Chapter Summaries

Kevin Garnett made his debut against Li Fei, eager to prove himself, but Li Fei overwhelmed him on both ends of the court. Li Fei finished the first quarter with 30 points and five rebounds, leaving the rookie with a clear view of the gap between them.

• During a timeout, Flip Saunders put Kevin Garnett into the game and urged him to bring his passion.
• Garnett taunted Li Fei when they first met on the court, and Li Fei laughed at him.
• Li Fei backed Garnett out of bounds and posterized him with a two-handed dunk despite Garnett’s quick recovery.
• Garnett tried to answer with a drive and fadeaway, but Li Fei stopped him and pinned the ball in his hands.
• Li Fei played all 12 minutes of the first quarter, scoring 30 points and grabbing five rebounds while matching up with Garnett for eight minutes.

Li Fei scored 53 points as the Suns crushed the Timberwolves 115–92 for their 19th straight win, while Kevin Garnett struggled against him. Afterward, Garnett expressed his regrets, and Li Fei used his interview to promote his new shoe brand, Li Fei.

• Li Fei scored 53 points against Kevin Garnett as the Suns beat the Timberwolves 115–92, earning their 19th consecutive win.
• Garnett finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds, then named his inability to score, stop Li Fei, or win as his three regrets.
• Timberwolves fans and management accepted Garnett as the team's future power forward and moved on from Christian Laettner.
• Li Fei dismissed the surprise of scoring 50 points and credited his new sneakers for his scoring consistency.
• Li Fei revealed that his shoe brand was called Li Fei.

Li Fei used interviews and a string of games to build attention for his new Li Fei Sports Brand sneakers, then made headlines with a joke about feeling safer wearing them than wearing protection. The shoes’ popularity surged as the Suns remained atop the league despite suffering their first loss of the season.

• Li Fei told a reporter that his basketball sneakers came from his own company, Li Fei Sports Brand, and said the shoes helped him play consistently.
• Fans discussed the sneakers online, and Li Fei watched as awareness of his brand gradually grew.
• Li Fei continued wearing the Black History Month colorway as the Suns won eight straight games and improved their season-opening record to 26–0.
• The Suns lost to Reggie Miller’s Indiana Pacers despite Li Fei scoring 50 points and grabbing 15 rebounds, ending their winning streak and easing pressure to chase the league record.
• Li Fei won his seventh consecutive Western Conference Player of the Week award and joked at the press conference that his shoes made him feel safer than wearing protection.
• The joke spread widely and sent online discussion of Li Fei’s sneakers soaring.

Li Fei and David Falk discussed launching Li Fei I after the shoes sparked growing interest online and the brand secured a factory capable of producing over 50,000 pairs a week. Li Fei planned to announce the shoe release and physical store opening before the Christmas Day Suns-Bulls game, putting the brand’s prospects on the line regardless of the result.

• Basketball fans discussed Li Fei's shoes and began asking where to buy them and how much they would cost.
• Li Fei Sports Brand signed a contract with a Phoenix-area factory that could produce more than 50,000 pairs weekly.
• David Falk asked Li Fei whether he wanted to launch Li Fei I with a low-key approach or make a big splash.
• Li Fei said he would announce the shoe release and physical store opening on Christmas Day, before the Suns played the Bulls.
• David Falk warned that announcing before the game risked harming the brand if the Suns lost and Li Fei played poorly, but Li Fei insisted he would announce regardless.

The Christmas Day Game featured several major NBA matchups, including Kevin Garnett’s impressive performance against Alonzo Mourning and Seattle’s rout of Utah, which deepened Karl Malone’s doubts about staying with the Jazz. The chapter ended with the Suns-Bulls showdown about to begin as Li Fei announced that his first-generation Li Fei I sneakers would officially launch with the game.

• The Knicks beat the Spurs by 21 points despite David Robinson scoring 39 points and Patrick Ewing recording 26.
• Kevin Garnett held Alonzo Mourning to 15 points and earned praise for his performance against the Heat.
• Shawn Kemp and the SuperSonics routed Karl Malone, John Stockton, and the Jazz 118-85, prompting Malone to consider leaving Utah.
• Jordan declared that he hated losing and would treat the Suns-Bulls game like the NBA Finals, while Scottie Pippen took shots at Rodman before tipoff.
• Li Fei announced that he would dedicate a Suns victory to his Li Fei I sneakers and reveal their sales channels and release date after the game.

Before the Suns-Bulls Christmas Day game, Li Fei announced that he would release his own basketball shoes, drawing interest from David Stern. The game opened with a scoring duel between Li Fei and Michael Jordan and ended the first quarter tied 35–35.

