December 27th, 2011

The Knicks had arrived in the Bay Area the night before. Of course, a team with New York money wasn't about to stay in Oakland — not when San Francisco was just a bridge away.

It had been raining on and off all day, the kind of damp gray weather that made you want to do nothing but sleep. The whole team was stuck inside the hotel, claiming they didn't want to risk catching a cold before the game. Lin Yi knew better — these guys were just homesick for New York's nightlife.

Take Klay, for instance.

"What's there to do in the Bay Area anyway? I just want to focus on the Warriors tomorrow," he said, face straight as ever.

Lin Yi almost laughed out loud. Really?

He looked up at the cloudy sky, wondering who'd end up inheriting the Nightclub title this time. It definitely wasn't going to be Kawhi — that guy probably didn't even know what nightlife meant.

After their big win over the Celtics, the Knicks were now kicking off their first Western road trip of the new season. The Warriors were their next stop — game two of the 2011–12 campaign.

The Golden State team was slowly taking shape. Two years of solid drafting and trades had built a foundation, but they were still a ways off from becoming the dynasty everyone would one day fear.

Jeremy Lin was still there, too — backing up Curry and playing pretty well. Whether Linsanity would ever happen again was anyone's guess.

Since Jerry West had joined the Warriors' front office, Mark Jackson had taken over as head coach. This season, Golden State's focus was simple: growth. Early in the year, there wasn't much Lin Yi could read into their strategy yet.

The night before, Lin Yi stopped by Curry's place for dinner. Ayesha was pregnant, and if all went smoothly, the Currys would be welcoming their first daughter next year.

Fatherhood had clearly mellowed the Baby-Faced Assassin. During their summer workouts, Lin Yi had already noticed it — Curry was sharper, steadier, maybe even a little more dangerous than in his memories.

In the original timeline, Curry's shooting form had only evolved after that major ankle injury in 2011–12. But now, thanks to all the early training with the crew, the form was fixed — smooth, balanced, deadly.

Which meant the future?

Completely unpredictable.

Still, Lin Yi couldn't help wondering — if Curry stayed healthy, the Warriors would probably offer him a much bigger contract. That could change everything about their future cap flexibility.

After dinner, Curry leaned back in his chair and asked, "Lin, do you think I have a shot at making the All-Star team this year?"

With Paul and Melo heading East, a couple of guard spots had opened up in the West. Lin Yi nodded. "Yeah, you've got a real chance this season."

He patted Curry's shoulder with a grin. "Anything's possible, man. By the way, how's it going with your new teammates?"

"You mean Kawhi?" Curry smiled a little. "He's quiet — barely talks, but he works hard. Still, he's been a bit down. Didn't play well in his debut."

Kawhi Leonard — back then, just a rookie with a lot to prove — had struggled in his first game, only 4 points and 3 rebounds in 23 minutes. Confidence wasn't his strong suit yet.

Meanwhile, DeMarcus Boogie Cousins was already giving the Warriors staff migraines. He admired Lin Yi's playing style so much that he still used it— the problem again was, his frame couldn't handle that kind of tempo. Lin Yi had told him repeatedly: "Unless you drop to 105 kilos, man, you're just asking for your knees to quit."

As Lin was getting ready to leave, Curry's competitive fire sparked again. "Oh, and Lin — tell Klay I'll show him what a real shooter looks like."

Lin Yi paused at the door, glanced back, and just stared at the gray Bay sky.

These two really are made for each other.

...

December 28th, 2011

Oracle Arena.

The Warriors' home crowd was electric as always. It was no wonder the Mavericks complained during last year's playoffs that their own fans in Dallas couldn't match the Warriors' atmosphere.

"The Knicks are starting Klay Thompson tonight!" Kenny Smith called out.

"Word is Danny Green picked up a minor knock in practice. The Knicks are clearly playing it safe," Barkley added.

O'Neal, though, looked puzzled. Having once played for the Knicks himself, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

And indeed, Danny Green wasn't injured at all.

The day before the game, Klay had approached Green, hoping to get more minutes. After hearing his reasons, Green agreed, and the two went straight to D'Antoni.

