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The conversation between Lin Yi and Yao was light-hearted and warm. Yao assured him not to worry about the national team. Since Lin was determined to chase the NBA regular season MVP, Yao naturally wanted to help his little brother in any way he could.
Lin thought it best to let Yao handle the Basketball Association on his behalf. After all, Yao had more sway and credibility with them. anwhile, Lin kept himself entertained by snapping candid pictures of Yao and sending them as s to his rookie class group chat.
On June 5th, Ga 2 of the NBA Finals tipped off at Staples. That night, Ray Allen put on a shooting clinic, draining 8 of 11 three-pointers and setting a new Finals record. Barkley, on comntary, called it a record nobody's breaking anyti soon. Lin smirked at that—he already knew a certain future sharpshooter would shatter Allen's mark.
The Celtics won on the road to even the series at 1–1, and the buzz shifted in their favor.
That night, Lin bumped into David Beckham at Staples again. Beckham, sidelined from England's World Cup squad by injury, was catching the Finals before heading to South Africa. As they chatted, Beckham was surprised to find how much Lin knew about football.
"Who do you think's winning the World Cup this year?" he asked.
"Spain," Lin answered without hesitation.
Beckham raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sold. Spain had won the Euros in 2008, sure, but in his experience, they always fell apart thanks to club rivalries between Madrid and Barcelona players.
But Lin already knew better. He trusted Del Bosque's ability to unify the team through Casillas and Xavi's leadership. Spain might stumble out of the gate, but they'd take ho the trophy—and even dominate world football for a while.
Beckham then asked about England's chances. Lin shot him a sympathetic look and decided not to sugarcoat it. England was destined for disappointnt.
Later that night, a thought hit Lin: the 2010 World Cup was full of upsets. He couldn't bet, but… why not have Zhong place a few bets for him? It'd be an easy way to earn so pocket money—nothing crazy, just enough to treat himself to a supercar. Lin didn't want to pass up the chance.
On June 6th, Lin flew back to New York. He didn't plan on attending the remaining Finals gas. The draft lottery results were in, and they aligned mostly with his mory—except for one wrinkle: Sacranto landed the No. 3 pick instead of No. 5, bumping Golden State down. Kings fans were still clinging to the hope that Ricky Rubio would co save the franchise. Lin chuckled at the thought… at least the owner's daughter was pretty.
Back in New York, Lin t with Nike executives to finalize his sumr schedule. He'd return to China at the end of June for a promotional tour. The first generation of his signature Death Series shoes would launch right after the Finals. If sales went as projected, Lin stood to make a tidy sum.
As for sumr training, Lin Yi planned to kick things off after his trip to China officially. For now, he was sticking to restorative workouts—after such a grueling season, his body needed ti to recover and reset.
Diet-wise, Lin asked Zhong Muchen to hire two full-ti chefs: Liu Feng, a Chinese-Arican who specialized in authentic Sichuan dishes, and Hans Ludwick, a German-Arican nutritionist-chef whose imposing fra matched his expertise. Their first collaborative nu impressed Lin with both its bold flavors and its nutritional value.
One evening, Elizabeth Olsen stopped by for dinner. Liu Feng, perhaps a bit too eager to showcase his craft, served her a blazing-hot, authentic Sichuan dish—the kind he usually toned down for Lin. Poor Olsen paid the price, later texting Lin, "Oh, my stomach's still on fire! I can't even sit properly!"
Lin, for his part, stayed disciplined. As much as he enjoyed the occasional indulgence, he'd cut everything unhealthy out for the duration of training camp. This sumr, he was determined to build a durable body, ready to dominate next season.
...
On June 9th, the Finals shifted to TD Garden in Boston for Ga 3, and the result surprised everyone. Despite a low-scoring, scrappy ga, the Lakers pulled out the win thanks to Kobe Bryant, who shot an efficient 12-for-20 and dropped 36 points on the road.
The Celtics, anwhile, struggled offensively, shooting just 34.9% as a team. Paul Pierce was bottled up all night, managing only 13 points, while Ray Allen remained the lone bright spot, hitting 5-of-7 threes for 25 points. Still, it wasn't enough.
Lin watched the ga on TV and couldn't help shaking his head at Doc Rivers' stubbornness. Even with Kobe red-hot, Rivers refused to try Tony Allen as a defensive adjustnt. And yet, he kept running Garnett through post-ups despite KG laboring. Lin chuckled to himself, imagining Garnett forcing a smile on the bench while cursing under his breath.
On June 11th, though, the Celtics bounced back behind their Big Three. The series evened at 2–2 after a strong ho performance. Kobe adjusted his ga in the second half, leaning more on playmaking, but the Celtics simply outplayed the Lakers that night.
It was clear this Finals was destined to go the distance. Stern must have been thrilled; the ratings were soaring thanks to the fierce rivalry. Even though the series was a defensive slugfest, the drama made for great basketball.
Lin found himself admiring the Celtics more and more. For a team full of veterans and banged-up bodies, they were still slugging it out with the Lakers. Willpower really did allow players to push beyond their limits.
As Lin reflected on the series, his phone buzzed. It was a call from Stephen Curry.
"What does Steph want now?" Lin muttered with a grin, picking up the phone.
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