• Li Fei announced in a pregame interview that he planned to mass-produce and sell his own basketball shoes, and David Stern considered how the NBA might support his brand.
• Shaquille O'Neal gave up the opening tip against Li Fei, who scored over him with a baseline turnaround fadeaway.
• Jordan answered Li Fei with a baseline fadeaway over Bruce Bowen, then scored again to keep pace with Li Fei.
• Li Fei and Jordan made all their shots across the first five possessions, until Scottie Pippen doubled Li Fei and forced the Suns to pass.
• The Suns and Bulls traded intense offense and defense through the first quarter, which ended tied at 35–35; Li Fei scored 21 points and Jordan scored 18.
• During the quarter break, Zhang Weiping called the Orange-Red War the NBA's Spring Festival Gala of the era.

The Bulls adjusted their defense to double-team Li Fei, but he scored over Shaquille O'Neal and Toni Kukoč to put the Suns ahead. Scottie Pippen blamed Kukoč and called Dennis Rodman a bum, angering Rodman as the game continued.

• Scottie Pippen criticized Toni Kukoč for failing to help defend Li Fei, while Phil Jackson reassured Shaquille O'Neal and ordered the Bulls to double-team Li Fei down low.
• Dell Curry and Michael Finley helped the Suns build a five-point lead early in the second quarter before the Bulls brought back Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Shaquille O'Neal.
• The Bulls' Iron Triangle erased the deficit, and the Suns returned Li Fei and Dennis Rodman to reinforce their lineup.
• Toni Kukoč joined O'Neal to double-team Li Fei, but Li Fei drove past O'Neal and scored over Kukoč to put the Suns ahead by two.
• Pippen berated Kukoč and called Rodman a bum, and Rodman heard him and grew angry.

Dennis Rodman slapped Scottie Pippen during a defensive play, igniting a confrontation that the referees reduced to an ordinary foul. Pippen's insults failed to unsettle Rodman, whose eerie smile suggested their showdown was only beginning.

• Jordan drove into the paint but passed out rather than challenge Li Fei, and Pippen then drove toward the basket.
• Pippen shoved Rodman with his elbow, and Rodman chased him down and slapped him across the face as he shot.
• Pippen fell and received two free throws, while the referees reviewed the play and gave Rodman only an ordinary foul.
• Pippen charged at Rodman and later taunted him at the free-throw line, but Rodman remained unfazed and smiled.
• The commentators sensed that Rodman and Pippen were headed for a showdown that could overshadow Li Fei and Jordan.

At halftime, the Suns held a one-point lead as Li Fei and Michael Jordan traded big scoring nights and Rodman and Pippen’s feud intensified. The Bulls adjusted to a small lineup, but Li Fei’s pass set Rodman up to attack the rim as Pippen raced to recover.

• Li Fei scored 31 first-half points while Jordan scored 28, and Rodman and Pippen each traded punches as the Suns took a 58:57 halftime lead.
• David Stern refused Nike’s calls to influence the game, while coverage of the matchup drove record attention in the USA and China.
• Pippen berated Kukoč and Shaq for their defense, but Jordan defended his teammates and offered to let Pippen move to power forward.
• Phil Jackson put Pippen at power forward and Steve Kerr at shooting guard, while the Suns increased their rotation and kept their core players on the floor.
• Jordan scored over Dell Curry to give the Bulls a 59:58 lead, then Pippen doubled Li Fei in the post as Rodman cut toward the basket.
• Li Fei passed to Rodman, and Pippen raced back to contest as Rodman prepared to finish at the rim.

Li Fei and Michael Jordan traded spectacular baskets in a tightly contested Christmas Day game, with the Suns holding a narrow lead late in the fourth quarter. In the closing moments, Li Fei shook Scottie Pippen and recreated Jordan’s famous double-clutch layup right in front of him.

• Rodman dunked over Pippen to open the second half, then forced a turnover when Pippen tried to overpower him.
• Li Fei and Jordan exchanged scores throughout the third quarter, with Li Fei reaching 46 points and Jordan reaching 40 as the Suns took a three-point lead.
• With three minutes left, Jordan drew a shooting foul from Rodman and made both free throws.
• Barkley and Li Fei ran a late pick-and-roll, and Li Fei used a hesitation move to send Pippen sprawling.
• Jordan rushed over to help defend Li Fei, but Li Fei switched the ball to his left hand in midair and finished with a double-clutch layup inspired by Jordan.

After Li Fei’s spectacular basket put him ahead of Michael Jordan in their scoring duel, the Suns planned to let him guard Jordan one-on-one in crunch time. Jordan isolated against Li Fei after a screen, and Li Fei blocked his jumper out of bounds.

