Having already gone through Media Day, the reporters were far more prepared this time around when they caught up with Lin Yi after the game.
What Lin Yi didn't expect, though, was what awaited him.
Without any coordination, nearly every major outlet had sent one of its star interviewers.
Lin Yi fell silent for a moment.
Still, an interview was an interview.
"Lin," one reporter asked with a practiced smile, "it looks like you've deliberately adjusted your playing style this season. Is that intentional?"
"Yes," Lin Yi replied calmly. "This league is full of elite players. If you don't keep expanding what you can do on the court, you get figured out very quickly."
She nodded, then followed up. "But you're currently top three in scoring. Do you still worry about being left behind?"
"Of course," Lin Yi said. "Even the best players—"
Before he could finish, a sudden thump landed squarely on his backside.
Lin Yi nearly jumped.
Paul, who had just wrapped up his own interview, was responsible.
Paul had clearly reached his limit.
Moments earlier, Paul had been surrounded by a group of grizzled male reporters, answering questions about rotations and defense. Then he glanced over at Lin Yi's side—bright lights, laughter, effortless smiles.
To make matters worse, he caught the tail end of Lin Yi's self-praise.
Paul made eye contact, smirked, and delivered a completely unnecessary but perfectly timed sneak kick.
"I'll go scout ahead!" Paul shouted as he jogged away, laughing.
Lin Yi stared up at the arena ceiling.
Chris, this isn't over.
The composed image Lin Yi had been carefully maintaining shattered instantly.
The reporters burst into laughter, and the interview atmosphere loosened immediately.
Lin Yi sighed.
…Great.
. . .
The Knicks' convincing opening-night win over the Heat quickly shifted public opinion in their favor.
Lin Yi, in particular, became the focal point. His dominance in the paint reignited debates across the league, with many analysts questioning whether the small-ball era had been taken too far.
"Tonight proved that elite big men can still control the game inside," one analyst commented. "That kind of presence remains one of the best counters to small-ball basketball."
"Fast-paced offense is great for entertainment," another added, "but championships are still built on defense."
"And let's not forget," a third pointed out, "the Knicks also ranked first in defensive efficiency last season."
Reading through the reactions, Lin Yi felt a brief urge to jump on Twitter and shout along with the fans: Knicks for the championship.
But he stopped himself.
One-game hype was always dangerous.
Lin Yi had learned that lesson early in his rookie season. If he believed everything the experts said after a single game, he'd think he'd already transcended basketball entirely.
As more opening games wrapped up around the league, the most eye-catching performance didn't actually belong to the Knicks.
Golden State dismantled the defending champion Spurs, 127–101.
Stephen Curry put on a show—16-for-24 from the field, 10-for-16 from deep, finishing with 46 points.
It marked the third time in his career that Curry had hit ten three-pointers in a single game. Lin Yi knew well enough that, in the years to come, most of the league's three-point records would have Curry's name all over them.
The explosion didn't surprise him.
The Spurs were still easing into the season, managing minutes and rhythm. When a veteran team like that ran into a fully energized, young Warriors squad, an opening-night loss was almost inevitable.
Moreover, at this point in his career, Curry was even closer to his peak than Lin Yi remembered. Once The Chef got hot from deep, you could only really bet on him missing shots himself.
Kawhi Leonard, who some Warriors fans had jokingly called a bust in this game, actually looked pretty solid, too. Kawhi had spent the summer grinding in the gym, and it showed—he'd come into the new season noticeably stronger.
Both Kawhi and Westbrook were late bloomers physically, but the key was that they had the raw potential to start with.
In this game, Leonard went 6-for-14 from the field, including 2-for-4 from three and 4-for-4 from the free throwline, 18 points and 5 rebounds, thanks to a solid night at the line.
Kawhi in the Warriors and Kawhi in the Spurs had clearly followed different paths—this version of Kawhi leaned more on offense.
The matchup between Kawhi and the new FMVP Jimmy Butler was fun to watch; neither could really gain an edge over the other on either end of the floor.
Curry was grinning ear to ear after the big win over the Spurs. This Warriors team wouldn't be tanking this season. According to Jerry West's plan, they'd level up while still fighting to make the playoffs.
In the 09 Class group chat, he kept flexing his stats. Among the 09 Class, Curry had the highest score in the opener.
Harden, DeRozan, and Griffin knew they needed to shut him down. But their teams—the Rockets, Raptors, and Clippers—had all been hammered in the first games.
Harden's start wasn't smooth. The Rockets got crushed by the Thunder, and Harden shot a rough 4-for-17 from the field, including 1-for-7 from deep, though he salvaged 20 points with 11-for-12 from the line.
DeRozan and Lowry were still finding their rhythm. Against the Pacers, the duo only managed 21 points combined. The Toronto rim clanked like crazy that night—they clearly needed time to gel and upgrade their chemistry.
Griffin had spent the summer in intense training, working on close-range finishes and two-hand dribbling against presses.
Of course, surprises were always around the corner.
If the Warriors' blowout over the Spurs signaled a league shift, the Lakers' opening loss shocked experts and fans alike.
Losing isn't the issue—losing to the Timberwolves, a team fighting for the worst record in the West last season and the one before, was another story.
Howard, trying to dominate Los Angeles, was completely shut down. He wasn't defending pick-and-rolls effectively, and Love was happily raining threes.
It wasn't that the Lakers didn't try to run the offense through Howard—it's just…
To be fair, Pekovic, though not a household name, weighed 134 kilograms and was one of the few truly strong defensive big men in the league. His fundamentals were solid, and that night, he made Howard hella uncomfortable.
The Lakers' inside game sputtered, leaving them to fall back on Kobe's isolation plays. Gasol's playmaking didn't click either, and with holes all over the defense, even the Timberwolves seemed surprised at how easily they tore apart the Staples Center.
Love left the game buzzing, claiming the Timberwolves' goal this season was a playoff spot. "Honestly, light work!"
Even so, many Lakers fans stayed optimistic after the opener, and Kobe knew the team needed more chemistry. The roster was there—if they found their rhythm, the NBA season could still reach a grand finale.
Lin Yi just shook his head. People were thinking way too much…
. . .
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