On November 29, the Knicks welcomed the Warriors to Madison Square Garden.
It was another marquee matchup.
Lin Yi couldn't shake the feeling that Commissioner Stern had arranged the Knicks' schedule on purpose. The pattern was almost comical. The Knicks would face several weaker opponents in a row, only to be followed by a brutal stretch against contenders. There was barely any middle ground.
Before tip-off, TNT caught up with Lin Yi for a courtside interview.
As he shook Charles Barkley's hand, Lin Yi glanced at the Hall of Famer's thick forearms and broad frame.
"Chuck," Lin Yi said with a grin, "you ever think about taking up boxing? You've got the build for it."
"Lin, you want me killed?" Barkley laughed. "And what happens after I get knocked out?"
Lin Yi looked him up and down before nodding thoughtfully.
"You'll be fine. That bum of yours should cushion the landing."
Barkley froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Damn! Getting roasted on my show."
Before the interview began, Lin Yi and Barkley jokingly observed a five-second moment of silence for Shaquille O'Neal.
Why? Because overnight, a ridiculous meme had gone viral claiming that Bear Grylls had gotten so hungry while filming a survival show that he'd eaten Shaq.
Everyone knew it was nonsense.
That didn't stop the internet from having fun with it.
Barkley sighed dramatically.
"I told him not to go into the wilderness. Now look what happened."
Lin Yi nodded with a straight face.
"Hopefully, Bear at least seasoned him."
Barkley couldn't hold it together and burst into laughter.
After the laughter died down, Barkley got down to business.
"Lin, tonight you're facing one of the hottest teams in the league. The Warriors are 10 and 0. What do you think of them?"
Lin Yi answered without hesitation.
"I think they're already the best team in the Western Conference."
That response immediately caught Barkley off guard.
Lin Yi continued calmly.
"Chris Middleton and Kawhi Leonard have become one of the league's best young wing duos. I think both have All-Star potential."
"DeMarcus Cousins has taken another step forward, and Andre Iguodala brings experience, leadership, and stability. He's one of the biggest reasons their locker room works."
"If nothing unexpected happens, I think the Western Conference champion will come down to Golden State and Dallas."
Barkley raised an eyebrow.
"That's some pretty high praise. Aren't you giving them a little too much credit?"
Lin Yi smiled.
"Not at all."
"I'm not saying they're great because they have Stephen."
"I'm saying they're great because they don't rely on just Stephen."
That was the difference. This Warriors team was balanced on both ends of the floor.
Offensively, they built around Curry's pick-and-roll with their bigs. Whenever Iguodala checked in, Curry willingly shifted off the ball, allowing the offense to flow through multiple creators.
Leonard and Middleton could both thrive without dominating possessions, while Leonard had already developed into the team's go-to isolation scorer whenever the offense stalled.
During the offseason, Iguodala had initially resisted the idea of coming off the bench.
Iguodala had spent years as a star player, so accepting a bench role was never going to be easy. But after conversations with Curry and Mark Jackson, he realized the Warriors were not asking him to become less important. They were asking him to impact the game differently.
Curry's respect for him helped, too. Iguodala quickly understood that this young point guard wasn't just looking for another scorer. He wanted veterans who could set the tone.
Ironically, Lin Yi thought bringing Iguodala off the bench actually made Golden State even more dangerous.
His inconsistent outside shooting was easier to hide against second units, while his defense and playmaking became even more valuable.
As for Curry, Lin Yi had always believed people misunderstood him. Critics often questioned whether he had the personality to lead a championship team.
Lin Yi thought the opposite.
After spending years sharing a locker room with Monta Ellis, Curry had learned something many stars never did.
A leader didn't have to compete with his own teammates.
He had to make everyone around him better.
Kawhi Leonard barely spoke, Middleton had no interest in chasing headlines, and although Cousins still had his emotional moments, the Warriors had built a culture that kept everyone focused.
It reminded Lin Yi of another team.
His own.
What Lin Yi didn't know was that Jerry West had intentionally studied the Knicks while constructing Golden State's roster. In West's eyes, New York's greatest strength wasn't its talent.
It was the stability of its locker room.
That philosophy had heavily influenced the Warriors' drafting and roster decisions over the previous two seasons.
Lin Yi smiled before turning back toward Barkley.
"Charles, they're 10-0 for a reason."
He paused for a moment, then added with a grin,
"But you can't keep taking my side every broadcast just because our games are similar."
Barkley raised an eyebrow.
"Similar games?"
Lin Yi nodded seriously.
"Of course. I've borrowed a few things from you this season."
"Those low-post moves. The way you use your body to create space. The little tricks that don't show up on the stat sheet."
He laughed.
"I've been studying you."
Barkley couldn't help smiling.
Hearing a three-time MVP openly admit he had learned from him was something even he appreciated.
"Well, I'll take that compliment," Barkley said. "But let's get back to tonight's game."
He leaned closer.
"Who do you think is better? The Knicks or the Warriors?"
Lin Yi didn't hesitate.
"The Knicks."
Barkley laughed.
"That confident?"
Lin Yi shrugged.
"People have spent the last few years saying we've dominated the league. If that's really how everyone sees us, then I can't be the guy who starts doubting us."
The clip quickly spread across social media.
Some fans praised Lin Yi's confidence, while others debated whether the Warriors had finally become the team capable of challenging New York.
