Yi Jianlian entered the game, and with the backup lineup formed with Billups, they crushed the Nets' backup lineup.
On the first defensive possession, he delivered a sky-high block.
Then, during the counter-attack, he received a pass from Billups and completed an alley-oop!
The fans in the arena held their heads in their hands, filled with disbelief.
Was this still the injury-prone glass cannon Yi Jianlian?
He seemed unstoppable!
In the latter half of the third quarter, Yi Jianlian showcased his full capabilities.
Not only did his mid-range shots fall consecutively, but he also suddenly pulled up for a three-pointer from the top of the arc during a set play.
And he hit it precisely!
The Nets' coach was in despair, and the point difference was heading towards 40.
The fans were anticipating, could they break the 58-point difference today?
Huh?
Why 58 points? Not 59 or 57?
...
Li Feng and Yao Ming watched from the sidelines, extremely happy, laughing and clowning around.
Stoudemire, however, couldn't laugh. He felt a huge crisis.
He had also secretly researched A Lian, knowing that Yi Jianlian would usually get injured after a few outstanding games.
Or his form would decline, and he would fall into a slump.
Stoudemire wasn't that dark-hearted; he didn't wish for Yi Jianlian's injury.
He just didn't think Yi Jianlian posed a threat to him.
That's why he had acted so magnanimous before, showing off in front of Li Feng and Yao Ming.
Now, the situation had completely exceeded his expectations.
Not only was Yi Jianlian getting better and better, but his body also seemed much tougher.
He was executing dunks and grabbing rebounds in the air, yet he was completely unharmed.
Even when knocked to the ground by an opponent, he would just get up and continue fighting.
Keep in mind, Yi Jianlian's salary was only 2 million dollars!
Whereas Stoudemire's was a hundred million for five years.
From a cost-effectiveness perspective, the team would definitely choose a healthy Yi Jianlian.
After winning the championship, the Knicks' overall salary cap kept increasing, and they had started paying the luxury tax this year.
If they traded Stoudemire and kept Yi Jianlian, the team's combat power wouldn't change, but they could save a lot of money.
It was obvious how the team owner should act.
Yi Jianlian, of course, didn't know Stoudemire's inner thoughts; he was still immersed in the joy of playing.
Since coming to the NBA, he hadn't had a smooth ride.
It was either injuries or being sidelined.
Now that he was with the Knicks, not only was he playing brilliantly, but the fans were also very enthusiastic and supportive.
Coupled with the encouragement from Li Feng and Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian felt like he had arrived in paradise.
By the end of the third quarter, he had not only completed his goal of 10 rebounds and 5 blocks, but he had also scored 22 points!
It was astounding!
Li Feng sat on the sidelines, impatient. He pulled up the system to check Yi Jianlian's skill ratings.
To his surprise, Yi Jianlian's rebounding and rim protection abilities should have each increased by 5 points.
They should be 91 and 92 now.
But the system showed both as 90, and they had turned gray.
What was going on?
As his mind was full of questions, the system suddenly popped up a line of explanatory text above the numbers—
[Waking up Yi Di is only an auxiliary function; all numerical values can only reach a maximum of 90]
Li Feng understood completely. After all, this was his system. Although it could help A Lian, it could only help this much.
Although a bit disappointed, Li Feng also realized something.
Actually, this was not bad either. With Yi Jianlian's skills reaching 90, he was already a top-tier power forward in the league.
He just couldn't reach historical heights.
Alas, perhaps this was the difference between a protagonist and a supporting character.
Although D'Antoni was very satisfied with Yi Jianlian's performance, for his health's sake, he kept him on the bench in the fourth quarter.
In the end, the Knicks won the first regular season game by a large margin against the Nets.
Li Feng only played 23 minutes today, scoring 21 points, and Yao Ming scored 16 points.
Yi Jianlian stole the spotlight today, scoring 22 points.
Stoudemire also played well today, scoring 28 points.
However, in terms of efficiency, Yi Jianlian was more efficient.
...
After this game, almost all media outlets were praising the Knicks' three Chinese players.
ESPN: "Knicks secure first regular season victory, Chinese trio shows early dominance, combining for 59 points!"
