I fell in love with Toutiao and became the GOAT.

In the afternoon, a long-awaited home game took place.

Lin Bei got into reporter Xiao Zhang's car and arrived at the Oracle Center.

The path from the parking lot to the players' tunnel at the back gate of the stadium was not only crowded with reporters, but also with fans who had already gathered there.

Lin Bei could clearly feel that his popularity was rising at a visible speed, and people along the way could see people wearing Warriors No. 7 jerseys everywhere.

As Lin Bei walked through the area where the fans were, he heard someone shouting his name.

There are people named "Best", "Lin", and "Linbei"...

Lin Bei smiled and slowed his pace, waving as he pointed to the fans' jerseys and joked, "You guys better make it clear, is that number 7 jersey mine, or Jeremy Lin's?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a loud shout in Chinese rang out from the crowd, coming from a fan who appeared to be of Asian descent: "That Jeremy Lin, that piece of trash, doesn't deserve for me to buy his jersey!"

Lin Bei immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

In January 2012, Jeremy Lin was indeed an inconspicuous fringe player in the league.

But by February, this guy will be all the rage across America.

That's right, "Linsanity" is about to unfold.

Lin Bei also realized that if he didn't gradually build up his reputation, he might be dragged out and trampled on by some people with ulterior motives when "Lin Madness" broke out next month.

On one hand, the vacancy that Lin Bei joined for the Warriors was created by the Warriors cutting Jeremy Lin Qing.

On the other hand, he had previously made a racist remark against Jeremy Lin, and it is estimated that Jeremy Lin still holds a grudge against him.

Thinking of this, Lin Bei realized that he and Jeremy Lin would inevitably have a head-on confrontation sooner or later.

Suppressing his inner turmoil, Lin Bei patiently signed autographs and took photos with the fans who surrounded him.

He then walked inside, reaching the area where the reporters were, where another flurry of camera flashes erupted.

Just then, a familiar Chinese voice broke through the noise and asked loudly, "Dalin, what do you think of tonight's Chinese derby?"

Lin Bei immediately looked in the direction of the sound and saw a middle-aged Chinese reporter with a Mediterranean hairstyle standing in the crowd, holding a microphone and looking at him.

He smiled and nodded as a greeting, but when asked the question, he simply waved his hand and showed no intention of answering.

It wasn't that he didn't want to answer, but there were just too many reporters at the scene, densely packed on both sides of the passage. If he stopped to respond to one person, he would only be bombarded with more questions.

More importantly, in his view, this question was simply too difficult to answer sincerely.

What are your thoughts on tonight's Chinese derby?

He felt that it was highly likely that Lian Ge would not be able to play.

Given the very close strength of the two teams in tonight's game, the Mavericks can't beat the Warriors, and the Warriors can't beat the Mavericks either.

Without garbage time, there would be no chance for Lian Ge to appear.

After all, this Mavericks team has no shortage of inside players.

The starting lineup included Brandon Haywood and Dirk Nowitzki, with substitutes including Brandon White, Ian Mahinmi, and even Lamar Odom, all of whom were ahead of Allen in the starting lineup.

It's rare for Lian Ge to get a chance to play unless it's garbage time.

Even if there is garbage time, Lin Bei, who already has a substitute behind him, will be taken off the court to rest, making it difficult for the two to have a direct matchup.

Rather than stopping to say some insincere polite words, it's better to simply wave your hand and refuse, which makes you seem more open and honest.

……

The long-awaited home game naturally included the long-awaited home team entrance ceremony.

The last time they played at home, it was against the Jazz, and Lin Bei took the spot that originally belonged to Curry as the headliner.

Before his appearance in the match, Lin Bei was again scheduled by the host to be the final act, but he immediately declined.

Finally, Curry said, "Don't refuse, Best, you deserve this position."

Even against the Lakers, Curry's performance, scoring 31 points and 8 assists, was not bad.

But compared to Lin Bei, who scored 20 points, had a double-double, 5 assists, and made many unseen contributions on the defensive end, Curry admits he is not as good.

Amidst deafening cheers from the Oracle Center, the host's voice, filled with boundless passion, resounded throughout the venue via the sound system:

"Last to enter the game is Lin Bei, the team's starting center from China, standing at 2.06 meters tall, number 7!!!"

Lin Bei took a deep breath, burst out of the players' tunnel, and ran towards the center of the field amidst the cheers and flashing lights.

Seeing this from a distance, Yi Jianlian, dressed in heavy training gear, couldn't help but feel envious.

Even during his peak years with the Bucks and Nets, Yi Jianlian never received the honor of playing the final game.

"Lin Bei, this kid, is actually quite well-regarded..."

Lin Bei made his grand entrance as the finale, and the enthusiastic cheers from the Bay Area fans surprised him, after all...

When Lin Bei participated in the NBA draft, Yi Jianlian privately mocked him, saying, "Since when can a player who averages 7.8 points per game in the CBA participate in the NBA draft?"

Now, he's just glad he only mocked her in private.

In Yi Jianlian's view, Lin Bei's current performance is even more exaggerated than Yao Ming's back then, and Yi Jianlian is ashamed of himself for not being able to match him.

Although his NBA career-high single-game stats are far more impressive than Lin Bei's current record—31 points, 19 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 4 steals…

However, most of these statistics were generated during garbage time during his time with the Nets and Wizards, making them incomparable.

Moreover, Lin Bei is just a rookie who has just turned 19, so he is even less comparable to someone who changed his age.

Once on the court, Lin Bei spotted Yi Jianlian in the distance and quickly walked over, calling out, "Brother Lian!"

He almost called her "Sister Lian" because shortly before he transmigrated, Yi Jianlian committed a crime. There was no concrete evidence, but Yi Jianlian did not publicly respond, which was tantamount to admitting it.

As a person with a normal sexual orientation, Lin Bei was actually not very willing to have too much contact with Yi Jianlian.

But Yi Jianlian was very enthusiastic, and took the initiative to shake hands and hug Lin Bei, which made Lin Bei feel a little disgusted.

"I really didn't expect you to play this well. Judging from this, the Olympics this year will depend on your performance..."

This year is 2012, the London Olympics cycle. Historically, the men's basketball team lost all five group stage matches, finished at the bottom of the group, and failed to reach the quarterfinals.

Lin Bei doesn't want to play in the Olympics. He's just a blue-collar worker now, and playing in FIBA ​​games wouldn't have much impact.

Faced with Yi Jianlian's praise, Lin Beiqian smiled and waved his hand: "No, no, no, Brother Lian, you are a senior of the national team. The national team still needs you. Please don't flatter me too much."

Speaking of which, when Lin Bei's predecessor participated in the NBA draft, he had never even entered the national team. Thinking about it, it is indeed quite exaggerated, no wonder he was ridiculed by everyone.

As a player who has never played for the national team, Lin Bei said that Yi Jianlian is a senior player on the national team and has no faults.

The two chatted briefly, the atmosphere becoming slightly awkward, before parting ways to warm up on either side of the field.

This scene was captured completely by CCTV's broadcast cameras, without missing a single detail.

Coach Zhang remarked with emotion, "It's been over a year since the last Chinese derby."

Yu Jia followed up: "Yes, thinking about the past year, Yao Ming retired, Yi Jianlian came back to play for a while after the NBA lockout, and now he's finally going abroad again. I hope Yi Jianlian can play well and stay in the NBA..."

Lin Bei's position was already very secure. As the warm-up entered the second half, he stopped looking at Yi Jianlian on the other side.

He knew very well that this so-called "Chinese Derby" was, from the very beginning, a stage for only him.