Lin Yi knew he had to speed up his progress with the Ankle Breaker badge. After that exhausting one-on-one session with Tony on the morning of the 7th, he did the math—at least ten more days to finish the training plan with him.
And that was before factoring in the sessions he owed the Chandler. Realistically, he wouldn't unlock that badge in under twenty days.
But now came the real problem…
There were barely ten days left before the playoffs. Time wasn't just tight—it was actively fighting against him.
That's why he went after Howard so relentlessly during the Magic game. Every drive, every change of pace, every Uzi-like burst to the rim—it was all part of his plan.
He needed new weapons before the postseason.
This year's playoff run would be far tougher than last year's. Lin Yi was convinced that this midseason upgrade of his would throw off every team preparing to target the Knicks.
Still, looking at Tony afterward—almost dried out like a raisin—Lin Yi felt a little guilty. The guy deserved at least a few hours of rest.
And the moment Lin Yi told him he could go, Tony ran off faster than a rabbit that heard a shotgun click.
"Lin's a demon," Tony muttered, hands on his hips as soon as he got home. His biggest regret lately? Agreeing to be Lin Yi's special-training partner.
He hadn't even had the energy for a proper date, let alone anything intimate. By the time he dragged himself home every night, he was basically sleepwalking.
…
When Lin Yi got back to his villa at noon, he spotted a familiar figure dragging a suitcase through the living room.
Milicic's little sister, Tijana, was wiping away tears as she vented to Olsen.
"You ran away again?" Lin Yi asked, almost amused.
Tijana nodded rapidly. "Lin, let me stay in New York for a while. I can sweep, do laundry, cook—whatever you want. And I won't ask for any money this time!"
Lin Yi glanced at the ceiling. Great. His home had apparently become a shelter.
He asked why she'd run off this time, and Tijana sniffled, "Lin, Minnesota is not a place for human beings."
Back in the 2011–12 season, just like Lin Yi remembered, Darko signed a long-term deal with the Timberwolves. Naturally, Tijana followed.
And Minnesota's brutal winter had absolutely crushed her spirit.
"Forget entertainment," she complained. "You know what my brother does for fun? Watering plants, growing vegetables, carving wood… Lin, I'm eighteen. I'm supposed to be out there living my life, not gardening!"
Lin Yi chuckled and patted her head. Still, he felt he should call Darko—Tijana running away again was probably stressing him out.
Sure enough, when Darko picked up, he asked immediately, "Lin, is my sister at your place?"
"Yeah. How about letting her stay for a bit?" Lin Yi said, glancing at Tijana's teary puppy eyes.
"No problem, she can stay as long as she wants. Sorry for the trouble. I have to go—busy with my garden. Built a greenhouse in the backyard. Come visit sometime, I'll cook for you," Darko said before hanging up.
Lin Yi exhaled. Some things just didn't change—no matter what life path Darko took, he was destined to be a farmer at heart.
And honestly, Lin Yi sympathized with Tijana. Any girl her age would rebel if her brother dragged her into that lifestyle every day.
Tijana perked up instantly once she learned she could stay. After unpacking, she sat with Olsen, asking questions that quickly turned Olsen's cheeks red.
Curious, Lin Yi pulled his girlfriend aside. "What did she ask you?"
Olsen hesitated, then whispered, "She asked… how our record is."
Lin Yi coughed. "How did you answer?"
Olsen rose on her toes and kissed him lightly. "Relax. I didn't expose your… true stats."
Lin Yi felt that one right in the chest.
Feeling the need to reclaim some confidence, Lin Yi decided to take it out on Tony in the afternoon.
After giving Tony a merciful one-hour lunch break, Lin Yi drove straight to his house and leaned on the horn until Tony showed up at the door—greeted by the death stares of his neighbors.
Tony looked defeated.
Lin Yi just waved him over.
Special training wasn't going to train itself.
....
"By the way, Tony, we're off on the 8th and 9th," Lin Yi said casually during a break at the Knicks' training facility. "I already talked to Coach. You and I are doing one-on-one work on those two days. D'Antoni signed off."
Tony Allen froze mid-stretch.
…What? No, seriously—what?
Despair washed over him. Not even last year's Finals had crushed him this badly.
While Lin Yi dragged Mr. Tony through another brutal afternoon session, another unexpected visitor showed up—McGrady, walking into the gym with a smile.
That alone made Lin Yi pause. T-Mac voluntarily coming in for extra reps? Since when?
"Lin," McGrady said, shaking his head with a laugh, "Tyson was right. If you're not answering your phone, I can always find you here."
He glanced over at Tony Allen, who looked like a man questioning all of his life choices, and for some reason, the scene stirred something soft in him. He even challenged Lin Yi to a few one-on-one rounds.
But the truth was hard to deny—McGrady wasn't that McGrady anymore. Not the man who once dropped 13 points in 35 seconds.
"Tracy," Lin Yi said quietly after a warm-up round, "you should ease up a bit."
It wasn't criticism—it was concern. The Knicks were already running low on bodies, with no backup point guard left. McGrady's injury history didn't allow for heroics anymore. Too much extra work would only shorten what time he had left on the court.
McGrady let out a soft sigh. He used to be able to train all he wanted… he just didn't feel like it. Now he wanted to—desperately—but his body simply wouldn't follow.
Watching the younger players run, jump, and battle across the hardwood, he couldn't help thinking: If this were me in my prime… that weak dunk Klay just did? I'm throwing it down like an axe chop.
Time wasn't just passing—it was mocking him a little.
Still, there was something magical about the Knicks.
Last year, Shaq couldn't stand to miss a single practice.
This year, it was McGrady searching for pieces of himself in the same gym.
Lin Yi, for his part, had completely forgotten that the Knicks' final regular-season game on the 16th was against the Heat. Neither the former North Carolina prodigy nor the former Western scoring machine was the centerpiece of their franchises anymore.
If Billups hadn't been ruled out for the season, if Livingston hadn't gone down… McGrady knew he probably wouldn't even be active right now.
But no matter how the years changed him, there was still one promise he planned to keep:
"Vince," he had said long ago, "I'll make the Hall of Fame before you."
Carter had just laughed back at him.
"Then let's see who gets there first."
Maybe the years had caught up…
But the fire was still there.
...
Around two in the afternoon, the gym started filling up.
Paul, Klay, Chandler, and the others drifted in for extra work, tension buzzing through the team as the playoffs approached.
But somehow, walking onto the court and seeing Lin Yi drenched in sweat and grinding through drills… it steadied everyone. The anxiety faded a little.
"Tracy, come on—half-court three-on-three," Paul called out, waving him over.
The lonely star wasn't lonely anymore.
A tired but genuine glimmer passed through McGrady's eyes.
Maybe he wasn't a scoring champion now.
Maybe he wasn't the icon of old.
But he was still a hooper.
...
Out of sight, D'Antoni stood at the doorway, watching his players push through drill after drill during what was supposed to be a rest period.
He sighed, then turned to assistant coach Donaldson.
"Dan… do Riley and I look alike?"
Dan didn't even think.
"No way, Mike. Riley's way more handsome."
D'Antoni smacked him on the arm. "Not what I meant. I mean… I never asked these guys to train like this, did I?"
Still rubbing the new lump forming on his head, Dan shrugged.
"Maybe this is just the Lin Yi effect."
D'Antoni glanced back at the court, where the entire roster was sweating through what looked like a mini-camp.
"…He really is something else," he muttered.
...
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