Even without Lin Yi, Madison Square Garden was already full. Tonight, however, full was not the right word.
The arena felt compressed, as if every seat had been slightly reduced to fit more bodies inside. The difference between "sold out" and "overflowing" was visible the moment the doors opened.
The reason was simple.
Because of Lin Yi, the Knicks and the league had agreed to move the NBA championship ring ceremony to tonight's game.
No objections came from anywhere. The decision was treated less like a scheduling change and more like a formality.
Among the returning figures was Yao Ming. The retired star had flown back to New York specifically for the ceremony.
Less than half a year removed from the league, his frame already looked heavier than before, closer to the version Lin Yi would later remember from the future than the disciplined athlete he once was.
Yao Ming stretched his neck slightly as he met Lin Yi courtside.
"Lin," he said calmly, "life after retirement is much better. No more mandatory nutrition plans."
The sentence landed cleanly, like a quiet jab.
Then he added, almost casually, "And sweet tofu pudding is still better as always."
Lin Yi exhaled through his nose. "We are not discussing this again."
There was no point debating it. Some arguments only repeated.
Yao Ming was not the only returning champion. Tracy McGrady's ring was collected in his absence, while Shane Battier, already retired, arrived in person. Donatas Motiejūnas and Tony Allen would receive theirs later during the Knicks' road trips, a delayed recognition built into the league's logistics.
On the floor, Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler walked out together, both on crutches.
The sight drew a reaction from the crowd that mixed applause with disbelief.
From the bench, Wilson Chandler leaned forward and called out, "Chris, Tyson, you two should just debut as a duo. The Crutch Duo. Has a nice ring to it."
Paul did not respond. He simply adjusted the small ring box in his hand, turning it once, then again.
A championship ring carried no visible weight, yet it altered how people stood when they held it.
[Image]
He looked down at it briefly.
So this was what people chased until their bodies broke.
On the broadcast, the tone stayed measured.
Charles Barkley leaned back in his chair. "Lin has his second ring, but tonight is different. No Chris Paul, no Tyson Chandler. First game back after almost no time with the team."
Kenny Smith followed. "One practice was all he got. Even a three-time MVP needs rhythm."
Shaquille O'Neal shifted in his seat immediately. "Stop acting like that. If he's him, he's him."
Barkley ignored him.
O'Neal exhaled hard, then pointed toward the court.
"Five games," he muttered. "I'm giving him five games."
Then he leaned back again, waiting.
. .
On the Knicks bench, Klay Thompson looked up at Lin Yi during warmups.
"Yo," he said, voice calm, "you good stamina-wise? If not, I can run the offense."
Lin Yi slowly turned his head.
No expression. Just silence.
Klay nodded once, as if confirming something important to himself, then looked away.
The message had been received.
Across the court, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis were still adjusting their warmup gear, both visibly energized by the ring ceremony atmosphere. Earlier, Lin Yi had handed them a pair of his latest signature shoes during warmups. They had accepted them immediately without hesitation.
The Cavaliers arrived undefeated, having already beaten both the Pacers and Hawks. Small sample size, but enough to draw attention.
Giannis had grown again, now listed at 203 centimeters. Team measurements suggested he could eventually reach 213. The front office treated it like an asset projection, not a human timeline.
Anthony Davis, meanwhile, had almost joined Lin Yi's offseason training group before scheduling conflicts ended the plan. Tonight marked his first official matchup against him in a professional setting.
The Cavaliers' coaching staff, now led by Mike Brown, had already assigned Giannis to a defensive role similar to Scottie Pippen. The instructions were simple. Pressure, rotate, survive.
Giannis had spent the summer drilling one-on-one coverage against elite players. Most of those sessions had ended the same way, with him still learning, still adjusting, still getting exposed to angles he had not seen before.
Most of those sessions had also involved Lin Yi.
That detail was not lost on anyone inside Cleveland.
. . .
Madison Square Garden rose to its feet as player introductions began.
The sound built in waves, then settled into a single repeating chant that filled every corner of the arena.
"MVP."
"MVP."
"MVP."
For many players, a lifetime of basketball is nothing more than chasing a single moment like this.
For Lin Yi, Madison Square Garden was no longer just a venue. It had become a reference point in his career, a place where expectation and performance repeatedly collided.
The arena lights dimmed slightly as the big screen locked onto the starting lineups.
Knicks:
Lin Yi
Marcus Morris
Draymond Green
Klay Thompson
Shaun Livingston.
Cavaliers:
Anthony Davis
Carmelo Anthony
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Seth Curry
Jarrett Jack
Carmelo Anthony's body told a different story than his Denver years. He had added mass, shifting into a more deliberate power forward role under Mike Brown's system. The speed was no longer his primary weapon, but the tradeoff was clearer leverage inside and more controlled mismatches.
In another timeline, that same adjustment had once led him to a scoring title. Here, it had become a structural choice rather than an experiment.
Seth Curry stood on the opposite side of the floor, a quiet inclusion in Cleveland's rotation. Undrafted, overlooked, then absorbed into the Cavaliers' system through necessity rather than reputation.
The early evolution of the three-point era had changed his trajectory. A reliable shooter no longer needed physical dominance or draft status to survive in the league. Floor spacing had become currency.
Originally, Seth had not even been expected to stay on the roster. He had been treated as depth, almost administrative. During preseason, however, his shooting fit naturally alongside Cleveland's core group. The spacing he provided altered the rhythm of their half-court sets enough to force a revision.
By opening night, he was starting.
Talent alone did not explain it. The system around him had shifted just enough to make his skill set functional at the highest level.
Across generations, families produced different outcomes. Dell Curry had produced one MVP-caliber son and another NBA rotation guard. Seth was another variation of that same shooting lineage.
Lin Yi's gaze drifted briefly across the court as the introductions finished.
Different paths, same origin point.
The game had started to favor shooters in ways that earlier eras had not.
Then the thought ended there.
Standing at center court, Lin Yi looked up.
Four championship banners hung above Madison Square Garden, motionless under the arena lights. Each one represented a season, a run, a point in time where everything had aligned correctly.
He exhaled once.
The noise around him tightened into a single rising wave.
"MSG," he said quietly to himself.
"Daddy is back."
. . .
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