The moment the nurse announced that both mother and child were safe, the tension in the corridor finally broke.
"Stop hiding. Come, come."
" Look at her," Lin Yi's mother said immediately towards Lin, leaning closer through the glass window. "Preety. Preety girl. She grow to be a great beauty like her mum."
Lin Yi stood still.
He did not respond.
Lin Yi's father's eyes welled with tears as he nodded repeatedly.
"Little Yi, you so happy now, you paralysed. Ai ya, I am grandfather already! Granddaughter good, granddaughter really good!"
This brought out a laugh from Lin's mum and an unladylike snort from Olsen.
Lin Yi still said nothing, though he looked embarrassed with the way he rubbed his hair.
For a second, the now grandpa looked like he wanted to step outside and smoke, then remembered where he was and only exhaled slowly instead.
A nurse passed by with a bright smile. "Congratulations, Mr. Lin. Mother and daughter are both in excellent condition."
Lin Yi stared at her for a few seconds before responding.
"Thank you. Sorry for my absentmindedness."
"No problem, Mr. Lin. I understand the situation."
The nurse said assuringly, before excusing herself.
Inside the room, Elizabeth Olsen lay on the bed, exhausted but smiling. Her hand rested gently on the small bundle beside her.
The door opened again.
This time, it was not just Lin's parents.
The Olsen family arrived.
Mary-Kate Olsen entered first, moving quickly, eyes already fixed on the newborn. Behind her came Ashley Olsen, calmer but visibly emotional. The rest of the family followed them.
David Olsen, Elizabeth's father, offered a warm smile and extended his hand to Lin Yi's father. "It is an honor to share this moment with you. Your son has brought great joy to our daughter. We couldn't be more pleased to welcome him into our family."
Lin Huan shook the hand firmly, whilst nodding.
Lin Yi's mother responded with a bright smile. "Thank you. Your family raise very good daughter. Look at this little one, she has mother's eyes."
The room immediately became crowded in a controlled way, voices lowering instinctively.
Jarnette Olsen, visibly moved, gently cradled her granddaughter. "She is perfect. Elizabeth, you did wonderfully, sweetheart. Lin, you should be very proud. We've been so looking forward to this day."
Elizabeth's sister, Ashley, leaned closer, her voice soft with affection. "She's so tiny and precious. Have you decided on a name yet? We're all dying to know."
Mary-Kate nodded in agreement. "Yes, and Trent has already been planning how he'll spoil her as the cool uncle."
Trent chuckled lightly. "Guilty as charged. Welcome to the family, little one."
Olsen, exhausted yet radiant, looked at Lin Yi. "Dear, didn't you already select a name for her?"
Lin Yi nodded and spoke clearly. "Her full name is Lin Jingqi Olivia."
The moment the name left his lips, Lin Yi's parents broke into enthusiastic applause.
"Jingqi! Good name! Very good!" Lin Yi's father exclaimed proudly, clapping with satisfaction.
"Beautiful meaning, perfect for our granddaughter!" Lin Yi's mother added, beaming with approval.
In contrast, Elizabeth's family appeared politely confused. David and Jarnette exchanged glances, while Ashley and Mary-Kate offered uncertain smiles, clearly unfamiliar with the Chinese elements.
Elizabeth looked at Lin Yi with gentle curiosity. "Lin, what does it mean? Can you explain it to us? I only know the meaning of Olivia."
Lin Yi smiled softly and explained with thoughtful precision. "Lin is my family name and means forest. Jing means quiet, peaceful, or calm.'
Qi refers to fine jade or beautiful jade — a symbol of purity and preciousness in Chinese culture.
So Lin Jingqi together means 'Peaceful Beautiful Jade of the Forest.' Olivia comes from Latin and means olive, which also symbolizes peace. Together, the name represents a calm, precious jade in the woods — a symbol of peace and beauty."
A moment of appreciative silence fell over Elizabeth's family before it gave way to visible awe.
"That's beautiful," Elizabeth whispered, her eyes shining with emotion as she looked down at their daughter. "Truly beautiful."
Jarnette placed a hand over her heart. "What a lovely and meaningful name. Peaceful jade in the forest… I love it."
David nodded slowly, impressed. "Very elegant. It carries real depth. You chose well, Lin."
Trent and the sisters murmured their agreement, clearly moved by the thoughtful fusion of cultures.
Less than ten hours later, the name Olivia Lin was already spreading far beyond the hospital.
. . .
Somewhere in Oklahoma, Kevin Durant stared at his phone.
He had boldly declared the Oklahoma City Thunder's championship ambitions the previous day, but found himself displaced from the headlines.
In Miami, LeBron James promptly extended congratulations via social media.
On TNT, Shaquille O'Neal offered sincere congratulations during a broadcast to Lin Yi.
In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant smiled more than he had in weeks.
Vanessa Bryant noticed it immediately.
"You are in a good mood today," she said.
Kobe nodded slightly. "Lin's daughter was born."
Vanessa smiled. "We should send a gift."
"Already thinking about it," Kobe replied.
Then, after a pause, he added casually, "After retirement, I think I should talk to Lin about coaching together. He can handle the men's side. I take the women's side."
Vanessa looked at him.
"That sounds like a very long conversation you already planned."
Kobe did not deny it.
In the 2009 draft class group chat, including Stephen Curry, James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, and Blake Griffin also sent their individual congratulatory messages.
. . .
The moment news of Olivia's birth became public, the Knicks' official website immediately released a congratulatory statement.
