At 10 AM on the 17th, the moment the Knicks' plane touched down in New York, the team was greeted by absolute pandemonium.
As soon as they stepped off the aircraft, they were met with a sea of blue and orange. Thousands upon thousands of fans had flooded the airport, chanting, screaming, and waving signs. The energy hit like a wall.
Klay Thompson, still riding the high from his record-setting performance, rushed to the front holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy high above his head.
Last night, he had practically fought Chris Paul for the right to sleep with it. He had won that argument without much resistance.
Lin Yi walked in the middle of the group, hands empty, shaking his head with a helpless smile.
Just last night, after the victory, Stephen Curry had snuck up and taken the Finals MVP trophy straight out of his hands.
"You promised to give me one," the Baby-faced Assassin had shouted before bolting away like a thief in the night. Lin Yi was still trying to process how easily it had happened.
James Harden, who heard the story later, had simply rolled his eyes.
"You created this monster. Deal with it."
The fans were completely unhinged.
Women were screaming Lin Yi's name at the top of their lungs, some lifting their shirts and flashing their titties in the chaos.
Security struggled to keep order as the crowd surged forward, barriers bending under pressure. Police lines tightened, but they were constantly pushed to their limit.
Signs filled every visible gap in the crowd.
"LIN YI = NEW YORK KING."
"KLAY SAID HE WANTS 8, WE BELIEVE HIM."
"2 RINGS IN 3 YEARS, THIS IS OUR ERA."
"STATUE WHEN?"
"YAOMANIA RETURNS."
"CP3 FINALLY GOT HIS RING."
"THANK YOU NUMBER 44."
Giant foam hands pointed toward the players. Drums and horns echoed across the tarmac, layered over nonstop chanting.
The crowd pushed so close that several young fans climbed onto barriers just to get a better view. Security had to physically pull some back while still trying to maintain a path for the team.
The Knicks players spent nearly four hours at the airport interacting with fans, signing jerseys, lifting the trophy for photos, and moving through tightly packed groups of screaming supporters.
Among the most visible fan displays were oversized cutouts of Lin Yi holding both trophies, flags blending Knicks blue and orange with Chinese characters celebrating his name, and homemade championship belts stamped with NYC MVP in bold lettering.
These items moved through the crowd like symbols being passed from one section of supporters to another, lifted higher each time the bus shifted forward.
When they finally boarded the team bus, the chaos only grew.
The streets leading out of the airport were completely packed. People hung out of windows, stood on rooftops, and leaned over overpasses waving flags. The convoy moved at a crawl, surrounded by cheering fans.
The New York City government was quietly panicking.
One official reportedly muttered, "If a terrorist attack happened today, we'd be finished."
But with James Dolan's money and Lin Yi's popularity, there was nothing they could do except call in every available officer for overtime.
Some superstitious fans even swore they saw the Statue of Liberty smiling that day. The claim somehow gained thousands of likes online.
On the bus, Klay leaned over for the nth time.
"Lin! We are champions!"
Lin Yi rubbed his temples.
"Klay, I've heard that way too many times already."
Yao Ming leaned in from the other side with a calm smile.
"A-Lin, we are champions."
Lin Yi stared at him.
"Bro, that one might be even worse."
Tracy McGrady laughed quietly from a seat behind them, while Chris Paul leaned back with the expression of someone accepting that silence was no longer an option.
Lin Yi exhaled, looking out through the window at the endless crowd pressing against the glass.
"Damn Curry," he muttered. "Just wait until I see him again."
A few days later, James Dolan confirmed that the Knicks would hold a championship parade on June 22nd, with the entire city expected to shut down for the celebration.
On the same day, Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, and Shane Battier were scheduled to announce their retirements, closing a major chapter while the franchise fully turned toward building a dynasty.
Lin Yi had tried to persuade Yao Ming to stay after the Finals. From his perspective, Yao Ming's condition was still good enough for another season, at least one more run with this group.
However, Yao Ming refused.
He told Lin Yi, calmly, that his life already felt complete.
Lin Yi did not push further after that. But he also understood something else. There were parts of Yao Ming's story he had never fully seen.
The injury history, the years of pressure, the long rebuild of both body and mind. After the championship, Yao Ming would return to China for a period of rest. And there, a new role was already waiting for him.
In this timeline, Yao Ming's standing in Chinese basketball was even higher than Lin Yi remembered. If he eventually took leadership in the Chinese Basketball Association, a lot of doors would open without resistance. Very few people would be willing to challenge him.
Especially not when his brother in all but blood, Lin Yi, now had a reputation that could only be described as overwhelming in global basketball circles.
As for Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming did not let him go so easily.
"You want to play in the CBA for a year?" Yao Ming asked him.
