On the opening day of the men's basketball tournament at the London Olympics, Lin Yi wasted no time sending a message.
Spain—the silver medalists from the previous Games—were caught completely off guard.
Sergio Scariolo reacted fast, calling a timeout almost immediately. When Spain came back out, they rolled with a Three-Big lineup.
Yet something felt off.
Serge Ibaka, the reigning NBA blocks leader, looked visibly uncomfortable as he stepped onto the floor. His face was tight, his movements stiff, like he'd rather be anywhere else.
If he had a choice, Ibaka genuinely did not want to be the one guarding Lin Yi.
Because guarding Lin Yi was never just physical. Whether you stopped him or not, he always found a way to get inside your head.
Sure enough, the moment Ibaka checked in, Lin Yi glanced over, rubbed his chin, and smiled.
"Serge," he said casually, "long time no see. Good luck."
Ibaka's expression darkened.
Unfortunately for China, the guard rotation at the time wasn't strong enough.
Otherwise, Spain's three-big lineup might have been the perfect opening for a quick knockout.
Still, Spain wasn't Olympic silver medalists for nothing. After the timeout, the Gasol brothers went to work. Pau Gasol, especially, looked completely at home under FIBA rules, slipping into rhythm with ease. Spain deliberately left Sun Yue open on the perimeter.
After several misses, Sun Yue caught Yao Ming staring at him from the bench—cold, sharp, unforgiving.
Sun Yue could only sigh inwardly.
If not for Lin Yi's emergence, the national team's offensive system would have been hopelessly outdated. And yet, without running a single low-post isolation for Yao Ming, China still poured in 28 points in the first quarter.
Spain answered with 23.
Lin Yi already knew what kind of game this was going to be.
An all-out shootout.
Early in the second quarter, China adjusted. Lin Yi returned to the floor alongside Wang Zhizhi, Zhu Fangyu, Zhou Peng, and Liu Wei. Yao Ming, who had played the entire first quarter, stood up, ready to check back in—but Lin Yi stopped him.
Lin Yi gave him a light pat on the shoulder.
"Relax. I've got this."
Yao Ming smiled helplessly, shaking his head.
"Playing with you really takes the pressure off."
Yi Jianlian, resting beside him, nodded in agreement.
On the Spanish bench, Scariolo felt more comfortable seeing Lin Yi slide back to center. Marc Gasol, however, hesitated. He understood Lin Yi too well to share that confidence.
Sometimes, Lin Yi at the center was even worse.
During joint training sessions, China's most polished set had been simple guard–Lin Yi pick-and-rolls. Complicated systems required time and chemistry—luxuries the national team didn't have.
That was why Lin Yi had personally recommended Coach Dan to Yao Ming.
Coach Dan D'Antoni, influenced by his philosophy, excelled at fast reads, flow offense, and controlled chaos.
And it showed.
Spain scored on their first possession of the second quarter. On the other end, Liu Wei came up to initiate. The screen came, the switch followed.
Rubio suddenly found himself in front of Lin Yi.
Lin Yi leaned back slightly, smiling.
The double-team arrived instantly.
In one smooth motion, Lin Yi whipped a no-look, behind-the-back pass.
Wang Zhizhi appeared under the rim as if summoned, laying it in cleanly.
Scariolo exhaled slowly on the sideline.
"The NBA MVP," he muttered, "is on another level."
He had studied Lin Yi on film. Everyone had.
But seeing it live was different.
A player who defended like a center, handled like a forward, scored like a guard, and organized the offense like a point guard—it was overwhelming.
The second quarter became a back-and-forth exchange. Navarro and Fernández caught fire from the perimeter, answering nearly every Chinese basket.
By halftime, China clung to a slim 49–48 lead.
In the locker room, Yao Ming glanced at Lin Yi, who looked unusually relaxed.
"Lin," Yao asked quietly, "aren't you worried?"
Lin Yi removed his headphones—Taylor Swift still echoing faintly—and smiled.
