Nash accepted Lin Yi's invitation without much hesitation.
From his point of view, chasing structure at this stage mattered more than pride. The body no longer allowed long experiments, and the league no longer waited for players to figure things out slowly.
If he kept insisting on carrying teams alone, the path ahead was already written.
Jason Kidd had stepped away without a ring.
John Stockton had done everything except the final step.
Nash did not need a long internal debate after that. The Knicks were already positioned at the top of the league hierarchy. The decision aligned with the reality around him more than any emotion.
. . .
On the 27th, the 2013 NBA Draft opened at Madison Square Garden.
It carried a different weight this year. Commissioner David Stern had already confirmed that this would be his final draft before retirement. The end of an era was no longer speculation. It was scheduled.
When he walked onto the stage, the crowd's reaction came immediately.
A wave of boos rolled through the arena, familiar in rhythm but different in tone.
It was no longer pure rejection. It was mixed with recognition of time passing.
Stern paused briefly, then continued his speech with the same measured cadence he had used for decades. Whatever the noise, the structure of the league remained intact for this moment.
Watching from home, Lin Yi stayed quiet during the broadcast. The feeling was not excitement or nostalgia alone. It was awareness that cycles were closing while others were starting.
Nothing stayed fixed in this league.
Stern finally opened the envelope.
"With the first pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select NCAA Champion and Most Outstanding Player, Giannis Antetokounmpo from Davidson College."
A reaction swept across the room.
Another international prospect had claimed the top spot. The Greek Freak, who had led the Wildcats to a championship in March Madness, had been the consensus favorite.
Giannis walked to the stage with visible emotion. After a moment to steady himself, he spoke into the microphone. In his conclusion, he made a promise.
"I am very honored to be compared to Lin Yi, who is my idol. But I will prove through my own performance that I am not the next Lin Yi—I am Giannis Antetokounmpo."
The statement landed cleanly.
On a separate screen, Anthony Davis watched and nodded slightly. The Brow appreciated his new teammate's mindset.
While both admired Lin Yi, no athlete wished to remain forever in the shadow of their idol. With the successful pairing of Antetokounmpo and Davis, Cleveland's front office had made a wise selection.
Cleveland's direction, at least on paper, looked stable. Giannis was not a finished product, but the foundation was clear enough to build around. Combined with Davis in a broader projection of roster construction discussions, the franchise core looked increasingly difficult to ignore.
Lin Yi recognized that this Cavaliers team possessed genuine potential to rise quickly.
In terms of long-term upside, their ceiling felt comparable to that of the Warriors. However, the feat of securing three first overall picks in four years would likely prove unrepeatable in this timeline.
Thanks to Lin Yi's influence, Antetokounmpo was poised to adapt to the NBA both faster and more seamlessly. With targeted bench improvements, the Cavaliers appeared destined for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference as early as the upcoming season.
Still, he did not see immediate tension. Development required years, and the Knicks were operating in the present window.
He also had a passing thought he did not say aloud.
Cleveland might end up stronger without certain assumptions tied to previous narratives. Some systems improved when they stopped trying to replicate others.
Then he moved on from the thought entirely.
He sent Giannis a short message of congratulations. The response came quickly, almost too quickly, as if the phone had been waiting.
The tone was respectful, slightly excited, and aware of the hierarchy in the league.
Lin Yi followed up with something more practical. A summer training invitation.
Elite opponents were difficult to find. Players with similar physical profiles and ambition were even rarer.
Giannis accepted without hesitation.
Lin Yi closed the chat and leaned back slightly.
There were few constants in his view of the league, but one remained stable. Improvement required resistance.
Staying ahead is mostly scheduling, he thought.
The draft continued.
Beyond the first overall pick, the remainder of the 2013 draft largely followed expectations. Victor Oladipo was selected second overall by the Orlando Magic.
While a more developed Oladipo would later become formidable, his immediate impact with the Magic was expected to remain modest.
The Milwaukee Bucks used the third pick on Otto Porter Jr., a wing blessed with impressive physical tools—length, athleticism, and wingspan.
In another timeline, he would secure a substantial contract with the Washington Wizards; here, an earlier opportunity in Milwaukee might accelerate his development.
