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Chapter 173: Lin-trospective
🕑 Added 2025-06-07 15:09:46 +0000 UTC"Wow! I'm worried the camera won’t even fit him in—let’s welcome our New York Giant... LIN — YI!" Ellen shouted in her signature dramatic voice. The crowd roared, joining in as Lin Yi’s name echoed across the studio.
Lin Yi walked on stage with an easy grin, giving the audience a quick wave as he settled into the chair across from Ellen. After a quick and breezy intro highlighting Lin Yi’s rise in the NBA, Ellen wasted no time diving in.
"Alright, Lin, you’re killing it in the NBA this season—super rookie energy. Now, here’s a fan question. They said, ‘Lin, we know your idol is Kobe Bryant... so, real talk—who’s better? Kobe or Jordan?"
Classic Ellen. No warm-ups, just straight to the hot takes.
Lin grinned. “Oh, that’s easy. Michael Jordan.”
Ellen raised an eyebrow. “Really? Not Kobe?”
“Well, here’s the thing,” Lin leaned forward, deadpan. “Kobe’s amazing, no doubt. Objectively speaking, MJ, but Kobe will always be my GOAT. Plus, in that department, (wink, wink) MJ scored with his boys.”
The audience burst into laughter. Ellen snorted, nearly falling out of her chair. “Okay, that’s not the angle I expected—but valid.”
She composed herself and continued. “Some people say you’re not a typical center. They say you don’t have that ‘Shaq dominance.’ So tell me—when you started hooping, who did you model your game after?”
Lin laughed. “Oh, I love Shaq for real, but I think people misunderstand what a center can be. They think we all have to be these giant dudes camping under the rim like King Kong. But I can dribble, I can shoot threes... so why not use that?”
Ellen nodded, loving the energy. “Okay, now here’s one from a Chinese-American fan, Jerry Young. He says he’s dealt with discrimination here in the States and wants to know—how do you handle stuff like that?”
Lin took a beat. This was heavier.
“Yeah... that’s tough. First off, I feel for him. Really. But honestly?” Lin gave a half-smile. "It’s always been there. Even in the league, people didn’t take guys like Yao Ming seriously at first. And I faced some of that too. Preseason? They didn’t think an Asian center could play at this level. But here I am.”
He shrugged. “I got lucky, honestly. Great teammates, great system. Curry’s my roommate—he’s the sweetest guy ever. And New York? Man, once you show you can ball, they don’t care what color you are. They just want wins.”
Ellen nodded. “It’s wild how performance flips the script.”
“Exactly,” Lin said. “Like, I can't do half of the crazy things Bieber does, or I would’ve been canceled ten times over.”
"Shout out to Justin, though."
The crowd laughed again.
Ellen grinned. “So basically, as long as you’re winning, no one cares.”
“Pretty much. America and the world love winners,” Lin said. “Losers don’t get a say. It's just human nature.”
Ellen smiled, clearly enjoying the candor. “This might be one of the most honest interviews I’ve done in a while.”
Lin continued. “Look, it’s gotten better. Way better. But let’s not act like it’s perfect out here. You’ve got to grind, fail, get back up, grind again. Just keep showing up. That’s how you win in the end.”
Ellen nodded, approving. “Yup. Failure’s just the beginning.”
“Exactly. Failure’s not scary. But success?” Lin raised an eyebrow. “Success shows you who rides with you.”
Ellen cracked up. “Hey, hey, we’re a positive show here!”
Lin wagged his finger, mimicking Mutombo. “No, no, no. I’m just telling the kids the truth. Be optimistic, sure—but also know, sometimes you give 100%, and someone else still wins ‘cause they’re taller, more handsome or richer.”
Ellen doubled over laughing. “You’re serving up spicy motivational quotes today.”
Lin grinned. “What can I say? I’m a dealer of truth and disappointment.”
The crowd roared again. Ellen wiped a tear from her eye. “You're gonna make a whole generation question their life choices.”
“Oh please,” Lin waved it off. “Half of them still believe their boss cares about their career. Let’s be honest. CEOs talking to you about vision just means he doesn’t wanna cut you a check.”
Ellen gasped. “Wow. Corporate slander on-air?”
Lin held up his hands. “Hey, I said it with love.”
By now, Ellen was leaning on her desk, grinning ear to ear. “Okay, okay. Let’s pivot before the lawsuits roll in. Let’s talk about love. Are you single right now?”
Lin blinked. “Yep. Very single.”
That sent the audience—especially the girls—into a frenzy.
“See? The estrogen levels just spiked,” Ellen teased. “So tell me, how have you managed to dodge the paparazzi? You’ve been in New York for months, and not a single nightclub scandal.”
“Easy,” Lin shrugged. “I don’t like nightclubs.”
The audience gave a collective awww, but Lin held up a finger. “Wait, wait! That’s not me saying I don’t like girls, okay? I just have more important stuff to do right now. Plus, gotta guard my heart or I'm the next Goliath"
Backstage, Taylor Swift—watching with the crew—laughed and clapped. “He’s got jokes.”
Ellen shook her head, chuckling. “You’re something else. I swear, this is more entertaining than I ever expected.”
“Glad to help,” Lin said with a wink.
“Well, Lin, I hope you crush it for the remainder of the season. Thanks for coming on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Anything you wanna say to your fans before we wrap?”
Lin leaned toward the camera, flashing a grin. “Yeah—get ready. I’m bringing something special to the dunk contest. So go ahead, argue about who’s coming in second.”
The audience exploded in cheers.
Backstage, Lin bent down to greet Taylor with a hug and a peck on the cheek.
“You’re hilarious,” Taylor said. “You sing, you ball, and you’ve got killer timing. Have you ever thought about hosting after playing?”
Lin shrugged. “Singing’s a hobby. Jokes are therapy. But basketball? That’s life. As for after retirement, nothing is set.”
Just like that, Lin Yi’s appearance will air nationwide on January 7, 2010.
After the show, Taylor joked about heading to New York with him someday.
“Too bad you’re playing in Atlanta on New Year’s,” she sighed. “I’d love to come find you in the city.”
Lin laughed it off, amused but careful. Taylor was cool, and they had great chemistry—but as long as they kept it friendly, everything would stay drama-free.