Sports Illustrated: "Yi Jianlian faces former team, delivers stellar performance, scoring 22 points to thrash the Nets!"
Yahoo Sports: "Following Li Feng and Yao Ming, another Chinese player dazzles Madison Square Garden, can the Knicks achieve a three-peat?"
...
If the media was this enthusiastic, let alone the fans.
The anti-Yi Jianlian fans from before had all defected.
During the live broadcast, their screens were filled with "Apologize! Apologize to A Lian! Apologize to Yi Di!"
Of course, there were a few voices of caution.
"Yi Jianlian is still the same Yi Jianlian. It's only been a few days. I'll say it here, he'll get injured and sidelined soon!"
"The rough words are not untrue. I agree with the poster's prediction, Yi Di is an incapable person."
"In my opinion, the Knicks are just giving him more ball-handling opportunities out of consideration for Li Feng. When it comes to tough games, Yi Di won't be able to play."
...
Regardless of the praise or criticism, the presence of three Chinese players on the same team generated immense buzz and traffic.
In the next three regular season games, the Knicks achieved victory in all of them.
They defeated the Hawks at home, and consecutively beat the Suns and Pelicans on the road.
In these four games, Li Feng averaged 27.6 points, slightly lower than the previous two seasons.
Anyone who watched the games knew that this wasn't due to Li Feng's declining ability, but rather he was playing more easily.
The team chemistry was now excellent, and as long as the team could win, Li Feng was willing to pass up shots to his teammates.
Yao Ming averaged 18.3 points in four games, which was decent.
After all, Yao Ming was a year older, and his playing time wouldn't be too long; they needed to prepare for the playoffs.
Yi Jianlian performed exceptionally well in these four games. Although he came off the bench in all of them, he played better with each game.
He scored 22, 25, 21, and 22 points respectively in the four games.
While everyone in the Knicks organization was happy, only one person was restless.
That person was Stoudemire.
Because his playing time was gradually decreasing.
Finally, after the fourth game, he proactively approached D'Antoni to express his thoughts.
"Coach, I want to switch teams."
Although D'Antoni had anticipated this, Stoudemire's urgency still caught him by surprise.
"Amar'e, you've actually played quite well and easily these past few games. Why not stay with the Knicks?"
Stoudemire gave a bitter smile, "Coach, even if I didn't bring it up, the team management would have discussed it with me. I don't want to waste each other's time."
He was right. Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh was already considering this issue.
This was the harsh reality of the commercial league.
Clearly, there were two players: one performed better, was younger, and on the rise, with a cheaper salary.
The other was more experienced, older, his form declining year by year, and very expensive.
The team management would naturally act quickly to deal with the veteran.
In fact, leaving the Knicks would also benefit Stoudemire. He already had a championship, and while his form was still good, he could go to another mid-tier team and continue to be the core.
With the Knicks, Li Feng would always be the undisputed core!
This matter caused quite a stir within the team.
There were even some well-informed reporters who leaked this unconfirmed trade in advance.
Upon hearing this news, it immediately caused an uproar.
The media and fans alike loved conspiracy theories.
Some unscrupulous media outlets began to fabricate and weave palace drama narratives to analyze the situation within the Knicks.
Essentially, it was about Li Feng, Yao Ming, and Yi Jianlian, the Chinese trio, banding together to ostracize Stoudemire.
The fans, mostly eager to stir up trouble, naturally enjoyed such storylines, and the issue escalated further.
As the rumors spread, Stoudemire became the victim, and Li Feng and Yi Jianlian became the villains.
...
Li Feng's agent, Bill Duffy, was well aware of the seriousness of the situation.
In the commercial league, a player's popularity was crucial.
Some players, despite their strong abilities, had low commercial value due to their playing style or personal character.
For example, Tim Duncan was a prime representative of this.
If Li Feng mishandled this situation, it could potentially affect the commercial value of the Chinese trio and "Red Star Sports" as well.
In fact, "Red Star Sports" had already been affected, with its stock price experiencing a slight decline in recent days.
It had been on a continuous rise before this.
"Li Feng, is the Knicks internal situation really this chaotic?" Bill Duffy, being an outsider, could only hear rumors.
