Chapter 745: Jeremy Lin Sleeps Over
Although Chen Yan's sneaker brand had already signed several players, they were all role players. Apart from Chen Yan himself, there were no true heavyweights.
The sales power of ordinary players was definitely not as strong as that of All Stars.
Kyrie Irving often had some whimsical ideas, but his ability to drive sales was absolutely 1st class. In Chen Yan's previous life, Irving's sneakers were all bestsellers, and that was closely related to his playing style.
Irving awkwardly stated that he still had a contract with Nike, and it would not expire until 2014.
Chen Yan, of course, understood this.
Chen Yan said that in 2014, Irving could consider his brand. Whether in appearance or technology, the sneakers designed by his brand were very suitable for Irving.
Irving believed that.
During high school and the NCAA, he had worn several pairs of Chen Yan's signature sneakers, and he personally liked them quite a lot.
If he had not signed with Nike in 2011, perhaps people would have already seen Irving sprinting across NBA courts wearing Chen Yan's signature shoes.
After saying goodbye, the 2 of them exchanged contact information.
At the post game press conference, Chen Yan praised his teammates generously.
"David West played very steadily tonight. He is slowly getting on track. With DeAndre in the paint, I feel very confident, whether it is rebounding or protecting the rim. Yi Jianlian shot the ball well tonight. His hard training has paid off. And Jeremy Lin gave everyone a surprise. Scoring in double digits in his debut is something even many NBA players cannot do."
After the press conference, Chen Yan found Jeremy Lin still sitting in the locker room.
"Jeremy, you played very well tonight. I wish you sweet dreams."
After Chen Yan finished speaking, Jeremy Lin chuckled twice, but he showed no intention of leaving.
Chen Yan felt that something was off and asked, "Is there anything else?"
Jeremy Lin scratched the back of his head.
"The arena is really too far from where I live, and I do not have a car. So... can I stay at your place tonight?"
Chen Yan smiled.
"If I refuse, will you become homeless?"
Jeremy Lin did not realize Chen Yan was joking and replied awkwardly, "If it is inconvenient, I can still think of another way."
"No problem. Come on."
Chen Yan readily agreed.
Taylor Swift had been in Los Angeles during this period, busy with events and commercial performances, so it was not inconvenient for Jeremy Lin to stay over.
"I will just sleep on the sofa."
Jeremy Lin did not want to trouble Chen Yan. He only wanted a place to sleep.
"Why sleep on the sofa when there is a bed?"
Chen Yan smiled.
He lived in a large flat in New York. Although it did not have as many rooms as his place in Phoenix, accommodating 1 extra guest was no problem.
The next day, Jeremy Lin made breakfast for Chen Yan.
It was called breakfast, but it was actually just a glass of milk and toast.
There was nothing he could do. Jeremy Lin's cooking skills were limited to that.
The 2 chatted while eating breakfast.
"Chen, All Star voting has already started. Your votes are currently ranked 1st. It looks like you will be the vote king again this year," Jeremy Lin said.
To be honest, since the previous 2 seasons, Chen Yan had not paid much attention to All Star voting. If no one told him, he would not even actively check.
"I do not really want to go to this year's All Star Game. The shortened season schedule is too tight, and the All Star Game is a burden for me," Chen Yan said.
Jeremy Lin smiled.
If anyone else said that, it would definitely sound like showing off.
But Chen Yan would not.
He had been the All Star vote king for several years and had also won All Star Game MVP, so it was understandable that he was not especially interested in the All Star Game anymore.
"David also got a lot of votes. He might make the Eastern Conference starting lineup this year," Jeremy Lin said.
Hearing this news, Chen Yan was not surprised either.
His teammates always received a boost in All Star votes.
After Curry's injury, David West had become the Knicks second option, so it was not strange that Chen Yan's supporters also voted for him.
"Jeremy, play well. Maybe you will have a chance to make the All Star team next year," Chen Yan said with a smile.
"Me?"
Jeremy Lin pointed to himself and laughed.
