Kyle Korver felt a rush of excitement, the kind that hit harder than winning several million dollars, the moment Knicks assistant general manager Javier Stanford stood in front of him.
Goodbye, Atlanta. He thought.
There was no hesitation.
At the same price, there was nothing left to weigh. Hawks or Knicks, the answer already felt decided.
Atlanta could offer a starting role. That part stopped mattering the moment championships entered the conversation.
For Korver, it came down to a simple calculation. Career statistics or rings. Longevity numbers or legacy hardware. The second option won immediately.
Starting versus coming off the bench was only a difference in volume over time. A longer run meant more total points. But a ring stayed forever.
If one or two titles were on the table, the rest of it lost weight.
Stanford had not even finished the opening part of his pitch when Korver was already leaning forward, ready to sign.
Javier blinked, then rubbed his head.
Negotiation was not supposed to feel this smooth.
Then the thought came, unfiltered.
If this were so easy, why was Donnie Walsh still struggling to find a backup center after so long?
Even he started questioning it.
What neither of them fully accounted for was the presence of Lin Yi operating behind everything.
The market for quality big men was thin. Teams were not letting them go cheaply. Without figures around the ten million range, most conversations ended before they started.
Not everyone was like David West, willing to sacrifice salary for a title chase.
Once Korver was secured, the Knicks' structure for the next season began to settle into place.
The starting unit, with Klay Thompson stepping into a larger role, featured Tyson Chandler, Markieff Morris, Lin Yi, Klay Thompson, and Chris Paul.
The bench carried depth that felt excessive on paper: Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, Chandler Parsons, Marcus Morris, Danny Green, Shaun Livingston, Wayne Ellington, Steve Nash, and now Kyle Korver.
Lin Yi glanced over the list once.
Two full elite rotations. Two groups that could hold their own as separate contenders.
The remaining roster spots would be left open for later veteran additions after August. With a young core already in place, development still mattered more than filling every slot immediately.
Championship talk could wait. The team could collect those pieces along the way.
That thought slipped in naturally.
Lin Yi paused, then sighed internally.
People really do get comfortable too quickly.
. .
July passed with training sessions and repeated hospital visits with Olsen for prenatal checks. Nothing dramatic, only routine monitoring to avoid risks.
On July 28, the first phase of Lin Yi's special training ended. The Training Camp shut down temporarily.
For Gobert, the impact of those weeks stayed long after.
He had expected adjustment time. Instead, he was thrown straight into high-level matchups without warning. Every session felt like facing a finished product instead of a developing system.
Rudy Gobert left the camp with confidence shaken, but his effort doubled. He had planned to rest, but ended up deciding to train even harder in August just to keep up.
Lin Yi noticed none of the internal pressure. He only reminded Gobert to manage recovery and avoid injuries. Development meant nothing if the body broke first.
At the same time, Stephen Curry returned to Oakland earlier than the rest. Staying longer might have caused problems at home. The next season would have to settle unfinished business.
Curry had clearly added strength over the summer, but before leaving, the Finals MVP trophy still never appeared in front of Lin Yi.
Another season, another target.
James Harden headed back to Houston soon after. He described it as returning to focus on improvement, though the city's nightlife welcomed him like a returning regular.
During the same stretch, Lin Yi also worked with John Wall on shooting adjustments, refining mechanics step by step.
Whether the changes would truly transform Wall into a reliable shooter, though, could only be answered over time.
Meanwhile, DeMar DeRozan made major strides with his three-point shot. His confidence had grown to the point where he openly declared that he planned to enter next season's Three-Point Contest.
As for DeMarcus Cousins, Lin Yi still felt uneasy watching the Big Baby play.
That explosive style, the constant strain on his body, the emotional outbursts, all of it made Lin Yi feel like Cousins was carrying an Achilles injury waiting to happen.
Blake Griffin had also improved significantly during camp. Ever since distancing himself from the Kardashian spotlight, Griffin looked more focused than before.
Lin Yi was genuinely curious about one thing next season.
How strong could the Clippers become without Chris Paul?
Most people outside the league still viewed the Clippers through Paul's influence, but Lin Yi wanted to see whether Griffin could truly carry the team forward on his own.
. . .
Around the league, teams continued making moves.
Josh Smith headed to Motor City, while David West chose to remain in Indianapolis. Compared to previous off-seasons, the market lacked superstar movement, leaving the summer relatively quiet.
The Training Camp also officially closed, Lin Yi spent the 29th quietly at home with Olsen.
Klay Thompson also left with Lin Yi on the net day, heading back to China for a summer tour and to film the second season of Here Comes Basketball.
The first season had already built strong momentum. Tencent expanded the project further, aiming to capture the growing basketball audience in China.
Lin Yi and Klay would serve as mentors for opposing teams, the Reapers and the Angels.
To avoid last year's imbalance, where experienced players overwhelmed amateurs, this season added a strict rule. No CBA-registered players were allowed.
That rule did not stop one arrival.
Zhou Qi, still training with the national youth setup, entered the competition on his own.
He treated it as a chance to meet his idol, without knowing how the format would treat him.
During the flight, Klay suddenly turned toward Lin Yi.
"Do you think nobody's going to want to join my Angels Team when we start filming the show?"
The concern was understandable.
Klay had witnessed the first season of Here Comes Basketball firsthand. Nearly every player who appeared had come because of Lin Yi.
Lin Yi laughed and patted Klay on the head.
"Relax. I'm not leaving you to fight alone."
Long before filming for the second season began, Lin Yi had already spoken with Kobe Bryant about the idea as a guest.
BodyArmor Sports Drink officially became the title sponsor of Here Comes Basketball II, while Kobe agreed to join as a special guest mentor for the Angels Team.
For the players participating in the program, the lineup almost felt unfair.
Without Lin Yi's connections, Tencent would have needed an absurd budget to gather this level of star power.
Lin Yi and Kobe alone generated enough attention to overwhelm most television programs.
Two walking traffic machines.
"Sigh... I haven't been waking up at four in the morning to practice as much lately," Lin Yi muttered while leaning back in his seat. "Feels strange."
The moment he skipped training for even a day, his body almost felt uncomfortable.
Klay glanced at him and wisely chose not to respond.
Sometimes, Klay genuinely felt people like Lin Yi were not supposed to have girlfriends.
Yet somehow, this same basketball maniac was practically about to become a father.
Life really made no sense sometimes.
Klay silently sighed to himself.
Money really can solve a lot of problems.
. . .
On August 1, the FIBA Asia Championship in Manila was set to begin. With Yao Ming retired, Lin Yi informed the basketball federation that he would not participate.
The team structure had changed compared to the past. Under Lin Yi's influence, the transition to younger talent happened faster.
With Yi Jianlian anchoring the squad, supported by players like Ding Yanyuhang, the team no longer carried the same instability it once did.
The earlier version of history, where Taiwan shocked China, no longer fits this timeline. Not under this confidence level.
. . .
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