Next came the fourth selection. With the Cavaliers having wisely passed on him, it was the Charlotte Bobcats who stepped forward to claim Andrew Bennet.
A decision that immediately drew confused reactions across the arena.
The Knicks' pre-draft workout with Andrew Bennett had inadvertently elevated his stock, creating unexpected buzz around the prospect.
In Michael Jordan's assessment, Bennett bore a strong resemblance to Lance Stephenson. Without hesitation, Jordan instructed his front office to select the physically imposing forward.
When Anthony Bennett walked to the stage at fourth overall, Jordan looked genuinely pleased. The body type, the strength profile, the short bursts of dominance in college, all of it aligned with what he valued as a former player.
To him, it looked like a bargain hidden in plain sight.
As a player, Jordan had always believed in physical advantage. As an owner, that belief carried over without much filtering.
Charlotte had made its choice.
Then the draft continued down its familiar path.
Alex Len went to Phoenix.
Cody Zeller went to New Orleans.
Ben McLemore landed in Sacramento.
Each selection followed its own logic, but none of them shifted the larger board significantly.
What stood out was Portland's decision.
CJ McCollum came off the board at tenth.
A guard not built on overwhelming size, but on skill, precision, and repeatable shooting mechanics. The kind of player who developed quietly, then suddenly became unavoidable once confidence matched role.
Portland's evaluation leaned into that pattern. It was not loud scouting, but consistent pattern recognition. Lin Yi noted it without surprise. Teams like Portland rarely chased hype. They chased usable skill.
The Pistons followed with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a defensive wing profile that fit modern spacing trends.
Minnesota selected Trey Burke, a scoring guard with a heavy usage projection.
Philadelphia took Michael Carter-Williams, a player whose early production would later define how unpredictable rookie success could be.
At twelfth, Oklahoma City selected Steven Adams.
Lin Yi paused briefly when the name appeared.
A simple profile on paper. Strength, positioning, screening angles. Not flashy, but structurally important.
"An excellent screener," Lin Yi noted.
The subsequent selections largely aligned with Lin Yi's recollection until the Knicks' turn.
Using the 26th overall pick acquired from the Timberwolves, the Knicks selected Rudy Gobert from France.
Gobert appeared stunned as his name was called. Glancing upward, he seemed to ask in disbelief: The Big Apple? The defending champion Knicks chose me?
Simultaneously, the Utah Jazz—who had been negotiating a separate draft-day trade with the Denver Nuggets—were left equally astonished.
Gobert had not been widely projected as a first-round talent, which was precisely why Lin Yi had kept the selection tightly under wraps. The Jazz had believed they alone recognized his potential, and the Knicks' quiet interest left their management visibly frustrated.
Javier had only informed Donnie Walsh of the target moments before the pick, ensuring absolute secrecy. At 216 cm tall with an exceptionally long wingspan, Gobert possessed elite physical tools.
Though currently slender, his frame projected significant future growth. Lin Yi knew this player would develop into a dominant defensive force; in another timeline, he would earn Defensive Player of the Year honors.
He leaned back slightly.
Two years is enough, he thought.
That was the estimated time needed for him to seamlessly assume Tyson Chandler's role as the Knicks' anchor.
The prospect was highly promising. Without Chandler, rim protection would remain secure. In time, the Knicks could deploy a formidable frontcourt, creating an intimidating interior presence that few opponents would dare challenge.
Comparisons to the Cavaliers' young core of Antetokounmpo and Davis felt irrelevant. Cleveland would still need to resolve usage and chemistry questions. Gobert, by contrast, required no such adjustments.
His game—centered on lobs, put-backs, and relentless rim protection—aligned perfectly with the Knicks' system. Even without adding significant bulk, his shot-blocking instincts were already exceptional and projected to become truly disruptive.
Lin Yi felt no need for Steven Adams. The Timberwolves had once again proven themselves valuable allies through this trade.
With a projected starting lineup of Gobert, Draymond Green, Lin Yi, Klay Thompson, and Chris Paul, Lin Yi envisioned a defensive unit of overwhelming strength.
In two years, the Knicks might dominate All-Defensive Team selections.
. . .
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