NBA: Journey To Become Unplayable.

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...

Zhong Muchen shook Lin Yi out of his musing.

Lin Yi sat up, still lost in thought. Lately, all he'd been thinking about was how to help the Knicks get stronger this offseason — but he'd almost forgotten something crucial.

If he wanted to become the guy in the NBA, next season was going to be pivotal.

MVP

Next season was his best shot at winning MVP.

First of all, after the Cavs' playoff collapse, there was no way LeBron would stick around in Cleveland — Lin was certain of that. And if LeBron did go to Miami to team up with Wade and Bosh for their Big Three,… that opened the door wide for him.

Lin Yi knew one thing: after LeBron formed the Heat's Big Three, nobody would be more furious than David Stern.

That whole super team thing? Sure, it might win you games, but it didn't exactly win you sympathy when MVP voting came around.

Lin remembered clearly: in 2010–11, Derrick Rose won MVP over LeBron. On paper, LeBron's stats were better, but everyone loved Rose's underdog story, carrying the Bulls without two other superstars around him. It left a big impression on voters.

Lin Yi couldn't let this opportunity slip.

He knew he was already popular, but in people's eyes, he was still a step below LeBron. Even Pippen once said that if Lin wanted to surpass Jordan someday, he'd have to surpass LeBron first.

If he wanted to make history, it had to start with beating LeBron in personal accolades — and this coming season was the perfect chance. After all, the Raptors weren't the same threat they'd been in his memory, and the Knicks had already stomped on Rose and the Bulls in both record and stats.

As for Durant? Lin wasn't worried. Most people already considered Lin the more well-rounded player. If he was going to win MVP, this was the year.

And Lin knew one more thing: he still had tricks up his sleeve.

After putting up big triple-double numbers this season, he had learned a lot about pacing and stat-chasing without hurting the team. And with the Heat taking away two other playoff-caliber Eastern teams, the Knicks' path would only get easier. Even if David Lee and Harrington left, Lin was confident next year's Knicks would be stronger.

No way he'd put up the numbers he did this year and still get snubbed for MVP again.

In his mind, winning MVP next year was the bare minimum.

Shaking his head, Lin muttered to himself with a faint smile, "Man, I've been so busy grinding and leveling up, I almost forgot about MVP… Can't let that happen."

This time, there'd be no doubts. No controversy. He'd make his case undeniable.

Lin wasn't doing it to help someone else get a max contract. He was doing it for himself because this MVP mattered.

…

After setting that goal in stone, Lin added another item to his offseason checklist. No matter what else happened in the Knicks' summer plans — no matter who else came or went — they had to get Tyson Chandler.

After the playoffs, David Lee had already pulled Lin aside and told him straight up: he planned to leave New York this summer. Not because of any bad blood, but because Lin's star had just gotten too bright. Staying here would make him invisible, even as an All-Star.

And Lin couldn't blame him. On top of that, the Knicks simply weren't going to pay him what he wanted. Even in his memory of the league, the Knicks had let Lee walk so they could sign Stoudemire.

But this time, things had changed.

Now, it wasn't Stoudemire pushing Lee out — it was Lin himself. He'd already become the Knicks' franchise cornerstone as a rookie, and tying up cap space on Lee didn't make sense anymore.

The Knicks had gotten a little full of themselves after Lin's breakout season, but Lin wasn't going to waste their trust and this window of opportunity.

When David Lee left, Lin Yi knew he needed a teammate who wouldn't just fill the stat sheet for himself, but someone who could help him shine while solidifying the Knicks' top-tier status.

Sure, next season wasn't necessarily the Knicks' best shot at a title in Lin's mind… but even a so-called benchwarmer should have the courage to dream big, right?

Tyson Chandler was still in his prime. Lin and Chandler's games complemented each other perfectly. Whether it was about boosting his numbers or weakening a rival in the Dallas Mavericks, Lin made up his mind: he had to convince management to bring Chandler to New York.

…

While Lin Yi was busy mapping out his next moves, the Conference Finals raged on.

Out West, the opening game of the Finals played out just as Lin remembered. Kobe was locked in, dropping 13 of 23 from the field in a vintage performance. And when Kobe was that efficient, the Lakers were almost impossible to beat — the Suns found that out the hard way, dropping Game 1 with little resistance.

The East, however, threw up a surprise.

After that bruising series against the Knicks, the Celtics were gassed. Orlando stole Game 1, 94–80, behind a dominant showing from Dwight Howard.

Howard strutted around like the king of the world afterward. Between knocking out regular-season MVP LeBron and seeing the Celtics on the ropes, he genuinely believed he'd cemented himself as the league's top big man.

"Look at us now," he thought smugly. "Even the Celtics can't stop us anymore."

But Howard's celebration didn't last long.

In Game 2, the Celtics' battle-hardened veterans found their legs and crushed Orlando, 101–87, in Boston.

What rattled Howard, though, was the Celtics' unrelenting hack-a-Dwight strategy — and Garnett's trash talk.

If anything, KG was even more ruthless with Howard than he'd ever been with Lin.

.

Garnett barked at Howard all night:

"Yo, Dwight, you might as well close your eyes at the line — I heard Lin can sink 'em blindfolded, and you're over here bricking 'em like a middle schooler!"

Then another jab:

"Man, that little hummin' tune you sing? Ain't helpin'. You know what the odds are of you makin' two free throws? 'Bout the same as one of those kids out here findin' their real dad. Sit down with that weak stuff!"

And yet another:

"Dwight… you—"

Howard cracked.

What the hell? He thought. That guy's already eliminated… so why am I still getting compared to him?

Couldn't they at least compare him on something other than free throws? Anything but free throws.

Howard felt like his heart was in a blender.

Meanwhile, out West, the Lakers kept rolling.

Kobe came back down to earth in Game 2, shooting a modest 8-for-19, but Pau Gasol picked up the slack, dominating inside. The Lakers took a commanding 2–0 lead, and already, you could feel that championship aura starting to settle over them.

...

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