, it meant the Suns wouldn't disappear quietly.

That night, the Knicks' December began on a sour note — a 105–98 home loss to Phoenix.

Nash, at 36, was still defying time itself. His shooting splits were nearly 50–40–90 yet again, and against New York, he went 9-for-12 from the field, including 4-for-5 from beyond the arc, and 2-for-2 from the free throw line: twenty-four points, 14 assists, and barely a bead of sweat.

Lin Yi remembered clearly: this was still the year Nash would lead the league in assists. Even without Stoudemire, he could carve defenses apart with surgical precision. A defensive liability? Sure. But in the right system, Nash was pure basketball gold.

As for the Suns' win? Stoudemire was the anchor, dropping 26 points and 13 boards, hitting 9 of 15 shots and a perfect 8 of 8 free throws.

Lin Yi wasn't so fortunate. The Suns' scheme choked off his touches, forcing him into 7-of-19 shooting and just 1-of-4 from three. Nineteen points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists — solid on paper, but his lowest scoring night of the season.

From the bench, Shaq couldn't resist twisting the knife.

"The guy glued a guy to you on everything — how's that working out for you?"

Lin Yi sighed internally. The big man was getting pettier with age.

It wasn't stubborn isolation play — Phoenix's defense had been dialed in on him from tip-off. Stoudemire and Nash, on the other hand, had thrived off their pick-and-roll rhythm.

After the game, Lin Yi slung an arm over D'Antoni's shoulder.

"Coach, you sure we can't pull some strings and get Steve to ask for a buyout? Imagine what we could do if we had him running our offense."

D'Antoni just gave him a long, knowing look.

December 2 – Rest Day

The Knicks had a break before a grueling road swing — two back-to-backs crammed into the schedule. D'Antoni wanted his roster healthy before the run began.

Lin Yi, in rare fashion, didn't roll out of bed until late afternoon, not channeling his inner Kobe. The two had spoken on the phone earlier, chatting about training loads, the Lakers' crowded schedule, and, somehow, BodyArmor drinks.

Off the court, life was moving fast. Olson was wrapping up her degree, Zhong was overseas chasing a future beast signing for Lin Yi's camp, and Lin Yi himself was flirting with the idea of investing in football.

Endorsement deals were also stacking up. Coca-Cola signed him for five years at $20 million, surpassing even LeBron's deal. As for the McDonald's vs. KFC battle for his image rights, Lin Yi leaned toward the fried chicken. Something about that greasy finger-licking Steph introduced him to was so good.

...

December 3, 2010

The Knicks landed in Orlando, but all eyes in the basketball world were on Cleveland.

LeBron James was back.

Only this time, he wore Heat colors.

The atmosphere in Quicken Loans Arena was venomous — far worse than Lin Yi had pictured. In his previous life, Cavs fans had been told not to cross certain lines before the game. They ignored it then, and tonight they were in no mood for restraint.

James went through his usual pregame ritual, tossing chalk into the air. Instead of polite boos, he was met with an avalanche of jeers. One fan even hurled a drink at him, shouting as security dragged him away:

"Ban me for life if you want — that traitor needs stitches!"

The tension boiled over in the second quarter. On a drive, James was hammered by former teammate Daniel Gibson, who stood over him and barked:

"Go run to your superstar buddies!"

LeBron rose to his feet, jaw tight, and tried to push past. Gibson didn't budge, lowering his head into James' chest. The guy wanted all the smoke.

Without swift referee intervention, the night could've turned into something nasty.

In the aftermath, Commissioner Stern buried his face in his hand when the officials' report crossed his desk. He'd warned Cleveland about this exact scenario, but the scars from Lin Yi's 60-point triple-double in that building — and the Knicks' One Man, One City campaign — had left Cavs fans ready to erupt at any sight of James.

LeBron kept his composure afterward.

"I don't mind the boos, the signs, any of it. I'm just here to play basketball."

Gibson was handed a 10-game suspension but stood by his actions.

"Let that Jordan wannabe cozy up to his teammates. I'll lead this team."

Lin Yi knew better — Gibson wouldn't lead Cleveland anywhere. And as the league tried to contain the fallout from the incident, trouble was already brewing out West.

...

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