"Don't worry, Yao. Spain's legs will go before ours tonight."
In Beijing, four years earlier, stamina had betrayed China.
This time, Lin Yi was turning the tables.
Spain had no choice but to rotate the Gasol brothers and Ibaka endlessly to contain him. Even with China's shooting cooling off in the second quarter, Lin Yi kept pushing one message.
Faster. Faster.
Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian stayed fresh. Lin Yi was certain that by the second half, Spain's big men would start to crack.
The tempo of the game had been in Lin Yi's hands from the opening tip. In a seven-game series, China would likely still fall short. But in a single game, under FIBA rules?
This was dangerous territory for Spain.
The third quarter told the rest of the story.
China shifted the offense decisively into Yao Ming's hands. Lin Yi, destined to play nearly the entire game, finally allowed himself to drift—saving energy where he could.
Spain's big men felt it immediately.
Just as Lin Yi eased off, Yao Ming unleashed.
Fresh legs, deep seals, precise footwork—his low-post game was ruthless. Spain hesitated to double, knowing China's shooters were waiting.
There was no longer any debate.
On this night, Yao Ming completely overwhelmed Marc Gasol.
In the NBA, Marc had seen a coasting version of Yao over the past two seasons. This was different. This was locked-in Yao Ming.
Solid. Efficient. Relentless.
Yao scored 12 points in the third quarter alone. Yi Jianlian added two timely three-pointers. After three quarters, China led 78–70.
Under FIBA rules, that margin could decide everything.
Against a stronger opponent, trying to win through defense alone was suicide. The only path was clean execution—fewer turnovers, higher efficiency.
And tonight, China was doing exactly that.
...
In the fourth quarter, a fully recharged Lin Yi ramped up the pace, pulling up, driving, and pushing the Spanish defense to its limits. The Gasol brothers and Ibaka were visibly worn down, their stamina faltering.
Strike while the iron's hot. Lin Yi didn't do mercy. Not here, not now.
Marc Gasol got sent to the poster three times in the quarter to further ascertain Lin's dominance over him, proving any challenge was foolish.
Amid the deafening cheers of Chinese fans, the Chinese men's basketball team closed it out, defeating Spain 81–100. A sweet redemption for their comeback loss in Beijing.
Lin Yi had played the entire game: 35 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and 4 blocks. A massive triple-double.
Yao Ming logged 29 minutes: 20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks.
Yi Jianlian contributed in 33 minutes: 18 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block.
Wang Zhizhi added 13 points and 4 rebounds in 24 minutes.
The Chinese team's Great Wall Combo had racked up 85 points in their opening contest.
Fans couldn't contain themselves.
Sun Yue and Liu Wei shook their heads.
The opening win set a strong tone for China's Olympic journey. Many fans began daydreaming about an undefeated run in the group stage. Spain, after all, had been widely regarded as the toughest opponent in the pool.
Lin Yi, however, stayed grounded. He knew the other teams weren't pushovers; every game still had to be taken seriously. But beating Spain gave China a strong shot at finishing first in the group—a strategic advantage that could delay a potential clash with the U.S. until the finals.
After the game, Lin Yi faced Chinese reporters. "Our goal for these Olympics is simple," he said calmly. "We want to win a medal and stand on the podium."
The reporters blinked, amused.
Was this really the same Showtime that joked and teased relentlessly in the NBA? Now he was speaking with such straightforward confidence?
He had run through the numbers in his head.
A medal was an entirely reasonable goal. Maybe not a gold one, but he will make sure they walk away with a medal.
What he hadn't considered was how his words would be taken by the fans.
Lin Yi just shook his head with a small smile, letting the moment sink in. The opening win was done, the statement made—and the rest of the tournament was just beginning.
. . .
Please do leave a review and powerstones, which helps with the book's exposure.
Feel like joining a Patreon for free and subscribing to advanced chapters?
Visit the link:
[email protected]/GRANDMAESTA_30
Change @ to a