D'Antoni didn't see a problem. Klay's debut had been spectacular—starting him would only help his growth. Still, the Knicks staff preferred to have Green start in general, so they decided to play it smart—feed the media a story about a knock and have Green come off the bench for this one.

Lin Yi noticed how fired up Klay was but said nothing. It was good that Klay had set his sights on Curry.

In his past life, he never fought for the spotlight in Golden State, but when pushed to the edge, he never hesitated either.

This season was all about development for the Knicks anyway. Lin and Paul had agreed to take the rookies under their wing.

In the locker room before the game, the two veterans walked Klay through small tactical details and in-game reads.

Klay could barely contain his excitement — the team's two stars were personally setting him up as the offensive focus for the night.

Paul calmed. "Don't be nervous, man. You gotta learn from Lin — guy's got skin thicker than a Golden Gate Bridge. Starting feels different, sure, but you'll be fine."

Lin patted Klay's back. "Relax."

The Knicks' starting five:

Chandler

Morris

Lin Yi

Klay

Paul

The Warriors countered with:

DeMarcus

David Lee

Kawhi

White

Curry

Before tip-off, Jeremy Lin chatted briefly with Lin Yi, talking about his time in Oakland. Bay Area fans loved him — and with Lin Yi in the building, the local Chinese crowd was buzzing.

Meanwhile, Cousins was giving Lin Yi a stare, plus he was doing the Mike Tyson jaw movement that sent shivers down his spine.

Lin felt he had a bounty on his head.

Cousins still lost the tip. To make things worse for the Warriors, a large chunk of the Oracle crowd—mostly Chinese fans—cheered for Lin Yi.

"Are we sure this is an away game?" Kenny Smith joked.

"Even Shaq in his prime didn't have that kind of pull," Barkley quipped, not missing a chance to tease O'Neal.

O'Neal just smirked but stayed quiet. On the floor, Paul passed the first possession to Lin Yi — and immediately regretted it.

Whenever he passed to Lin, he knew two things: the ball wasn't coming back, and it wouldn't count as an assist.

Still, watching Nash struggle through the Lakers' opener had cheered Paul up a bit. Misery loved company, after all. And Nash was someone he genuinely respected.

Lin Yi's first touch of the game came with Leonard guarding him. The Warriors had learned from Boston's mistake: don't put Lee or Cousins on Lin. Leonard's wingspan helped, but his strength… not yet.

Lin Yi barely shifted gears and was already past him. Cousins came over to help, but Lin kicked the ball to the top of the arc — Morris pulled up and nailed the jumper.

2–0, Knicks.

Leonard's face stayed stoic, but the slight bite of his lip gave away his nerves. He wanted to prove himself. The Warriors had trusted him with a big role, but he didn't feel ready yet.

"Don't worry about it. That's an MVP you're guarding," Curry said, patting him on the back before bringing the ball upcourt.

Leonard nodded. Lin Yi was his goal — but right now, that gap felt like miles.

"The Knicks' rookies just keep showing up," Kenny said. "Starting two at once? Scouts really need to take a look in the mirror."

Barkley shrugged. "You can't blame them completely, Kenny. It's the Knicks. Magic happens there. Even a 150-kilo Shaq could run like Kobe."

Shaq gave him a death stare, but seeing Barkley's elbow resting ominously on the table, the big man wisely backed down.

On the floor, Klay was now guarding Curry — no switches, no help. Paul took White, figuring the shooter wouldn't post him up anyway.

Klay's defense was intense, laser-focused. It wasn't quite Game 6 Klay level yet, but it was enough to bother Curry.

Curry called for a screen, but Klay fought right through it, eyes locked on him. That look said it all: I'm the best shooter in this league.

Curry smirked. Challenge accepted.

He went left, spun the ball behind his back, pulled up—classic Curry rhythm—and fired. Lin Yi was already sprinting toward the rim, ready for the rebound.

Didn't need it.

Swish.

"Stephen—Curry! Silky smooth!!"

The crowd roared as Curry turned to Klay, grinning. "Welcome to the NBA, rookie!"

Lin Yi smiled from the paint.

...

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