Watching the interview from the Warriors' executive suite, Jerry West quietly nodded.
The words themselves were not surprising.
What caught his attention was the mindset behind them. Lin Yi understood something many great players learned only after years in the league. Respect your opponents, but never surrender your belief in yourself.
"He sees the game exactly the way it should be seen."
Jerry West leaned back in his seat, watching Lin Yi speak with confidence and respect.
"Talent can win you games. But understanding people, understanding situations, that is what turns talent into greatness."
For a moment, West thought about the young stars he had watched throughout his career.
Kobe had possessed an unmatched competitive fire, but that fire...
He stopped there.
Some memories were still better left unfinished.
. . .
Madison Square Garden was buzzing long before tip-off.
The Warriors arrived with plenty of confidence. A perfect 10-0 record had convinced the young roster that this was their moment.
Before the game, DeMarcus Cousins declared without hesitation,
"We're beating the Knicks tonight. After that, the whole league can start getting used to us."
No one on the Warriors thought he was joking.
Kawhi Leonard had spent the entire offseason pushing himself, driven by one goal.
Catch up to Lin Yi.
The three-time MVP had become both his benchmark and his motivation.
Meanwhile, Khris Middleton had his own mission.
Patting his chest confidently, he said,
"Leave Klay to me. He isn't making threes tonight."
Across the hallway, Lin Yi happened to be giving Klay instructions of his own. He understood exactly how dangerous this Warriors team was. Without Paul directing the defense, beating Golden State wouldn't be easy.
Everything started with Stephen Curry.
If Curry got comfortable, the Warriors' offense became almost impossible to contain.
Fortunately, Lin Yi had the league's best Curry defender.
Klay Thompson.
Ever since the schedule had been released, Klay had been waiting for this matchup.
The frenemies were about to clash.
. . .
Among the crowd sat two proud fathers: Dell Curry and Mychal Thompson.
Both had enjoyed successful NBA careers as skilled shooters, but their sons had already begun carving out much larger legacies.
Stephen Curry was becoming the face of a new era of basketball, while Klay Thompson was emerging as one of the league's most dangerous perimeter weapons.
For two former players who spent years in the league, watching their sons reshape the game was a special kind of pride
It didn't take long before the friendly conversation turned into a quiet competition.
Dell Curry smiled proudly.
"Steph has worked hard. He's finally getting the recognition he deserves."
Mychal Thompson nodded.
"Klay's been doing pretty well, too."
Dell raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah? Steph only went and broke the NBA single-season three-point record."
Mychal calmly shrugged.
"That's nice. Klay only holds the single-game three-point record."
Dell laughed.
"Steph just made his first All-Star team."
Mychal didn't hesitate.
"And Klay already has a championship."
The two fathers exchanged smiles.
Neither was actually trying to one-up the other.
At least, that's what they wanted everyone to believe.
To anyone watching from nearby, though, it was obvious.
This wasn't an argument between two former players, but was two proud fathers refusing to admit whose son was better.
The spectators could only shake their heads.
Apparently, bragging about your child was a tradition shared by parents everywhere.
. . .
Back on the floor, Klay and Curry locked eyes.
Neither smiled.
Neither looked away.
If someone didn't know better, they'd think the opening tip was about to settle a personal grudge instead of a regular-season game.
Lin Yi watched the two of them and shook his head.
"Hopeless."
Then he looked toward Cousins.
Before the game, Cousins had proudly told reporters that Lin Yi's return to center was "great for real basketball."
Every other center in the league probably disagreed.
Most of them wished Lin Yi would move to shooting guard next season.
Point guard the year after that.
Anywhere except the paint.
Unfortunately, Cousins genuinely believed what he said.
That was simply who he was.
Lin Yi couldn't even argue with him.
Kawhi, meanwhile, quietly walked over before tip-off.
He stood beside Lin Yi.
Said nothing.
Just looked at him.
The silence stretched for several seconds.
Lin Yi finally broke it.
"...You wanted to say something?"
Kawhi blinked once.
Still nothing.
Fortunately, Middleton happened to walk over.
"Kawhi says you've been incredible lately," he translated naturally.
"He said breaking all those records is amazing."
Lin Yi looked at Kawhi.
Then at Middleton.
Then back at Kawhi.
"...How exactly did you get all of that from one look?"
Middleton simply shrugged.
"We've played together long enough."
Lin Yi stared at the Warriors forward for a moment before glancing up at the championship banners hanging above Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks already had their own collection of unusual personalities.
But after spending time with this Warriors team...
He had to admit.
They were not normal either.
...
The referee stepped to the center of the court.
Twenty thousand fans rose to their feet.
The ball flew into the air.
The showdown between the league's two hottest teams had officially begun.
Cousins exploded upward with great momentum; the ball was his to grab.
Lin Yi beat him cleanly.
The jump ball was never close.
After spending the summer getting into better shape, Cousins had improved his vertical by a few inches.
Against almost anyone else, that mattered.
Against Lin Yi...
Not so much.
The Knicks controlled the opening possession.
Cousins crowded Lin Yi immediately, denying every inch of space. Seeing that the post entry wasn't there, Lin Yi calmly drifted toward the corner.
Because he had already seen the matchup he wanted.
Livingston.
Against Curry.
That was the mismatch New York intended to attack first.
. . .
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