Their relationship in this life had grown far closer than either of them remembered from the past. The Finals run had changed the way they saw each other.
McGrady was done with the NBA. That final surge in the Finals had taken everything left in his legs. He knew it. There was no pretending.
He had no interest in signing for a veteran minimum elsewhere, either.
He had said it plainly once in the locker room.
"I have a championship to my name now. I'm not going to end up filling a roster spot just to hang around."
But the idea of China was different.
He had heard about Stephon Marbury's status there. The way he was treated, the way he was celebrated. Almost like a legend reborn in a new league.
McGrady thought about it for a long moment.
If Marbury could become something like that, then maybe he could build something of his own there, too.
So he did not say no.
He said he would think about it.
It was not a commitment yet, but it was no longer just a passing idea either.
Shane Battier made his decision more quietly.
For him, there was nothing left to prove. Two championships, a stable legacy, and a role that had already been fulfilled at the highest level. He called it what it was.
Retiring at the peak.
There was no hesitation in his voice.
With Battier stepping away and McGrady leaning toward a different path, the Knicks quietly faced the reality that their supporting core would not remain intact.
The front office already understood this.
What most people did not realize was that Donnie Walsh had not been idle. While others celebrated, he had already started preparing for the inevitable roster turnover that follows a title run. Contracts, replacements, long-term depth planning. It was all already in motion.
After separating from his teammates, Lin Yi returned home.
He stepped inside and leaned down, kissing Olsen gently on the forehead.
"Liz," he said, "how did you know we would finish the series in San Antonio?"
Before the trip, Olsen had given him a box of five cakes. At first, he thought it was just a normal gesture. But as the series progressed, he realized the timing was too precise.
Olsen smiled when he mentioned it.
"A witch never shares her secrets."
Her pregnancy was becoming more visible now. Lin Yi had already arranged for his parents to come to New York for the summer. The due date was set for September, meaning the child would arrive before the next season began.
He had already started thinking about names.
If it were a girl, he paused on that thought for a moment longer.
He had imagined it once, then dismissed it with confidence.
I don't think I'm the type to have a daughter like Kobe.
The thought came jokingly.
He didn't really mind if it was a boy or a girl–either was a blessing.
What he did know was simpler.
When the boy grew up, he already knew what he would do.
Four in the morning training sessions. No excuses.
Elizabeth pulled him closer, with Lin Yi leaning down. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her growing belly against him.
"I'm so proud of you, Lin. You came back to us." She kissed his cheek, then his lips, slow and soft. Their mouths met again and again with tender presses. She ran her fingers through his hair and held him there.
Lin rested one hand on her belly, feeling the warmth. "You and this little one kept me going every game." He kissed her forehead again, then her nose, and finally her lips with more feeling. "I love you, Liz. More than anything."
She smiled and guided him to the couch. They sat together, she on his lap, facing him.
"I missed you."
Lin Yi let out a small breath, his hands resting lightly at her waist. "I missed you too. It was louder than usual out there. Hard to think about anything else."
She gave a faint smile, still studying his face. "I saw you. Every game. Every moment."
He tilted his head slightly. "Even the ones where I looked exhausted?"
"Especially those," she said, brushing her thumb gently across his jaw. "You always try to hide it, but I can tell."
Lin Yi gave a quiet laugh. "That's not supposed to be your job."
"It is when it's you," she replied simply.
Their bodies stayed close. He rubbed her back in slow circles while she leaned into him. "We're a family now. You, me, and our baby."
Lin nodded and kissed her belly through her shirt.
"Our baby will be strong. I'll make sure of it." Elizabeth laughed softly and pulled his head up for another deep kiss. Their tongues touched lightly, and they stayed like that, breathing each other in. She felt safe and loved. He felt the same.
They stayed on the couch for a long time, just holding on.
You look beautiful like this."
She paused, watching him closely. "Like what?"
He gave a small, honest smile. "Pregnant."
Her expression softened, the tension in her shoulders easing as she leaned a little closer.
She studied him, searching for exaggeration and finding none. "People usually don't say it that directly."
Her hand rested lightly on his chest now. "You're not uncomfortable? It's been a while since we had sex since I got this big."
She gestured to her tummy.
Lin Yi shook his head. "No. Sex can wait. Plus, I just keep thinking you're doing something harder than anything I did in the Finals."
"And it's not like you don't suck the soul out of me with your mouth," Lin teasingly said, wiggling his brows.
She playfully punched his chest, which just brought out laughs from Lin.
There was a short pause between them.
Then she leaned in slightly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You're not getting out of helping at 4 a.m. when the baby arrives."
Lin Yi gave a small, resigned smile. "I already knew that was coming."
Their hands stayed linked over her belly as they relaxed with the quiet joy of being together again after the win.
. . .
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