• Li Fei stunned the crowd and Michael Jordan with a midair double-clutch hand-switch layup, and Phil Jackson called a timeout with the Bulls trailing 112–110.
• Jordan told the Bulls to give him the ball, while Li Fei told the Suns to switch on screens and leave him to guard Jordan one-on-one.
• Jordan used Shaq’s screen, and the Suns switched assignments, leaving Li Fei on Jordan and Bruce Bowen on Shaq.
• Jordan ignored Shaq’s call for the ball and attacked Li Fei in isolation, trying to create room for a mid-range jumper.
• Li Fei stayed with Jordan and swatted his jumper out of bounds with one hand.

Li Fei blocked Jordan and The Shark, then scored through Pippen’s foul to give the Phoenix Suns a late lead. After Jordan answered with an and-one, Li Fei called for a new defensive plan and extended the lead with a putback, leaving him two blocks short of a historic 70-point, 15-rebound, 10-block line.

• Li Fei blocked Jordan’s jumper and grazed The Shark’s hook shot, reaching 66 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 blocks.
• Flying Pig passed to Li Fei, who beat Pippen and The Shark with his footwork, scored, drew a foul, and made the free throw for his 69th point.
• Jordan drew a shooting foul on Nick Anderson and made the basket and free throw, cutting the Phoenix Suns’ lead to 115–113.
• Li Fei gathered the Phoenix Suns and ordered Rodman and Flying Pig to double-team The Shark while he guarded Jordan one-on-one.
• After Bowen missed a corner three, Li Fei grabbed the offensive rebound over Pippen and dunked it, bringing his total to 71 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 blocks.

Li Fei guarded Michael Jordan one-on-one in the closing minutes, blocking him twice as the Suns extended their lead. He then blocked Jordan again on a three-point attempt, finishing with 71 points, 15 rebounds, 10 blocks, and 5 assists as the game continued.

• Li Fei took Jordan one-on-one on defense and blocked his driving layup, giving him nine blocks with 58 seconds left.
• Li Fei passed out of a double-team to Charles Barkley, who converted an alley-oop to put the Suns ahead 116–110.
• Phil Jackson drew up a three-point play for Jordan, while Paul Westphal assigned Li Fei to guard him for the rest of the game.
• Jordan used screens to get open for a pull-up three, but Li Fei reached over Scottie Pippen and blocked the shot.
• Li Fei recorded his tenth block and completed a stat line of 71 points, 15 rebounds, 10 blocks, and 5 assists.

Li Fei led the Phoenix Suns to a 118–110 Christmas Day win over the Chicago Bulls, finishing with 73 points, 16 rebounds, 10 blocks, and 5 assists. After Jordan admitted Li Fei had stopped him at the end, he left the arena determined to improve and face him again.

• Li Fei blocked Michael Jordan's three consecutive isolation attempts in the final minutes, then made both free throws after Pippen fouled him.
• Jordan passed to Pippen on the next possession, Pippen missed a hurried three, and Li Fei secured the rebound as the Suns won 118–110.
• Li Fei's final line of 73 points, 16 rebounds, 10 blocks, and 5 assists set multiple scoring records and made him the first player to record a 70-point triple-double with blocks.
• Paul Westphal said the Suns had won by putting Li Fei on Jordan, while Dennis Rodman and Charles Barkley joked about extreme ways to stop Li Fei.
• Li Fei told reporters that guarding Jordan was simple: use your hands.
• Jordan acknowledged Li Fei had stopped him that night, admitted his isolation decisions had hurt the Bulls, and left the arena eager to improve.

After Li Fei led the Suns to a Christmas Day victory over the Bulls, his teammates admired his Li Fei I sneakers and the media celebrated his performance. The chapter ended with fans in China eager to know when the shoes would go on sale.

• David Stern took Nike's calls after the game and assured its representative that Nike would retain its place in the NBA market while Li Fei Sports Brand was also supported.
• Paul Westphal gave each Suns player a custom figurine, while Charles Barkley and Dennis Rodman handed out Grado headphones and Romanee-Conti wine.
• Li Fei gave his teammates Iron Cap Moutai and Li Fei I sneakers, which Nick Anderson, Bruce Bowen, Michael Finley, and Barkley praised for their feel and performance.
• Barkley asked Li Fei to consider him as a brand ambassador, and Li Fei promised to call him first when he sought ambassadors.
• Sports outlets highlighted Li Fei's 73 points, 16 rebounds, 10 blocks, and three late blocks on Michael Jordan, while fans wondered when his sneakers would hit the market.

Li Fei I sold out its 30,000-pair launch edition in two hours, and Li Fei planned to expand the brand with new colorways and stores across the United States. As Air Jordan prepared to compete rather than delay its release, Jordan and Li Fei both led their teams through winning streaks and strengthened their award campaigns.

