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Lin Yi was at ho, watching the 2010 NBA Draft with a big bowl of popcorn between him and Curry, who was sitting cross-legged on the couch. Half-empty bags of chips and a few cans of soda were scattered across the coffee table.
The Knicks didn't have a first-round pick this year, so Lin's attention was more on the second round.
Curry, already digging into another handful of popcorn, was watching the broadcast like a kid on Christmas morning. "Man, I hope my Warriors pick soone solid at No. 5. I'm tired of all the losing," he muttered, eyes glued to the screen.
David Stern strode to the podium to the usual chorus of boos. With the first pick, the Wizards made the obvious choice: John Wall out of Kentucky.
"I've seen his college gas," Curry said, crunching on a chip. "Dude's lightning quick, explosive at the rim. Can throw it down, too."
Lin nodded, sipping his soda. "Yeah. Sha the Knicks didn't have any pieces to move up."
The Sixers, picking second, took Evan Turner—no surprise, given how ESPN hyped him as the next T-Mac. Lin chuckled to himself. The Sixers were consistently honest and predictable lottery teams.
Next, the Kings selected Derrick Favors at three. Lin grinned, rembering how he and Favors had trained together over the sumr. "Probably for the best," he thought aloud. "No way Cousins turns that team around."
Funny enough, that reunited Favors and Rubio—Lin rembered them teaming up years later with the Jazz. So things just seed destined.
At four, the Nets picked Wesley Johnson, better known years later for being the guy Harden embarrassed with his infamous step-back. Lin laughed thinking about it, which drew a strange look from Steph.
"Warriors are up," Curry said suddenly, straightening and brushing crumbs off his lap.
Lin sat up, curious.
And then… the Warriors selected DeMarcus Cousins.
Lin blinked. That… was unexpected.
Cousins, often compared to Lin in scouting reports, had been a known target for Golden State. But seeing Boogie head there? That was a recipe for drama.
Lin smirked, rembering the ti Cousins and Durant clashed after KD joined the Warriors. Boogie even tried to block the locker room door after a ga. And now? If David Lee joined, too, that frontcourt was going to be chaos.
Curry grinned at Lin and popped another chip into his mouth. "Hey—draft said his ga's just like yours. Looks like he's been studying you, huh?"
Lin laughed and shrugged.
The butterfly effect was real, Lin thought, leaning back and glancing at the ceiling. Sotis it felt like he was ntoring an entire generation without even trying.
The Timberwolves grabbed Ekpe Udoh at six. "That pick's cursed," Lin murmured.
The Pistons took Greg Monroe, then the Clippers picked Al-Farouq Aminu. Just as Lin rembered.
The Jazz took Gordon Hayward—a smart pick. Lin grinned, thinking: finally, soone to play League of Legends with.
The Pacers stayed put and took Paul George. Lin respected it—PG rebuilt himself into a superstar after his injury. A true competitor.
The Raptors drafted Ed Davis, another guy Lin rembered playing against in sumr runs.
At 18, the Thunder picked Eric Bledsoe but quickly flipped him to the Clippers for Cole Aldrich. Lin shook his head.
Man, imagine a bench of Bledsoe, Westbrook, Harden, Durant, and Ibaka… and you take Cole? Okay, Sam Presti.
The Celtics closed out their night with Avery Bradley at 19, a defensive nace.
The rest of the first round unfolded as expected. Lin refilled the popcorn bowl and settled back for what he'd been waiting for: the second round.
Knicks GM Donnie Walsh had swung a pair of second-round picks. At No. 33, they took Hassan Whiteside from Marshall. Then, at No. 39, they added Lance Stephenson.
Whiteside was thrilled when he got the call—until friends reminded him who owned the paint in New York.
"Better keep your head down, man," one friend told him. "Lin's a king out there. Don't even think about trying to show him up."
Hassan nodded and quietly assud he'd be traded before long.
But the next day, the Knicks called him again. "Be ready for the Sumr League," they told him.
Ready or not… New York was calling.
Whiteside vowed to himself that he was going to make it work in the NBA — even if it ant being just a role player. Whatever it took to stick around, he'd do it.
Across town, Stephenson was over the moon. New York was the big stage, and as long as he could wear a Knicks jersey, he didn't care what role he played. He'd give the team whatever it needed.
History, though, was already being rewritten. The Pacers had their eyes on Stephenson and even called the Knicks to inquire about a trade. Donnie Walsh, not missing a beat, shot back: "Sure, send us Paul George and we'll even throw in Wilson Chandler to make it worth your while."
The Pacers politely declined — they were much higher on Paul George than anyone else. But fate had already decided: George and Lin Yi would beco teammates.
When the draft wrapped up, Lin Yi got on the phone with Javier Stanford, telling him to check in on the two rookies and make sure they started working on the right things.
"Lance has a decent three-pointer, but he's streaky as hell," Lin said, leaning back in his chair. "Get him in the gym. If he can clean up that shot, he'll be ready to contribute right away."
"And Hassan… tell him to forget about trying to score for now. Just defend, rebound, and be ready for lobs — think Howard, not Shaq."
Both rookies were thrilled, eager to prove themselves, already talking about reporting to Sumr League as soon as possible.
As for the Knicks' other moves, Donnie Walsh had already tipped Lin off — Tyson Chandler and Shaun Livingston were done deals. Lin smiled at the thought. As long as the front office didn't screw things up over the sumr, the Knicks' dynasty was just getting started.
...
June 26th ca with another milestone: Lin Yi's signature Death Series shoes officially launched. In a rare move, the new center's sneakers were more expensive than so guard shoes, and still sold out imdiately. Nike could barely keep up with demand.
Lin's popularity was on another level.
The Death Series was technically a big man's shoe, but the design was closer to a guard's — just like Lin's own ga. And with his unique logo and play style, Nike knew they'd struck gold.
Excited, Nike even released the sales numbers the next day, quietly gloating. Over at Adidas, a few execs reportedly regretted lowballing Lin during negotiations the year before.
This ti, though, Nike's sky-high gamble paid off.
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On June 27th, Lin and Curry said their goodbyes before heading their separate ways — Lin was flying back to China to begin his annual sumr tour.
This ti, he also brought Alexander with him, wanting to set up a eting with Penguin Gas.
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anwhile, down in Miami, a quiet conversation was taking place between two close friends.
"So… when are you going to announce it?"
"I already told ESPN. July 8."
His friend grinned, clapping him on the shoulder. "We're gonna make this work, man."
"Of course," ca the reply, calm but confident. "We're going to win a lot of championships together."
The sumr was just getting started.
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