[Opening graphics: Explosive highlights — Lin Yi threading no-look passes, Knicks raining threes, MSG crowd in absolute frenzy with "MVP!" chants. Dramatic music swells.]
Cari Champion:
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to ESPN First Take. My name is Cari Champion. And as usual in the studios, we have Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless.
[Camera pans smoothly to the desk. Stephen A. Smith sits with his fingers crossed, head leaning on his knuckles, elbows planted firmly on the table, staring intensely outward. Skip Bayless leans back with his signature smirk.]
Cari Champion:
We had a historic game on our hands that we witnessed just a few hours ago. It was the rematch between the Spurs and the Knicks — one of the most anticipated matches earlier in the season. Not as much as people thought it would be."
The game started fast and quick, with the Knicks taking an early lead before never looking back as they grew the lead into something that the Spurs could not overcome. And if it were only that, it wouldn't have lit up the internet and social media as much as it has now.
Because a different record was set today. Lin Yi— MVP and NBA champion — had a phenomenal record-breaking game: scoring 14 points, grabbing 18 rebounds, and the talk of the internet, breaking the Scott Skiles assist record with 31 assists, all in three quarters. So without further ado, Stephen A., why don't you start us off?
[Camera tightens on Stephen A. Smith. He stays in his contemplative pose for a beat, then slowly lifts his head, still processing.]
Stephen A. Smith: You know what this brother is doing to me isn't normal. I've been zoning out more and more with him. He just shatters my expectations time after time. You know? I knew such things would happen. And I knew in the future I'll be having that conversation. The conversation.
[He stresses it heavily, voice rising.]
You know what conversation I'm talking about? Well... he or MJ is the GOAT of basketball. And yes. I was minding my business, watching the game, enjoying my time as a Knicks supporter, and my phone started blowing up.
Messages upon messages upon messages, my friends asking, "MJ or Lin Yi? Who's the GOAT?"
Now this is the toughest place I've ever been. I'm caught between a hard place and a rock. I love MJ with all my heart. I loved watching this brother. He redefined basketball dominance. Bringing about the greatest peak in the NBA.
And we have this freak of nature that's everything. Scoring? He got that. The rebounds and blocking? He got that. And the thing that people will question a bit is assists, which is kind of absurd. The man averaged a triple-double season recently, with assists as one of the stats.
But he puts "weakness" to the grave by doing this — 31 assists.
And yeah, you are sitting there finding reasons to defend your idol, MJ. But you're coming up short. 'Cause this brother keeps redefining himself every season. And the trajectory is on. I'm not sure if it's going to be a debate if he keeps this up in the next five years.
People have started the debate that he's the GOAT. That if he has a similar season like last season and wins his fourth consecutive MVP and a third championship... that's it.
And for me, a New Yorker, very, very conflicted. I don't know what to do. I just don't know what to do. I don't know what to say. But for now, I'll say I still have allegiance to MJ. Now, if you were to ask me a different question — who is the BOAT, the best of all time — then I... we just... give it to Lin Yi.
He's basically a Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and a LeBron James put together. Three points? He got it. Versatile from the one to five, he can play all positions like LeBron. Scoring, mismatch, clutch genes — he has it.
Cari Champion: Cari Champion, this is the first time I've seen Stephen A. that stressed. Skip, what do you have to say?
Skip Bayless: I'm an MJ fan too, myself. But let's call the truth the truth. I said since day one, this kid is going to be special. That's why I bossed up.
31 ASSISTS!!
This — 31 freaking assists in three quarters. That's why he's the GOAT of modern times. Don't bring me no LeBron. Don't bring me no KD. Don't bring me, respectfully no Tim Duncan. No Shaq, no Kobe.
The boy is special. Those happy, jumping, talking little boys shouting, "Lin Yi sucks, Lin Yi this, Lin Yi that" when he was on fatherhood duties, have gone quiet. They should keep asking Mommy for a lollipop and suck ON IT!!
And I say this with all my heart. At the end of the day, when my boys retire, LeBron and his cronies aren't touching him. LeBron never had a game like this. Never. Not once.
He's never going to be near the ass cheeks of the records Lin Yi is going to set in the NBA. He–
Stephen A. Smith: [interrupting, eyes wide, half-laughing in disbelief]
PAUSE!! Skip! Pause! You know, we have been letting you get away with this. Look at Cari's face; the woman is mortified. You keep saying those freaking words. Ass cheeks this time. Ass cheeks. We don't want to scare America
Skip Bayless: [grinning, doubling down]
What do you want me to say? This is the full Skip experience. Americans tune in to ESPN to watch the number one NBA analyst work his magic.
But for you, Stephen A., I respect you. I'm going to change it. Just for you and Cari, I'm going to change my words. But I will say this, you guys read into things too much.
[Skip gestures dramatically toward Stephen A. Cari Champion as he corrects himself.]
Skip Bayless: By the time they retire, they won't be able to feel the width and depth of the records Lin Yi sets.
[Stephen A. Smith immediately covers his face with his sheet of paper, shaking his head. Cari Champion smacks her forehead with her palm, letting out an exasperated laugh. The camera pans back to Skip, who is fully locked in.]
Skip Bayless: I heard the haters chirping, talking, busting their gums on how Lin Yi is done. We all saw the pictures of him on social media with his baby and Elizabeth.
People were saying the man has gone soft. But tell them this — he's always hard. He always comes hard when it's for these basketball games. Especially the Spurs. And the Heat. He batters them. Soft serving ice cream. Dishing it out.
By the end, by the middle part of the third quarter, Popovich had to take his favorite boys out. And he left the rookies to hang high and dry as they took the beating from the Knicks. Total domination.
That's what's up. That's what The Showtime does to you. That's what the Grim Reaper does to you. That's what the King of New York does to you when he plays seriously.
And I say this as advice and maybe a warning to the other teams in the NBA. Just give up. Just forfeit the games. The trophy's already won. It's coming to New York. It's not going anywhere else.
[Skip does an imaginary mic drop, leaning back with a satisfied grin.]
Cari Champion:
Whoa, whoa. What a segment. Clearly a lot to unpack there.
ESPN is also asking viewers for their thoughts. The poll is live now. Who will be the greatest player in ten years?
Option A: Michael Jordan.
Option B: Lin Yi.
Option C: Someone else.
We'll be right back.
[Fade to commercial with highlights of Lin Yi's full-court passes and the MSG crowd chanting "MVP!"]
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