• Li Fei announced that Li Fei I would launch in Phoenix on December 28 for $100, then ordered the factory to increase the launch supply from 10,000 pairs to 30,000.
• Fans across the country rushed to find Phoenix buyers, and thousands lined up at the flagship store before all 30,000 pairs sold out within two hours.
• Li Fei told David Falk to prioritize new colorways, keep the Black History Month colorway limited, and open company-owned stores in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Chicago.
• Jordan rejected Air Jordan executives’ suggestion to delay their upcoming shoe release and said he welcomed competition from Li Fei Brand.
• Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to an eight-game winning streak, while Li Fei averaged 38.2 points, 18.5 rebounds, and 5.2 blocks as the Suns won their tenth straight game.

Li Fei led the All-Star voting for the second year in a row, setting up a three-on-three clash between the Suns and Bulls that Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal helped turn into a major rivalry. As All-Star hype built, a long line of fans waited outside the L-FLY flagship store in Chicago.

• Li Fei received 3.28 million votes, and Charles Barkley celebrated that he, Li Fei, and Dennis Rodman had all made the All-Star team.
• Michael Jordan learned that he was the Eastern Conference vote leader and saw that he, Scottie Pippen, and Shaquille O'Neal would face Li Fei, Barkley, and Rodman.
• Jordan recalled Li Fei's Christmas Day game-winner and vowed to test him at All-Star Weekend.
• O'Neal mocked the Suns' players in a televised interview, prompting Barkley and Rodman to react while Li Fei saw the rivalry take shape.
• David Stern directed the league's publicity department to promote the All-Star Game as a showdown between the Suns' and Bulls' six stars.
• Hundreds of fans waited more than a day outside the L-FLY flagship store on Chicago's Michigan Avenue.

Li Fei led the Sophomore Team to a 30-point win over the Rookie Team in the All-Star Rookie Challenge, overwhelming the league’s new phenoms after they tried to challenge him. He won Rookie Game MVP again and left Garnett, Stackhouse, and Stoudamire humbled by the gap between them.

• Nike executives watched the Wind God 1 sell out amid huge crowds, while David Falk told the flagship store to limit purchases and declared it was only the beginning.
• Before the Rookie Challenge, Grant Hill, Jason Kidd, and the other sophomores chose Li Fei to lead them, while Joe Smith, Kevin Garnett, and Jerry Stackhouse vowed to defeat him.
• Garnett taunted Li Fei as the game began, but Li Fei slipped past him and set up Grant Hill for a powerful dunk.
• Li Fei directed the Sophomore Team’s offense with precise passes as the Rookies’ individual attacks failed to keep pace.
• When Stackhouse and Garnett double-teamed him, Li Fei broke through, began scoring, and dismantled the Rookie Team’s confidence with shots and steals.
• The Sophomore Team won by 30 points, and Li Fei won MVP before advising Garnett, Stackhouse, and Stoudamire to improve their weaknesses.

After winning the Rookie Challenge MVP, Li Fei dismissed it as a kindergarten race and focused on the All-Star Game. As the game approached, he asked Dennis Rodman to secure every rebound, winning the wary forward’s trust.

• Li Fei called his second Rookie Challenge MVP a warm-up and compared the contest to a kindergarten running race.
• Tim Legler won the Three-Point Contest, and Brent Barry won the Slam Dunk Contest with a dunk from behind the free-throw line.
• The All-Star Game starting lineups were announced, with Li Fei, Dennis Rodman, and Charles Barkley starting for the West and Michael Jordan leading the East.
• Michael Jordan told Scottie Pippen and Shaquille O'Neal to make Li Fei face Chicago’s defense.
• Li Fei asked Dennis Rodman to get every rebound and told him he was the only one he trusted, prompting Rodman to begin practicing his rebounding position.

Li Fei used Jordan's attention to create chances for Barkley and Rodman, helping the West take an early lead against the East. After Barkley made a three-pointer, Jordan realized Li Fei had deliberately used himself as bait.

• Li Fei motivated Rodman and promised Barkley chances to score on Jordan, bringing both teammates into the game.
• The Western and Eastern Conference All-Stars faced off, with Jordan dismissing Li Fei's confidence in Barkley and Rodman.
• After Olajameen tipped the opening ball to the West, Li Fei drew Jordan and Pippen's attention and passed to Barkley, whose shot missed.
• Rodman poked the rebound away from O'Neal and sent it to Li Fei, who drew Jordan and Pippen before passing to Barkley in the corner.
• Barkley sank the three-pointer to give the West a 3–0 lead, and Jordan recognized that Li Fei had used himself as bait.