Li Fei and Kidd: one was wind, the other sand.
When wind and sand came together, they became a sandstorm.
To be fair, Jason Kidd had really brought his eloquence to the next level this time.
Of course.
Jason Kidd's remarks also made one thing clear.
At the 1994 draft, he was more than willing to give Li Fei the higher draft position.
Of course, Kidd hadn't offered it up on his own. Li Fei had earned it through his own efforts and ability.
After Kidd finished speaking in the interview, NBC and TNT each released their experts' draft predictions that evening.
This time, TNT and NBC unexpectedly reached the same conclusion.
First pick: Li Fei.
Second pick: Jason Kidd.
Third pick: Glenn Robinson.
Both major news networks had predicted Li Fei would be the first pick.
As Kidd's performance in March Madness grew increasingly consistent and efficient, he had completely won over the experts at TNT and NBC, claiming the second spot.
Big Dog Robinson was so furious when he saw the NCAA TV network's draft predictions that he shook all over.
"Damn it, why? Why do I have to be the third pick? What can't I do better than Jason Kidd or Li Fei?"
"Come on, Glenn. If you hadn't scored zero in the exhibition game, I don't think you'd—"
"What the hell?!"
Before his teammate could finish, Big Dog Robinson exploded like a keg. He grabbed the man by the collar, not caring that he was a teammate. After all, once summer was over, he'd be in the NBA.
"What the hell did you just say? What do you mean, I scored zero? That was an exhibition game! What the hell does an exhibition game prove? Besides, I didn't know Li Fei back then. Ask him if he'd dare lay a finger on me in March Madness now!"
Good grief.
You'd think Big Dog Robinson had led his team to a championship.
In reality, he hadn't even made it past the first round of March Madness.
His teammate was speechless. Everything he'd said was true, and he'd even softened the blow.
He even suspected that if Big Dog had run into Li Fei in March Madness, he might not have held onto a top-five pick. Falling outside the top ten wouldn't have been out of the question.
Meanwhile.
United States, New York.
At the NBA league headquarters,
David Stern sat before an Intel Pentium desktop computer and had an assistant pour him a cappuccino.
"Li Fei's stock as a first pick has hit its limit, and the news has already been announced in China. I think the time is about right."
In 1987, David Stern had personally traveled to China. He'd waited for several hours in chilly Beijing, then delivered several stacks of NBA videotapes to China Central Television, prying open a crack in the door to the Chinese market.
To be fair, Stern had a remarkable eye for opportunity. Back then, China's entire GDP was smaller than that of a single U.S. state, yet he'd gone to such lengths to connect the NBA with China...
But after that, David Stern had never formally invested in expanding the Chinese market. The NBA was booming in the United States at the time: the Magic-Bird Finals rivalry was followed by Michael Jordan's Three-Peat dynasty. He truly hadn't had the time to focus on China.
But now, with Jordan retired, NBA viewership this season had plunged by 24 percent. David Stern felt like his head was about to explode.
Fortunately, the Chinese market he'd spent years preparing was finally coming in handy.
According to reliable statistics, interest in the NBA in China had surged dramatically. Sales of NBA posters, magazines, and newspapers had increased more than tenfold, and even the viewership for NBA game replays on China Central Television was skyrocketing.
Chinese fans didn't care whether Michael Jordan had retired.
They only knew that a player from China was about to make it to the NBA—and he was the first pick.
Growth in the Chinese market had indeed offset some of the damage caused by Michael Jordan's retirement.
"Dallas is currently at the bottom of the regular-season standings, right?"
David Stern took a sip of cappuccino and asked his assistant.
"Yes, Mr. Stern. The Dallas Mavericks are currently last in the standings, at 10–56."
"Damn, they've only won ten games..." Stern was taken aback. "Those people in Dallas have no shame when it comes to chasing the first pick..."
David Stern then checked the Mavericks' roster on the computer.
His brows furrowed.
"Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn in the backcourt..."
"Roy Tarpley and Luc Longley in the frontcourt..."
"With their current roster, the Mavericks might as well have 'we're missing a Jason Kidd' written across their faces."
Although Li Fei was projected as the first pick by TNT and NBC, those rankings were based on player ability.
The draft was full of uncertainty. In a situation like this, if the Mavericks got the first pick, would they choose Li Fei?
That was a big question mark.
Power forward Roy Tarpley stood 6'10", and Luc Longley stood 7'1". They already had plenty of depth in the frontcourt; there was no need to pick another big man.
Besides, Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn were both attack-minded guards, and neither could run the offense or pass. Jason Kidd would be a perfect fit for the team.
David Stern's plan was for Li Fei to go first overall.
That would allow them to develop the Chinese market as much as possible.
"Should we rig the draft lottery a little?"
Stern stroked his mustache.
Don't think the NBA draft lottery was as fair as a scratch-off ticket.
Without a little backroom dealing, it wouldn't be a business league.
Of course, consider it from another angle.
If they built up the hype as much as possible, then the player touted for months as the projected first pick ended up going second or third, would that generate even more buzz in China?
The shrewd old Jewish man stroked his mustache.
He was caught between a rock and a hard place.
Fortunately, there were still several months before the draft lottery and the draft itself.
That gave him plenty of time to think it over.
Meanwhile,
in Dallas,
Mavericks general manager Norm Sonju received calls from a number of NBA team executives that evening.
When something out of the ordinary happened, there was always a reason.
Why were they calling him out of the blue? What was with all this pretending to be such close friends?
Norm Sonju might not have been a famous NBA general manager, but he knew the business inside out.
There was no such thing as permanent friendship—only permanent interests.
Those general managers were trying to cozy up to him now.
They were definitely eyeing his first-round pick!
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