Li Feng sighed helplessly and explained, "There's really not that much going on; the media is making a fuss. The reality is that Stoudemire wanted more ball-handling and playing time, Yi Jianlian is getting better and better, so he himself wants to switch teams."
Bill Duffy understood and pondered for a moment, saying, "Then how about this: you suggest to the team manager and head coach to hold a press conference to clarify the matter. Otherwise, if this continues to escalate, it won't be good for you three or for 'Red Star Sports'."
Li Feng felt that this was the only way, but he also needed to communicate with Stoudemire.
During practice that day, Li Feng pulled Stoudemire aside to discuss the recent topics.
Stoudemire initially lowered his head, remaining silent.
In his heart, he still had great respect for Li Feng. He owed his championship to Li Feng; otherwise, he might have ended his career without a title.
"Li Feng, the media is writing nonsense. I have no complaints about the team or the players."
Li Feng smiled and patted his arm, saying, "Of course. Our team atmosphere is very harmonious. But this matter is getting bigger and bigger, shouldn't we come forward to clarify?"
Stoudemire nodded, "Alright, I also don't want the media to make the team so chaotic."
Seeing his agreement, Li Feng informed Head Coach D'Antoni and General Manager Walsh, and they prepared to hold a press conference.
The next morning, Li Feng, Yi Jianlian, Stoudemire, and D'Antoni attended the press conference.
A large number of media outlets were present because the Knicks' "palace drama" was too captivating, and basketball forums were filled with all sorts of jokes.
Li Feng had become the sinister and cunning Big Boss, Yi Jianlian the scheming upstart, and Stoudemire the long-suffering "resentful wife."
This was not the kind of drama that should occur in a sports league.
D'Antoni began with a smile, "Hello, esteemed media friends. Let me say a few words first. Within our Knicks team, the atmosphere is very harmonious. I am very upset about the malicious slander!"
At this point, a reporter couldn't help but ask, "Coach, do Yi Jianlian and Stoudemire have a positional conflict? How do you resolve it?"
Before the coach could answer, Stoudemire quickly replied, "You media outlets are really good at making things up. Yi Jianlian and I are good friends, and there is no positional conflict between us. Let me tell you, I did request a trade, but that was my personal choice; no one is pushing me out!"
Stoudemire's words left the reporters disappointed.
They had expected Amar'e to pour out his grievances and make sensational revelations.
D'Antoni continued, "You should be aware that after winning the championship, the team's salary cap has been rising, and we were already paying the luxury tax last year. So the owner is under a lot of pressure this year. Stoudemire is an excellent player, and he needs more playing time, but the Knicks have many capable players, and we need to find our rhythm during the regular season."
The reporters then saw Stoudemire and Yi Jianlian whispering to each other, seemingly in good spirits.
So a reporter asked, "Mr. Yi Jianlian, who do you think is more qualified to be a starter, you or Stoudemire?"
This was another attempt to stir up trouble, and Yi Jianlian's brow furrowed.
"Stoudemire's personal ability and influence far surpass mine, so of course, he is more qualified to be a starter. However, we both respect his personal choice."
Yi Jianlian's words were powerful and essentially echoed Stoudemire's earlier sentiment.
After speaking, Amar'e and Yi Jianlian high-fived and laughed heartily.
This action shattered the rumors of discord between the two.
At the same time, Stoudemire turned and hugged Li Feng.
Stoudemire then added, "Li Feng is the team's on-court core, and off the court, he is also a great person. He has helped me immensely. Previously, my defense was poor, and I had some bad habits. Since coming to the Knicks, he has helped me correct them, and I am very grateful to him!"
Seeing Stoudemire speak with such sincerity, the reporters nodded one after another.
It seemed that the fabricated storylines by those reporters were completely unfounded.
D'Antoni said sternly, "I know you media want sensational material, but please do not harm our players. They are all working hard towards a three-peat. If you continue to write those nonsensical narratives, the management may have to sue you!"
This statement carried a warning to the reporters.
Li Feng, Stoudemire, and Yi Jianlian stood up, hugging each other with smiles and laughter, and left the press conference.
After this clarification, public opinion improved significantly, and some rational fans began to speak in defense of Li Feng and Yi Jianlian.