At 20, A Shadow After the Game

In basketball, performance speaks louder than words.

Jiang Lin, a previously unknown Chinese player, had captured the attention of fans and people in the basketball community with his performance in this game. The young man with the buzz cut, who had been quietly sitting at the end of the Lakers bench, turned out to have remarkable skills.

He might not have become an overnight sensation, but he certainly made many people aware that there was a Chinese guard playing in the NBA who seemed pretty decent!

Thanks to the discussion between ESPN commentators Olney and Barkley during the nationwide broadcast, fans now knew the name "JIANG."

"Who is this guy? Which college did he go to?"

"No idea. Is he like Jeremy Lin, an Asian American?"

"No, he's from China, never played in the NCAA, and went undrafted this year."

"That's impressive! Crossing over LeBron means his dribbling and fakes are really convincing!"

"Why didn't they play him more? Damn, the coach is an idiot!"

"Isn't this guard better than that old man Blake?"

"Blake is only 22…"

"I'm following this kid now."

"Oh man, I love his style. Followed! Hope he stays in the NBA!"

Wang Shipeng: "I feel if Jiang Lin had more playing time, the game wouldn't have been so one-sided. They might even have caught up."

"Yes, I have the same feeling. Not to mention defense, his offense kept the Heat under pressure. That kind of fluidity is what the Lakers hoped Nash would bring." The Chinese commentators praised him, comparing Jiang Lin to Nash.

In reality, Jiang Lin hadn't even warmed up properly. When playing streetball, he was always a slow starter, unlike in a fast-paced game. He felt he was just getting started when the game ended.

"Not enough playing time."

Meanwhile, Cole was relieved the game was over. Only he knew the pressure he felt, similar to when he defended last year's top pick, Kyrie Irving.

A staff member came over to Jiang Lin, suggesting he take his belongings from his locker, hinting at his impending release.

"Hmph, how heartless," Jiang Lin muttered, realizing they had planned to cut him all along.

All the post-game interviews were focused on LeBron and Kobe. Jiang Lin, with a towel draped over his shoulder, passed behind the cameras unnoticed, with no players or fans paying attention to him.

Later, a netizen photoshopped this into a meme with the caption:

"At 20, a shadow after the game."

"I swore then that everyone here would have to see me!"

But post-game interviews typically asked the biggest stars a few simple questions about the game. Despite the meme, many people had already started paying attention to Jiang Lin.

For instance, the Lakers' ball-handling coach strongly recommended Jiang Lin to D'Antoni in the player tunnel: "Coach! We should take this player seriously. In 5 minutes, he scored 10 points, had 3 assists, and 1 steal. We can't let a player like this go!"

D'Antoni squinted. He had given Jiang Lin a chance on the first day of team practice, but Jiang Lin hadn't seized it. Now, it was too late.

"That was garbage time. Basketball isn't judged by one game. His contract is up, and management has made it clear they won't renew it. Focus on the rotation players," D'Antoni replied.

The young ball-handling coach sighed, "Okay, what a pity."

D'Antoni saw more than the assistant coach. Jiang Lin's performance wasn't just in the stats. His energy on the court, success rate in sticking to his defender, and speed and aggression in transition were all good. Plus, he had a knack for assisting, making him a potential two-way guard.

But as head coach, D'Antoni knew better what the owner and GM wanted. During his interview, Kupchak told him that he needed to make the Four Stars the core and perform well this year. There was no need to develop new players; they needed results immediately. With four All-Stars, wasn't that enough?

So he called three old friends: "Hey, guys, do you need a guard? I have a promising rookie here."

Thibodeau: "Need a guard? I have Derrick Rose!"

Mark Jackson: "I have one too, but I won't give him to you. My lineup is coming together soon!" (The Warriors' dynasty's early architect)

A deep voice responded: "A guard? I'll take a look."

This nationally televised game at the Lakers' home brought at least ten teams' scouts. They had come to report on the two top teams but ended up discussing one player.

In the scouts' eyes, a promising rookie made their eyes light up!

A Rockets scout and veteran Spurs scout Paul Hank, sitting together, didn't immediately leave their seats: "Hey, old friend, have you ever seen a player cross Cole so easily?"

Paul Hank: "Haha, no need to beat around the bush. We all saw it, right? This is a potential player."

The Rockets scout chuckled and texted rapidly.

Having benefited from Chinese players before, they urgently needed a Chinese player to fill the market. They planned to recruit Jeremy Lin during the offseason, but Lin was still an American...

So the Rockets scout immediately asked the Lakers scout for Jiang Lin's phone number. To put it bluntly, having a Chinese player on the team could sell more tickets, as long as he wasn't too bad.

A Mavericks scout: "He seems like a ball hog, but he's not selfish at all."

A Jazz scout: "We have a guy who plays like him but never passes. His name is Mo Williams. I'm sick of this idiot. Asian players, aside from physical limitations, have excellent basketball IQ."

"Yeah, this guy racks up points in garbage time, but no shooting, no physicality, not much use."

After a few more words, they each left, their expressions like Oscar winners. Who knew what they would do after leaving the arena!