Davidson College.
The gym had barely settled when Giannis Antetokounmpo spotted Lin Yi walking in. For a second, he just stood there, frozen.
"He actually came…"
He shook his head, almost laughing to himself. "Coach wasn't joking."
Bob McKillop had promised them that if they reached the South Regional Finals, he would bring Lin Yi and Stephen Curry back to campus. Nobody really believed it, not after all the other rewards he used to throw around.
Now Lin Yi was standing right in front of them—a two-time MVP, in the flesh.
Giannis stepped forward with the rest of the team, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Good to see you."
Around him, the Wildcats lined up, a mix of excitement and nerves. At Davidson, Lin Yi and Curry were more than alumni. They were part of the school's identity.
McKillop smiled as he walked over. "I'll admit, I didn't think you'd actually make time for this."
Lin Yi laughed and pulled him into a quick hug. "Coach, come on. It's been a while."
"It has." McKillop looked him over, a little proud, a little amused. "These boys thought I was making it up."
"I figured," Lin Yi said. "Steph's got a game, so he couldn't come. But I didn't come empty-handed."
He gestured toward the bags near the bench. "Got everyone a pair from my Grim Reaper line. Sizes should be right."
For a moment, the gym went quiet. Then the reaction hit all at once.
"Wait, seriously?"
"He got us shoes?"
"From him?"
Giannis just stared, still processing.
After a few more words with McKillop, Lin Yi's attention shifted back to him.
Up close, it was different.
"Man… you're a problem already," Lin Yi said, half under his breath.
Giannis scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed. "I'm trying."
Lin Yi watched a stretch of practice, arms folded, eyes sharp. The growth was obvious. Raw, but fast. The kind of progress you cannot teach.
"These guys develop way too fast," he muttered to himself.
McKillop stepped beside him. "Remind you of anyone?"
Lin Yi smiled. "Maybe a little."
He glanced back at Giannis. "Coach, mind if I get a quick one-on-one with him?"
McKillop didn't hesitate. "Knock yourself out. He's been waiting for this without knowing it."
Then he raised his voice. "Alright, clear it out. Giannis, you're up."
Giannis blinked. "Me?"
"The MVP asked for you," McKillop said, grinning.
Giannis let out a short breath, then walked onto the court. "Okay… okay."
On the sideline, one of the teammates leaned over to another. "Man, that should be me."
"Trust me," the other replied, "you don't want that."
Lin Yi pulled off his warm-up jacket and looked around the gym for a second.
He then took off his necklace and gave a kiss, setting it on his jacket.
"Still feels the same," he said in nostalgia. "Used to run here with Steph all the time."
He bounced the ball once, then looked at Giannis.
"Just play your game. Don't hold back. That's how people get hurt."
Giannis nodded. The nerves were still there, but now there was focus behind them.
They checked the ball.
Lin Yi started with possession.
The first dribble alone drew a reaction from the sideline.
"Whoa…"
Giannis leaned in defensively, arms wide. His wingspan swallowed space. Every angle looked closed.
Then Lin Yi shifted.
One quick crossover, sharp and tight.
Giannis reacted, but the second move came even faster. By the time he adjusted, Lin Yi was already past him.
A clean step. One hand. Easy finish.
"2–0," Lin Yi said calmly.
He tapped Giannis on the back as they reset. "Relax a bit. You're thinking too much. Play your game."
Giannis exhaled and nodded.
Now it was his turn.
He faced up, took a light dribble, then went into a simple in-and-out move. Nothing fancy. Just speed and length.
He drove right.
Lin Yi gave a step, reading it.
Giannis took off, long stride, covering ground fast.
Then—
A sharp sound at the peak.
Lin Yi met him in the air and sent the ball back clean.
The entire gym reacted at once.
"Yo!"
"No way!"
"Did you see that?"
Giannis landed, looking back at the ball, then at Lin Yi.
Lin Yi just shrugged lightly.
No smile. Just a quiet reminder of the gap.
Usually, Giannis is the one sending shots into the stands.
This time, he was the one getting sent back.
For a moment, he just stood there, staring at Lin Yi, still trying to process what had happened.
Lin Yi picked up the ball and looked at him. "Good strength. You're solid already, but there's still room to build. Add some weight once you get to the league. Your speed is promising, too."
He paused, then asked, "How's your jumper coming along?"
Giannis rubbed his hands together, a little awkwardly. "Mid-range is… decent. Around the free-throw line, I'm comfortable. From three, maybe fifty out of a hundred in practice."
Lin Yi nodded. "That's fine for now. It'll come."
The numbers were average, especially with the shorter college line, but the base was there.
Giannis looked a bit down after that last play. Lin Yi noticed and gave him a light pat on the shoulder.
"Hey," he said, half-smiling, "you just got blocked by the MVP and NBA Champion. Not exactly a bad story."
Giannis blinked, then let out a short laugh. "Yeah… I guess that's true."
The tension eased a little.
What Giannis didn't realize was how much he had already impressed Lin Yi.
