Built Different

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...

Memphis-The Capital of Rock 'n' Roll

And on this particular evening, in one of its most iconic restaurants, Mike D'Antoni looked across the table at Lin Yi, smiling knowingly. Coaches knew when players wanted something. And tonight, Lin Yi had invited him out to dinner for a reason.

Lin didn't beat around the bush. "Coach, I need something from you for tomorrow's game. I want my teammates to shoot immediately when I hit them with a pass. No hesitation. And I'll need David to focus on boxing out and giving me space for rebounds."

D'Antoni raised a brow. "You gunning for Magic Johnson's rookie triple-double record?"

Lin nodded with a smile. The all-time rookie triple-double record belonged to Oscar Robertson—numbers that felt mythical. But Magic Johnson's seven triple-doubles as a rookie? That was reachable.

If Lin remembered right, Ben Simmons would eventually notch 12 in his rookie year. Lin wasn't just aiming to surpass Magic—he wanted to raise the bar for future generations.

So far, Lin had already recorded five triple-doubles and even a rare quadruple-double. Now that the Knicks had stabilized their record and his playmaking had leaped, chasing milestones felt realistic—and fun.

Of course, there was another stat Lin was targeting. One nobody had ever achieved. Not even the old-school legends. If he could pull it off, he wouldn't just be a star. He'd be a legend.

But to get there, he needed buy-in from teammates and his coach.

Sure, D'Antoni and the rest of the Knicks would probably support him without asking. But saying it out loud made a difference. Transparency builds trust. And the line between team leader and selfish stat-chaser was razor-thin.

"Yes, Coach," Lin said confidently. "I want to go for it."

D'Antoni nodded without hesitation. "No problem. I'll tell the guys to let it fly the moment they catch your pass. They've been too hesitant lately anyway. This will be good for them too—more catch-and-shoot reps."

Lin added, "Also... I'd like to tweak my minutes. Nothing crazy. But I think I can handle 36 to 38 now."

Pre-upgrade, Lin wouldn't have dared. But with better conditioning, smarter pacing, and more experience, he felt ready. Summer would be the time to work on becoming an Iron Man. Because to chase greatness, you needed the stamina of a machine.

D'Antoni hesitated. "The playoffs are coming. You sure you want to risk it just for stats?"

"I'll be smart," Lin reassured him, crossing his heart. "If something feels off, I'll sit. Promise."

D'Antoni chuckled whilst watching Lin's kiddie promise, but knew what Lin meant. And honestly? If it weren't for wanting to preserve Lin for the postseason, the coach would happily play him all 48.

So with that, the deal was sealed. Operation Stat Pad was a go.

...

March 12th, 2010

FedEx Forum, Memphis

The Knicks rolled into Memphis carrying the weight of 8 losses in their last 9 games.

Last time the Knicks and Grizzlies met, New York came out on top. And yet, Marc Gasol wasn't impressed. At least not anymore.

Lin was ready to remind him—slow-footed bigs were his favorite matchup.

Lin had never understood the hype comparing Marc to Yao Ming. Just because Gasol won Defensive Player of the Year?

Sure, he was solid. Good rim protector. High IQ. But heavy-footed and sluggish. And in games—or 2K ratings—horizontal movement mattered.

Gasol's rim protection didn't scare Lin. He didn't care about blocked shots. He cared about angles, positioning, and beating you to the spot.

And beat him he did. A few possessions in, and Gasol couldn't hang. The Grizzlies tried Rudy Gay on Lin. Didn't matter. Lin was cooking.

New York, after a string of slow starts, came out firing.

Tonight, the Knicks weren't just playing basketball. They were feeding a mission.

And Lin Yi? He was just getting started.

The players had received their orders. D'Antoni made it clear—when Lin passes, shoot. No hesitation. No second thoughts.

The Grizzlies had slowed down the Warriors in the future, sure—but only because Golden State's offense thrived on movement and patience. The Knicks? If they got hot early, Memphis would have to chase them all night.

Marc Gasol, watching Lin glide past him, felt like he was back in the All-Star Rookie Game. He made a mental note: lose weight this summer. The NBA pace was brutal.

What broke Memphis even more was that Lin didn't rest. Even when Gasol sat, Lin stayed in. And that's when Hasheem Thabeet got his turn.

Once seen as a top prospect in the 2009 Draft, Thabeet had slid down the rankings partly thanks to Lin Yi's meteoric rise. The Grizzlies, eager to find a Lin-like big, went for height. But Lin showed him the difference between raw size and real skill.

Thabeet couldn't hold onto the ball. Every time Lin bumped him, he folded. It wasn't even close. Watching Thabeet struggle made Lin shake his head. They really called him the next Mutombo? He thought. Mutombo would cry if he heard that.

Eventually, Lin swiped the ball from behind and took it coast-to-coast, adding insult to injury.

Coach Lionel Hollins had seen enough. Out came Thabeet. In went Hamed Haddadi.

The Iranian center, known more for his FIBA performances than his NBA résumé, was Hollins' last card to play.

And sure, Haddadi had his moments—provoking Yi Jianlian during the Tianjin Asian Championship, for example. But Lin wasn't buying it.

Haddadi couldn't handle the NBA pace. No three-second rule meant he could camp the paint in FIBA games. But in the NBA? A few rotations, and he was gassed.

He gave Lin space—big mistake. Lin stepped into back-to-back threes. Splash. Splash. Message delivered.

Panicking, Haddadi stepped up. Lin blew by him and scored through contact. Tonight? He was just a footnote.

Haddadi played three minutes. In those three minutes, the Knicks outscored the Grizzlies by 13.

And Haddadi, for all his height, had a finishing rate of just 50% in his first two NBA seasons. Mostly dunks, too. Not great.

Marc Gasol sat on the bench, head in hands. He considered calling Pau to vent. He was already planning his summer: threes and a diet.

Thabeet, meanwhile, finally realized raw talent wasn't enough. The 2009 draft class forced the league to re-evaluate what potential really looked like.

Lin Yi had no idea he'd just mentally broken all three of Memphis's big men.

The Knicks rolled to a 101–97 road win. Lin played 41 minutes and finished with 38 points, 15 rebounds, 13 assists, 4 blocks, and 2 steals.

Triple-double No. 5. Locked in.

After the game, analysts praised Lin as the prototype for modern bigs. Knicks fans believed a turnaround was on the way.

...

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