Chapter 113: The Decision

"Go to the NBA?" Lin Feng was stunned. He had never really considered this possibility. With the "Superstar Kidnapping System" at his disposal, he hadn't planned on sticking exclusively to the basketball world, so he hadn't given it much thought.

However, now that Walker had brought it up, Lin Feng was starting to feel tempted. Since the Basketball Association had already barred him from playing in the CBA, he might as well try his luck in the NBA. If he could manage to win a championship along the way, he would love to see what the Basketball Association had to say then!

"Your suggestion is quite good. I will consider it," Lin Feng replied.

"But Lin, you don't have much time to deliberate. The NBA playoffs are about to start, and the team interested in you is making their final roster reinforcements. If you want to come to the NBA, you need to get to New York as soon as possible for a tryout," Walker said.

"Oh? Which team is it?" Lin Feng asked.

"The New York Knicks," Walker continued. "This is one of the biggest markets in the entire United States. If you can secure a spot here, the benefits will be beyond your imagination—money, women, everything you could ever want is here..."

"New York?" Lin Feng pondered. New York was the largest city in the U.S., so playing there seemed like a decent choice. Besides, the mere mention of New York suddenly reminded him of "Linsanity" from another time and space.

"Could it be that I’m meant to bring 'Linsanity' to New York as well?"

Thinking this to himself, Lin Feng asked, "If I go for a tryout, what is the timeline?"

"The sooner the better. Ideally, you should appear in New York right now. You know how intense the competition is in the NBA; things change every single second."

"Alright, I'll give you an answer later."

"Okay! I'll be waiting for your good news."

...

After ending the call with Walker, Lin Feng fell into deep thought. Going to the NBA was no small matter. If he went, he would have to live in the United States for the long term, which wasn't something he particularly wanted. At this stage, he still preferred to keep the focus of his career within his home country.

"Brother-in-law, did I hear that right? An NBA team invited you to join them? This—this is just too incredible!" Qin Han’s mouth hung open as he stared at Lin Feng. In his subconscious, the level of basketball in China was quite low. He figured that even if Lin Feng was a so-called Finals MVP, he might barely be able to hold his own in the American university leagues, let alone the pros. Suddenly having an NBA team offer an olive branch was completely beyond his expectations.

"Qin Han, you are so annoying. My brother is incredibly talented, okay? Even if he goes to the NBA, he will definitely be a top-tier star!" Lin Wen said, pouting at Qin Han, clearly unhappy with his attitude.

"Wenwen, you misunderstood me. I certainly didn't mean to look down on my brother-in-law, it's just..."

"No 'justs.' Go back to your room!" Lin Wen glared at him.

"Don't be angry, Wenwen. I know brother-in-law has top-notch skills. Yeah, even in the NBA, he will definitely be fine!" Qin Han quickly changed his tune, then patted Lin Feng on the shoulder. "Brother-in-law, we all support you. Go! Go to the NBA and show them the strength of the 'Chinese God of Wind'!"

"You two are much cuter when you're quiet." Lin Feng took his phone to the balcony and dialed his father, Lin Changdong.

"I was just about to call you. I just saw the news—are you really going to sue the Basketball Association?" Lin Changdong asked urgently as soon as the call connected.

Lin Feng hummed in agreement and asked, "Will doing this cause you any trouble, Dad?"

"What kind of trouble could it cause me?" Lin Changdong laughed. "I should be praising you! You did what your old man didn't have the courage to do back then. I support you!"

"Uh, alright. As long as it doesn't cause you any trouble." Lin Feng was surprised by Lin Changdong's attitude.

"There's something I’ve never told you—why I didn't work within the system after retiring, but instead started a sports goods company. You were too young before, and telling you would have only added to your mental burden. Now that you're grown up, I’ll tell you what happened back then," Lin Changdong said slowly. "My retirement back then was a forced departure, not a normal one. The reason I retired in my prime was because of a decision and a penalty from the Basketball Association. I was already the best point guard in the country, but the Jiangning team and I hadn't won the league title that year. However, after the season ended, I received an invitation from an American basketball club for a tryout. Going to the U.S. to play and stepping onto the international stage was the dream of many players at that time, and I was no different. I went to New York and tried out for the New York Red Bulls. The result was ideal; they decided to sign me..."

"What? Dad, you actually went to the NBA?" Lin Feng was shocked.

"To be precise, I passed the tryout," Lin Feng could hear the lingering resentment in his father’s voice. "I had negotiated the contract with the New York Red Bulls and returned home excitedly to handle the paperwork. But the Basketball Association refused to let me go. At that time, there was no precedent for domestic players to join the NBA, and the general public's mindset was quite conservative. They viewed going to the U.S. to play as a betrayal of the motherland. Not only was I unable to go, but I was also slapped with a suspension by the Basketball Association."

"There was actually something like that?" Lin Feng was stunned once more.

Lin Changdong continued, "Back then, I hated the Basketball Association and I hated the system, but I was powerless. During the suspension, I became very negative and often drank heavily. In a drunken state, I got into a car accident. I suffered a comminuted fracture of my right leg and tore my Achilles tendon. In the end, brokenhearted, I chose to retire..."

Lin Changdong’s voice dropped low as he finished. Even thousands of miles away, Lin Feng could feel the sorrow in his father's heart. In this world, what could be worse than seeing one's dreams shattered?

"I only knew you retired due to injury, but I never realized there were so many twists and turns," Lin Feng comforted him. "But, as the saying goes, 'a blessing in disguise.' If you hadn't chosen to retire then, we wouldn't have this peaceful and happy family life now, right? Who knows, maybe Wenwen and I would have been born years later..."

"You brat, you've learned how to comfort people. But you're right. Thinking back, it’s not that big of a deal. After all these years, your old man turned out just fine!" Lin Changdong laughed.

"Dad, I actually called to tell you some good news. An NBA team has invited me for a tryout, and I’ll be flying to the U.S. soon!" Lin Feng had originally intended to seek his father's advice, but after hearing his story, he had already made up his mind.

He was going to the tryout. He was going to stand on the NBA court and fulfill the dream his father hadn't been able to complete in his youth!

"Really? An NBA team actually invited you for a tryout??" Lin Changdong couldn't hide his excitement on the other end of the line.

"It's true," Lin Feng chuckled. "And it's the New York Knicks who invited me."

"The New York Knicks? Isn't that the former New York Red Bulls??" Lin Changdong was overjoyed. "Haha, heaven hasn't been unkind to me! The dream I couldn't fulfill in my youth, my son is going to fulfill for me!"

"Xiao Feng, you must perform well in this tryout and strive to stay in the NBA!" Lin Changdong said excitedly. "Your father believes in you. With your strength, you will definitely be able to establish yourself in the NBA!"