Right now, it looked like a mismatch. Experience, skill, timing, all on Lin Yi's side. But give it a couple of years, and this gap will shrink fast.
They ran a few more possessions.
This time, Giannis adjusted. He stayed patient, used his length better, and managed to get two clean finishes at the rim.
Lin Yi nodded after the second one. "That's more like it."
Then, casually, "You free this summer? Come train with me."
Giannis looked up immediately. "Seriously?"
"Yeah. You'll get better, and I get a defender who can actually bother me. Works for both of us."
In Lin Yi's mind, it was already clear. Giannis was the perfect type to sharpen his game. Long, quick, unrelenting. He had that rookie thirst.
Durant is gonna have another nightmare in the NBA, Lin thought.
Offensively, Giannis still had a long way to go to reach Durant's level. Defensively, though, the gap was much smaller.
After the one-on-one ended, Bob McKillop gathered the team.
"You've seen it now," he said calmly. "There's always another level. Don't get comfortable just because you've had a good run."
He looked around at them. "Winning the South Regional is nice. If you want to prove something, go win the whole thing."
The players nodded, though most of them still looked a bit shaken.
One of them muttered under his breath, "After watching that… I need a break."
Another replied, "Same. I'm rethinking my life choices."
…
At lunch, the mood lightened.
Lin Yi sat with the team in the cafeteria, going through a simple meal while chatting with them. The atmosphere was relaxed now, more like teammates than idol and fans.
Lin Yi handed the jersey back, still smiling. "Good. Get the job done where Steph and I couldn't."
Giannis nodded, gripping the fabric like it meant something more now. "I will."
Before the moment could settle, a voice cut in from behind.
"Now hold on," Bob McKillop said, walking over with his tray. "We're not rewriting history at this table."
Lin Yi glanced up. "Coach, I'm just being honest."
McKillop shook his head and pulled out a chair. "No, you're being hard on yourself. There's a difference."
He set his tray down and looked directly at Lin Yi. "That Finals run took everything out of you. By the time you got there, you were running on fumes from the crazy Elite Eight game against UNC. Plus, the Final Four game against Villanova didn't help."
Lin Yi didn't respond immediately.
He leaned forward slightly, voice calm but firm. "Steph wasn't even on the floor."
"He was injured. Couldn't play," McKillop continued. "And you were out there carrying everything. Every possession, every defensive focus, all on you."
Lin Yi stayed quiet.
"Basketball isn't that simple," McKillop replied. "You carried that team further than anyone expected. One game doesn't erase that."
There was a pause.
Giannis looked between them, then said, "Coach is right. People still talk about that run."
Lin Yi said. "Yeah, they talk about the ending too."
McKillop leaned back slightly. "That's part of it. But if you're measuring your college career by one game, then you've learned nothing since."
He tapped the table lightly. "You and Steph carried this program further than anyone thought possible under those conditions. That's the part you don't get to ignore."
That got a short laugh out of Lin Yi.
Lin Yi finally smiled. "You're not letting this go, are you?"
McKillop shook his head. "Not a chance."
Then he nodded toward Giannis. "If anything, you should be telling him what it actually takes to get that far."
Lin Yi glanced back at Giannis. "It takes more than talent. You need depth, timing, a bit of luck… and your teammates healthy."
Giannis held his gaze. "Then I'll make sure we have all of that."
Lin Yi gave a small nod. "Good. No excuses, then."
"None," Giannis said.
"Good," Lin Yi replied. "Win it."
…
By evening, the arena was packed.
When the fans spotted Lin Yi courtside, the chant started almost immediately.
"MVP! MVP!"
The commentator laughed. "They were planning to retire his jersey next year, and now he's here in person. Not bad timing."
On the other side, the opposing team looked far less comfortable.
They had their own NBA name, Blake Griffin, but he had skipped the trip. Probably a wise decision.
With Lin Yi watching, Davidson came out sharp.
Giannis, in particular, looked different.
More aggressive. More confident.
He pushed the pace, attacked from drives, finished through contact, and even mixed in a few pull-ups.
At one point, he grabbed a rebound, went coast-to-coast in two strides, and made a poster of a defender who never had a chance.
The scouts in attendance leaned forward.
By the final buzzer, Davidson had it, 88–67.
Giannis put up 34 points, 17 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 blocks, and 4 steals.
After the game, holding the South Regional MVP trophy, he didn't hesitate.
"Today helped me a lot," he said, raising the trophy to Lin. "Playing against him, listening to him… I learned a lot."
Then he added, with a straight face, "I'll be the number one pick in 2013."
Lin Yi, watching from the side, shook his head with a faint smile.
"Yeah… I might've influenced that a bit."
Still, he could see it clearly.
The next wave was coming.
And if he wanted to stay on top, he would have to stay ahead of all of them.
After saying his goodbyes, Lin Yi left for New York.
Two days later, the Knicks would be back at Madison Square Garden.
And waiting for them was Stephen Curry, riding a three-game win streak and ready for a rematch.
. . .
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