The ten straight wins to open the season gave Lin Yi a lot of confidence about what lay ahead.
This Knicks roster had finally hit its peak. In Lin Yi's view, if they could keep anything close to this early rhythm, chasing the Bulls' 72–10 record was not unrealistic.
Of course, everyone knew how long an NBA season really was. Even the best teams lose games. No one cruises for eighty-two straight nights.
The Knicks also benefited from a friendly early schedule. That much was obvious.
Still, after years of adjustments and upgrades, this lineup had fully matured. The system was solid. The defense was disciplined. The roles were clear.
Most nights, scoring did not just come from the 404 combination of Lin Yi and Paul. Someone from the rotation always stepped up and gave them extra points.
And that, oddly enough, had become Lin Yi's biggest headache.
He quickly realized that the hardest part about chasing Jordan's 37.1 points per game was not the defense. It was his own teammates being too good.
Every game, Lin Yi came out aggressively from the opening tip. To opposing teams, it felt like he was in a hurry.
"Are you trying to clock out early or something?" defenders joked as they scrambled.
Lin Yi's response was simple.
"I'm not rushing. Once my teammates get rolling later, the beatdown is coming."
And they always came.
The reality was clear. With his status in the league, Lin Yi could not afford to hunt points during garbage time. That would look bad. It would hurt his image. It would definitely not help his MVP case.
So if he wanted numbers, he had to get them early, against real defense, while the game still mattered.
After the ten-game winning streak, Lin Yi finally met the conditions to upgrade his core abilities. His five-position fundamentals all broke through to the Amethyst level.
When the upgrade was completed, he felt the change immediately. It was not about a single move or a new trick. It was everything at once. Timing. Balance. Awareness.
At the same time, the next requirement appeared. To go from Amethyst to Diamond, he would need 200 games.
That meant at least two full seasons, playoffs included.
Still, the boost was massive. Unlike badge upgrades that refined specific skills, this was a full-body upgrade. Every part of his game rose together.
Lin Yi estimated that with this foundation, plus his badges and physical tools, his overall rating would easily pass 90.
And his ability was different from most superstars. His natural mismatch talent actively weakened defenders across from him. Their positioning slipped. Their reactions slowed.
That effect only grew stronger as Lin Yi improved.
That alone made him even more confident about the rest of the season.
The Anti-Lin Alliance could keep studying tape and preparing counters. It would not matter much.
While they tried to catch up to the version of Lin Yi they already knew, Lin Yi would keep evolving, game by game, right in front of them.
. . .
On the 24th, while resting at home, Lin Yi received a call from Charles Barkley. Barkley wished him a happy birthday in advance, but as the conversation went on, Lin Yi had a strange feeling that Barkley was gently nudging him toward playing a little more selfishly.
Barkley did not hide it much.
"Lin, you can't be too unselfish," he said with a laugh. "People tune in because they want to see you score."
The funny part was the numbers.
This season, Lin Yi was averaging 23.1 shot attempts per game, yet he was widely praised for playing the right way.
Meanwhile, Kobe was taking 22.8 shots per game, and fans were calling him selfish.
The difference was obvious. Lin Yi's efficiency made everything look clean and reasonable. High percentages have a way of changing the narrative.
Since Barkley put it that way, Lin Yi was not about to criticize himself. He replied calmly as he finished munching on some cookies prepared by Olsen.
"Charles, you know how it is. You and I both played team basketball. I've seen your bet with Shaq too, but I'm not going to turn my birthday into a stat-hunting night. I'm not asking my teammates to force-feed me as Shaq did back then."
Everyone remembered that night.
On March 7, 2000, during a Los Angeles Showdown, O'Neal wanted tickets from the Clippers to give to family and friends. They said no.
Shaq took it personally and responded with 61 points and 23 rebounds. The entire Lakers roster fed him the ball until the Clippers broke.
It was probably for the best that O'Neal did not hear this phone call. Otherwise, Lin Yi might have been on the receiving end of an angry lecture, or worse.
After all, Shaq had personally watched Lin Yi put up a 60-plus point triple-double. In that game, Lin Yi's teammates boxed out for rebounds and shot the ball the moment they caught his passes.
Once the rebounds and assists were secured, Lin Yi started taking shots that made no sense at all and still broke Wilt Chamberlain's record for the highest-scoring triple-double.
After hearing Lin Yi's explanation, Barkley let out a satisfied sigh.
"That's why I've always respected you," Barkley said. "Character matters."
Still, before hanging up, Barkley could not resist one last push. He told Lin Yi to go for it if the chance came. Legendary players all had legendary stories, and a birthday performance never hurt anyone's résumé.
The moment the call ended, Barkley frowned.
He had just encouraged a player to pad stats.
That realization bothered him for about two seconds.
"As long as Shaq ends up kissing that donkey," Barkley muttered to himself, "it's worth it."
…
On the 25th, the Knicks flew to Space City to prepare for their road game against the Houston Rockets. It was the second-to-last game before Lin Yi's birthday. Before tip-off, O'Neal walked over to Barkley and casually handed him a toothbrush and a mouthwash cup.
"Charles, you're going to need these," Shaq said, smiling.
Barkley masked his nervousness with faux bravado, "Just wait. I've already talked to Lin. He's feeling good about keeping that birthday streak alive."
Shaq raised an eyebrow. Seriously? Is he messing with me now?
Still, Shaq was not panicking. They had agreed on one thing. If it came down to scoring records, Lin Yi would not count unless he broke his own single-game mark of 86 points.
Over the summer, Shaq had actually put in work. He studied the Knicks closely and understood their structure. For Lin Yi to chase records, the opponent would have to stay competitive. Blowouts killed record chances.
Listening to Barkley talk, Shaq felt the confidence return. He knew Lin Yi well. They had been teammates for a year. Lin Yi liked numbers, sure, but he was not someone who crossed every line.
At least, that was the theory.
Shaq paused.
Did Lin Yi actually have a bottom line?
That thought made him uneasy. If Lin Yi and Barkley really decided to team up against him, things could get dangerous for that bet.
Shaq snorted and shook his head.
"If he really pulls something like that," he told himself, "I'll spend the rest of my commentary career calling him out."
. . .
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