Generally, a boy's height continues to grow until around the age of 22. Many NBA stars have undergone positional changes due to growth spurts in high school and college. For instance, the legendary Shaquille O'Neal played as a point guard before his significant growth spurt in high school.
A major incident recently took place in Room 4001 of the Davidson College boys' dormitory.
Stephen Curry paced anxiously, his baby-faced expression filled with worry. He muttered to himself, "Oh no... Could it be gigantism? Lin, you can't just leave me—you have to watch me play in the NBA."
Over the past month, Lin Yi's height had skyrocketed at an unimaginable rate.
Week 1: He grew 10 cm, nearly reaching Curry's height. Excited, Curry rushed to inform the Davidson basketball coach, McKillop, hoping Lin Yi could join the team.
Week 2: Lin Yi hit 195 cm, drawing the attention of McKillop and the entire team, who came to witness the phenomenon.
Week 3: He surpassed 205 cm. The excitement turned to shock and concern.
Week 4: Lin Yi was heading towards the 7-foot mark.
Curry, now practically religious, swore he had never seen anything like this in his life. He had prayed for a reliable pick-and-roll partner and a strong rebounder—but never had he imagined that his wish would manifest in such an extreme way.
Worried that Lin Yi might be suffering from gigantism, Coach Bob McKillop and his assistant Jennings took him to North Carolina State Hospital for further testing. However, the results were identical to those from Davidson's local hospital.
Lin Yi was completely healthy.
"Doctor, he's grown nearly 35cm in a month!" McKillop exclaimed, his hair seemingly turning even whiter.
The doctor sighed and replied, "Sir, please trust modern medicine. While I've never seen anything like this before, his bone age test suggests he'll naturally stop growing at around 215 cm."
McKillop swallowed hard. 215cm?!
Meanwhile, Lin Yi remained unfazed, as if he had always known this would happen.
.......
Back at Davidson, McKillop ordered Lin Yi to rest for two days and slowly adjust to his new height. After all, such a drastic change required adaptation.
The coach, however, couldn't hide his excitement. Was this fate? Was another dominant big man being molded by destiny?
For a veteran coach like McKillop, height was the ultimate basketball talent. And Lin Yi wasn't just some clumsy guy—he had coordination, and McKillop clearly remembered how well he shot the ball when he was still a "little guy."
"If his mobility holds up, he could set deadly screens for Curry," McKillop thought. Davidson desperately needed a pick-and-roll partner for their star shooter. And what's better than a seven-footer?
"Stephen… I may not have long left…"
Returning to the dormitory, Lin Yi nearly hit his head on the doorframe. He was no longer the undersized player from a month ago. Though still thin, his towering height made Curry look tiny in comparison.
"Oh my God, Lin, what did the doctors say?" Curry asked nervously. His baby face was filled with concern.
Lin Yi let out a dramatic sigh and sat down. "Stephen… I… I don't think I have much time left…"
Curry's world collapsed.
Was this punishment from above? Had his selfish wish cursed his best friend? He recalled every moment they had shared—one-on-one games (Lin Yi never won), three-point shootouts (Curry still owed Lin Yi three bottles of Coke), and endless NBA 2K battles (Curry rarely won).
Determined, Curry clenched his fists. "Don't worry, Lin! I'll be in the NBA next year. I'll have money—I'll take you to the best doctors, I promise! We'll find a cure."
Lin Yi continued his act. "Stephen… this is… terminal."
"No! No! Nooo!" Curry shouted.
After a few minutes, Lin Yi finally gave in.
"Alright, Stephen, relax. The test results were fine. The doctors said it's just a sudden growth spurt, and my bone structure suggests I'll reach 215 cm within the next year or so."
Curry stared in disbelief, only calming down after seeing the test report for himself.
"How do you feel? Any problem with your coordination?" Curry asked.
"I played a little yesterday," Lin Yi admitted. "At first, it felt like I was walking on stilts. But after ten minutes, I felt… great."
"For example?"
"For example… I can finally dunk!" Lin Yi grinned. "And it's easy."
"Get outta here!" Curry scoffed. But deep down, he was intrigued.
Later that night, Curry finally agreed to a friendly matchup. What shocked him was that besides the height change, Lin Yi's skills remained sharp. His shooting touch was still there. His mobility was impressive for his size. And worst of all?
His wingspan was now terrifying.
Curry suddenly realized—Lin Yi wasn't just a tall guy.
He was a problem.