"I will try to get a guaranteed contract with the team first."
"If you show the performance and form from the last game, there will definitely be no problem. By the way, Jeremy, do you speak Chinese?"
Jeremy Lin extended his index finger and thumb, making a small gesture.
"A little bit. I cannot communicate normally, but I understand some."
Chen Yan did not have any deeper meaning in asking.
It just felt a little strange for 2 Asian players to speak English privately. If Jeremy Lin spoke Chinese, Chen Yan would feel much more comfortable, just like when he communicated with Yi Jianlian.
After breakfast, Chen Yan and Jeremy Lin went to the training facility.
Jeremy Lin felt their relationship had grown closer, so he asked Chen Yan many things on the training court.
Chen Yan answered patiently.
However, Chen Yan felt that Jeremy Lin's current ability was already sufficient.
What he needed now was not a skill upgrade, but confidence.
If Jeremy Lin could keep the same drive in every game that he had shown against the Cavaliers, staying in the NBA would certainly not be a problem.
The Knicks next opponent was the Miami Heat.
They were the team that had eliminated the Knicks in the Playoffs last season.
And this was an away game.
It would be tough.
On the plane to Miami, Kenyon Martin kept shouting, "Revenge, revenge!"
Every member of the Knicks had a strong desire to win, and they were very confident.
The reason was simple.
The Heat had not made many reinforcements during the offseason, while the Knicks had made multiple additions.
Chen Yan did not let too many personal emotions get involved.
He only saw this game as 1 of many regular season games.
Of course, he wanted to win.
But there was no need to call it revenge.
In Chen Yan's view, every NBA team won and lost against other teams. If the theory of revenge had to be applied, then every game could be called a revenge battle.
Miami Heat fans were full of confidence for this game.
Last season, they had advanced to the NBA Finals by stepping over the Knicks.
The Heat starting lineup was Chalmers, Wade, James, Channing Frye, and Pau Gasol.
The Knicks starting 5 were Beverley, Chen Yan, Battier, David West, and DeAndre Jordan.
Frye was the Heat's biggest and only move during this year's transfer window.
There was nothing they could do.
The Heat Big 3 occupied most of the team's salary cap space, leaving very little money to allocate to role players.
"Compared to last season, Miami has only changed at power forward," Kenny Smith said. "New York, on the other hand, has changed 3 positions. You could say half the team has been replaced."
Barkley nodded.
"It is clear Miami is also starting to focus on 3 point shooting this season. They brought in Channing Frye, a big man who can shoot. Last season, he averaged 5.7 3 point attempts and made 2.2 of them, with a percentage close to 40."
Kenny Smith said, "A big man shooter with that kind of accuracy is a real threat on offense. He can score himself and also create driving space for Wade and James. I think that is a major reason Miami brought him in."
Barkley added, "Wade and James are both elite slashers. Give them more room to attack the basket, and Miami's offense becomes simpler and easier. But we will only know the actual effect once the game starts."
Beep.
On the court, after the referee's whistle, the ball was tossed into the air.
The game officially began.
DeAndre Jordan won the jump ball.
This was within Chen Yan's expectations.
Even if Pau Gasol jumped 10 times, he might not win against DeAndre Jordan.
So, the moment DeAndre Jordan jumped, Chen Yan had already accelerated toward the frontcourt.
Chen Yan's anticipation was very strong, and precisely because of this, he had many more offensive opportunities than other players.
Beverley got the ball and tried a long pass to Chen Yan.
However, his pass was not good.
It was too weak and failed to get past Wade.
Wade stole the ball and launched a counterattack on the spot.
At this point, the sharp eyed James had already rushed near the 3 point line.
Wade made a 1 handed flick pass, accurately finding James.
Wade had given Beverley a live lesson on what a real long pass looked like.
James received the ball and slammed it down with a powerful dunk, scoring the 1st points for the Heat.
This was his signature dunk.
The camera focused on Beverley.
His expression was a little awkward.
Compared to Curry and Barea, he was still a bit too green.
.....
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