Messages from teammates, coaches, friends, and rivals poured in from all over the basketball world.
Looking at the endless stream of well-wishes on his phone, Lin Yi suddenly realized something.
Although he had spent months hoping for a son, the disappointment he thought he would feel simply wasn't there.
Instead, every time he looked at little soul, his heart softened.
My little olive, he thought, maybe having a daughter wasn't so bad after all. Just have guard against any boy.
. . .
The next morning, as sunlight filtered into the hospital room, Lin Yi sat beside the crib and stared at the tiny sleeping figure inside.
Her tiny hands were curled into fists.
Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she dreamed.
Even the little pout on her face seemed adorable.
The more he looked, the happier he became.
Olsen watched from the bed and shook her head helplessly.
Looking at the expression on his face, Olsen seriously suspected that once Olivia grew a little older, Lin Yi might forget everyone else existed.
Including her.
"Lin," Olsen said as she wrapped her arms around his, " Let's have another one in a few years, okay?"
Lin Yi nodded without hesitation.
"Of course, my lady." He planted a soft kiss on her forehead.
He had already begun planning.
Olsen's smile immediately brightened.
Next summer, she and Lin Yi would finally hold their official wedding ceremony.
Among Chinese fans, Olsen had quietly acquired a new nickname, Xianglin, meaning Auspicious Grove.
Fans believed she brought extraordinary luck to Lin Yi.
Since the day they got together, championships, MVP awards, records, and honors seemed to follow him endlessly.
To Knicks fans, Olsen was practically a walking lucky charm.
Lin Yi lowered his head and looked at his daughter again.
Then he sighed dramatically.
"Ah... my daughter is so beautiful."
After a brief pause, he added with the utmost seriousness,
"Well, it makes sense. With a father this handsome, how could she not be beautiful?"
Olsen rolled her eyes.
Even becoming a father couldn't cure his narcissism.
What Lin Yi didn't know was that many years later, when Olivia grew up and began appearing regularly at Madison Square Garden, he would develop an entirely new problem.
A very serious one.
Because by then, countless fans would have a new nickname for him.
...
Fortunately, that day was still far away.
As Lin Yi adjusted to fatherhood, the NBA's newest season slowly came into focus.
The 2013-14 season would be David Stern's final year as commissioner.
To commemorate the occasion, the league unveiled a new slogan:
"Legends Are Born Here."
Almost everyone understood who that slogan was aimed at.
Lin Yi.
What few people knew was that Stern had already made up his mind.
If Lin Yi continued performing at his historic level, Stern would have no objections to seeing him surpass Michael Jordan's achievements in certain areas.
In Stern's eyes, Lin Yi possessed something rare in this era of basketball.
Elite talent.
Elite intelligence.
And perhaps most importantly, an understanding of the modern media landscape that few superstars could match.
Stern genuinely believed Lin Yi could elevate the NBA's global influence to another level.
Of course, there were limits.
If Lin Yi's performance slipped, Stern wasn't about to hand out MVP trophies as retirement gifts.
Four consecutive MVP awards would have to be earned.
Nothing less.
Perhaps inspired by the league's new slogan, the preseason opened with remarkable intensity.
. . .
On October 9, several games drew enormous attention.
In Miami, LeBron James recorded a triple-double in just twenty-three minutes of action.
The Heat's broadcast team couldn't stop talking about it.
Had it been a regular-season game, James would have threatened one of the fastest triple-doubles in league history.
Elsewhere, the Thunder and Lakers put on a scoring exhibition.
Kobe Bryant scored 31 points in only 27 minutes.
Kevin Durant answered with 34 points in 29 minutes.
The game felt more like a playoff matchup than a preseason contest.
Yet neither performance generated as much discussion as the rise of two young teams.
The Cleveland Cavaliers.
And the Golden State Warriors.
Cleveland defeated the defending champion Knicks in preseason action.
Granted, New York rested several key players, including Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler/
Still, Cavaliers fans were ecstatic. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis had already begun displaying the terrifying potential that made scouts dream about the future.
After the game, Carmelo Anthony spoke confidently.
"Our goal is the playoffs," he said. "And I believe we're getting there."
Anthony had fully embraced his role as a veteran mentor.
Guiding Giannis and Davis had become one of his greatest sources of motivation.
Meanwhile, on the West Coast, the Warriors were making noise of their own.
At Oracle Arena, Golden State dismantled the Spurs.
Stephen Curry was the main attraction.
Late in the second quarter, he buried two consecutive logo three-pointers.
The camera immediately cut to Gregg Popovich.
The Spurs coach looked as though his understanding of basketball had just shattered.
At the postgame press conference, Popovich couldn't resist making a joke.
"Maybe the league should create a four-point line just for Lin Yi and Stephen Curry- truly a duo of Shooting Stars."
The room erupted with laughter.
Deep down, however, Popovich wasn't entirely joking. Those ridiculous shots were becoming impossible to defend.
Every season, the three-point revolution grew stronger. Every season, coaches like him suffered a little more.
"Damn three-pointers," Popovich muttered afterward.
Naturally, he conveniently ignored the fact that the Spurs themselves had won plenty of games thanks to three-point shooting. Selective memory, after all, was one of the privileges that came with being a Hall of Fame coach.
. . .
Please do leave a review and powerstones, which helps with the book's exposure.
Feel like joining a Patreon and subscribing to 30+ advanced chapters?
Visit the link:
[email protected]/GRANDMAESTA_30
Change @ to a