Chapter 136: The Discarded Pawn of the Basketball Association, the Pride of New York

The netizen's deduction immediately sparked a heated discussion. Most people found the theory too exaggerated and simply unbelievable. After all, who would attempt an alley-oop in the final, game-deciding moments? Even a superstar like Thomas wouldn't be so reckless. However, after countless netizens carefully reviewed Lin Feng's final buzzer-beater, eighty percent of them concluded that the theory was true: Lin Feng’s "alley-oop slam" in those closing seconds had been meticulously planned.

Once this conclusion spread, the online discourse surrounding Lin Feng exploded once again. That night, Lin Feng’s name became known to countless American basketball fans. In particular, New York fans gave him a nickname: "Linsanity." His performance was truly insane, and they hoped he could keep that madness going.

...

Back in China, the Knicks versus Cavaliers game had started at 8:00 AM Beijing time. There was no live broadcast in the country, but because Lin Feng had joined the Knicks, the game drew intense interest. The "WeChat Sports" text commentary attracted over four million viewers, all waiting for one thing: to see Lin Feng take the court. Yet, after waiting through three agonizing quarters, Lin Feng hadn't been given a single minute, leaving the netizens deeply disappointed.

When the team fell behind by over twenty points in the fourth quarter, the chat room was flooded with messages: "Put in Lin Feng!" Having witnessed his performance in the CBA finals, they were convinced that Lin Feng was the only one who could resolve such a dire situation. Finally, once the fourth quarter entered garbage time, Lin Feng was sent onto the floor.

When the WeChat commentator announced that Lin Feng had been subbed in, the chat room instantly went into a frenzy, with fans' messages crashing the screen. After he stepped onto the court, the number of fans following the text commentary soared, eventually surpassing the ten-million mark. When Lin Feng used his familiar "script" to pull off a buzzer-beater in a completely new way, the chat room boiled over once more.

"God Lin is still the same God Lin! That was so damn satisfying!"
"God Lin is mighty! If only I could see a live feed; I’m dying to know what that dunk looked like!"
"A buzzer-beating slam—my Lin is just so willful! Haha, tremble, America!"
"Those idiots at CCTV Sports didn't even broadcast the game!"
"Lin Feng is amazing; true gold will always shine, no matter where it is!"
"The Basketball Association’s face must be swollen from the slap now..."

...

At the Basketball Association, Zhu Deli had been under immense pressure lately. The national team’s string of crushing defeats, contrasted with the success of Lin Feng—whom they had "ruined"—landing in the NBA, was a heavy slap to his face.

"Director, it’s a disaster..." Zhao Jian rushed into Zhu Deli’s office, looking panicked.
"What is it now?" Zhu Deli asked, frowning.
"It’s Lin Feng. Lin Feng, he..."
"What about him?" At the mention of Lin Feng’s name, Zhu Deli instantly tensed up.
"In the first round of the NBA playoffs that just ended, Lin Feng’s team won," Zhao Jian reported.
"The team won? What does that have to do with him? Isn't he just a benchwarmer?" Zhu Deli scoffed.
"Lin Feng is a benchwarmer, yes," Zhao Jian said with a bitter face. "But the Knicks were losing so badly that they were down by 28 points with only five minutes left, so they put Lin Feng in..."
"Lin Feng actually got playing time? How did he perform?" Zhu Deli asked urgently. "He didn't actually score, did he?"
Zhao Jian nodded.
"He really scored?" Zhu Deli stood up from his seat, feeling miserable. "How many points? It couldn't have been over ten, right? Didn't an American reporter say that if Lin Feng scored over ten points, he’d kiss a donkey’s rear end? It should be very hard for him to score high in the NBA."
"That reporter must feel like an idiot right now," Zhao Jian muttered under his breath.
"What did you say?"
"Uh, nothing!" Zhao Jian said, grimacing. "Director, brace yourself. We might get slammed again. In the game that just finished, Lin Feng came off the bench, scored 31 points, led the team to a massive comeback, and hit the game-winning shot!"
"What?! How many points did he score??" Zhu Deli exclaimed.
"31 points! He hit nine three-pointers in five and a half minutes, and had two dunks..." Zhao Jian whispered.
"Damn it!" Zhu Deli cursed involuntarily and slumped back into his chair.

"Director, Director, it's a disaster..."
Just then, Zhu Deli’s assistant, Zhao Ying, rushed into the office.
"What is it now?" Zhu Deli asked, breathing heavily.
"Director, CCTV Sports is airing the Sports Express... they’re reporting that Lin Feng just scored 31 points in an NBA game, led a massive comeback, and also..."
"Wait, are you saying CCTV is actually airing news about him?" Zhu Deli’s face turned ash-gray.
Zhao Ying nodded. "Also, they announced they will rebroadcast the Knicks vs. Cavaliers game this afternoon..."
"What?! They’re rebroadcasting the game??"
Zhu Deli coughed violently, a lump of phlegm catching in his throat, and he nearly passed out.

...

Just as Zhao Ying had said, CCTV Sports aired the news of Lin Feng leading the Knicks to victory during their 10:00 AM Sports Express, and a rebroadcast was scheduled for the afternoon's "Golden Arena" program. The influence of CCTV was beyond question; with their coverage, the news of Lin Feng blooming on the other side of the ocean spread throughout the country. As a result, the Basketball Association, which had penalized Lin Feng and banned him for life, was once again pushed to the forefront of public criticism.

...

The next day, America's most prominent media outlets reported on the previous day's playoff action. Without exception, all of them reserved their front-page headlines for the Knicks vs. Cavaliers game. This time, the "Big Three" of the Cavaliers, who had been invincible in the regular season, were relegated to the background.

*The New York Times*: "Tonight, New York is crazy for him!"
*The Washington Post*: "Comeback! Buzzer-beater! Knicks win on the road against the Cavs!"
*Los Angeles Times*: "Rookie’s Counterattack! Knicks stun the Cavs with a road buzzer-beater!"

In every report, Lin Feng was the highlighted figure. His record-breaking nine three-pointers and his earth-shattering dunks were discussed with great enthusiasm. Overnight, Lin Feng became the most talked-about player in the NBA, and his background was dug up by the media.

After digging deep, the American media learned that Lin Feng’s move to the NBA was a "last resort." He was a player abandoned by his own national association, denied a spot on the national team, and hit with a massive fine and a lifetime ban. Upon learning this, the American media—who loved a good story—were thrilled. A player abandoned by his home country blooming in a top-tier league like the NBA? This story of a grassroots counterattack and a lone hero was exactly what the American public loved; otherwise, their superhero films wouldn't be so popular.

Consequently, the American media began a fresh wave of reporting specifically on Lin Feng. The most profound and stinging piece was a long article by Henry, a famous sports commentator for *The New York Times*. The title read: "He is the discarded pawn of the Chinese Basketball Association, he is the pride of all New York! He is—Linsanity!"

Henry’s article detailed the various unfair treatments Lin Feng had suffered back home, portraying him as a genius suppressed by "evil forces." He then described the hardships Lin Feng endured to play in the NBA, including dropping out of school, before focusing on the miracle of him entering the game during garbage time to lead the comeback.

Henry’s long article read like a screenplay for a superhero movie—except this story was real. Because of this, the piece caused a massive sensation among American fans. Before, people only knew Lin Feng as a newly signed rookie for the Knicks; now, they knew the "heart-wrenching" story behind him. After being framed by Henry’s article, Lin Feng became a superhero in the eyes of American fans, someone who stood up against evil. In an instant, Lin Feng gained countless fans across America.