David Stern had a lot on his mind lately.
The regular season had already started, but there was very little buzz about the NBA.
Although Pippen had repeatedly declared to the public, "Even without MJ, I can still lead the Bulls to a championship."
Pippen's scoring had also risen from 18 points per game last season to 23.
But scoring and leading a team were two completely different things. The Bulls had gotten off to a 1–3 start.
The NBA was still attracting very little attention.
Figuring out how to get through the days without Michael Jordan was the biggest challenge Stern had faced since taking office.
Danzi was a superstar Stern had personally groomed. Jordan's influence had long since extended beyond the NBA—he was practically on another plane, a figure who had driven the development of the entire league.
Now Danzi had retired, and no one knew whether he would ever return.
So Stern had to promote a superstar whom everyone could get behind.
But when he looked over the NBA's current list of guards...
To inherit Jordan's mantle, a player had to put up enough points per game, at the very least.
Dominique Wilkins was averaging 29 points, but he was already 34. Could they really make him the face of the league?
Joe Dumars was averaging 24 points. He was a team player who shared the ball—how the hell was he supposed to break into the mainstream?
Drexler, The Glide, was old, past his prime, and only an average technician.
Pippen?
Don't even get him started. Never mind that he wasn't good enough to lead a team—he couldn't even put up the stats.
And if they really did manage to make him a star...
Wouldn't that imply that Jordan's Three-Peat had been worth a lot less than people thought?
Excluding Michael Jordan, seven of the top ten scorers last season had been big men.
In this era, the big man still ruled!
"If we're going to promote someone, it looks like we'll have to promote a center."
David Stern furrowed his brow. "I think we should go all in and create an era of big men battling for supremacy!"
"The Four Centers, the Six Power Forwards, split between the Eastern and Western Conferences."
Everyone knew about the Four Centers.
But the idea of the Six Power Forwards had never been introduced before.
In the West: Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Shawn Kemp.
In the East: Alonzo Mourning, Chris Webber...
It was awkward trying to come up with another power forward for the East. Stern had initially considered Rodman, but the guy was just a role player—and he'd just been traded to the Western Conference's San Antonio Spurs.
Still, if they were introducing the idea of the Six Power Forwards, they had to grit their teeth and pick someone.
The most likely candidate was Derek Coleman, a stat-padding machine.
Stern also had another idea: opening up the international market.
He'd actually been thinking about it for a long time.
"I hear Li Fei has announced that he'll enter the draft next year."
"Yes, Mr. Commissioner. Li Fei has confirmed that he'll enter this year's draft. If he makes it into the NBA, he'll be the first Chinese player in NBA history."
Stern nodded.
"Li Fei could be a key—a key to opening up the Chinese market."
The NBA had worked with China before. As early as 1987, it had secured the rights to broadcast game recordings through CCTV. But even now, their partnership had gone no further than the regular airing of NBA game tapes.
Without any live broadcasts, and with no Chinese athletes playing in the NBA, the league had yet to make much of an impression in China.
But China had a population of nearly a billion. Stern believed it could become the largest untapped market in the world.
If they could break into the Chinese market and draw in its enormous viewership, they might really be able to make up for Jordan's absence.
"Li Fei entering the NBA draft is an opportunity to open up the Chinese market, but we'll need to plan carefully and lay the groundwork in advance."
The gears in the head of the shrewd old Jewish man, Stern, began turning rapidly.
"People in China don't know enough about the NBA yet. We need to use the year before Li Fei enters the league to get the NBA's name out there."
"Send people to contact some Chinese magazines and newspapers right away. Promote Li Fei. At the very least, make sure people in China know there's a Chinese player about to join the NBA!"
"Yes!"
"Also, it's time to talk with Chinese TV stations about broadcasting games..."
China.
It was 1993. Even the internet, which had only recently emerged in the United States, was still in its infancy. A home computer—a Lenovo 486—cost an astronomical 30,000 yuan in China.
Newspapers, magazines, and television were among China's main sources of information.
At the time, newspapers and magazines across China published Li Fei's college stats.
"Holy crap, 48 points, 25 rebounds, and 16 blocks! Am I seeing this right? Was that an NBA game?"
"No, it was the NCAA college league. What's that league all about?"
"Here it says it's a breeding ground for NBA players. Li Fei's stats are insane—even O'Neal couldn't put those numbers up. Does that mean Li Fei might make it into the NBA?"
"Wow, check out this article. It has Li Fei's scouting report and draft projections. He's guaranteed to go in the top five, and he might even crack the top three—or go first overall!"
"Draft comparisons: The Dream, Olajuwon, and Skyhook, Jabbar. Damn, those are some impressive comparisons. They're both NBA superstars. Jabbar even won an Olympic gold medal before he entered the NBA..."
"Scouting report: Strengths—at 2.24 meters tall, he's still agile, with an enormous wingspan, great defensive range, a physical style of play, and a versatile offensive game... Weaknesses—he's so tall that he's prone to injury..."
"..."
Basketball fans across China held their newspapers and pored over every detail about Li Fei, word by word.
Since the NBA hadn't made much headway in China yet, these reports were brief and to the point.
People in China were also pretty down-to-earth back then.
They didn't really know how good Li Fei was, but when they saw his stats going head-to-head with those of other players, they were stunned.
Newspapers and magazines featuring Li Fei were selling like hotcakes.
Sports publications put Li Fei on their covers and featured him on their front pages.
After a period of buildup and promotion,
Li Fei's name had spread throughout China's basketball community.
And as Chinese fans grew more excited, Li Fei continued to breeze through his games in the NCAA.
His opponents in the Pac-12 gave him no real trouble.
Li Fei's draft stock also gradually stabilized thanks to his outstanding performances on the court.
For more than a month,
Li Fei's projected draft position never slipped out of the top three!
In fact, in the eyes of some experts,
Li Fei might become the second first overall pick from the international market in NBA history.
And the first-ever first overall pick from China!
Before you continue