Chapter Summaries

Nike’s leaders recognized that Li Fei’s Feixiang Sports had built a loyal following by giving young people a sense of belonging, and Phil Knight ordered an effort to sign Li Fei or stop his rise. At the Suns’ practice facility, Charles Barkley grew determined to pursue a Feixiang endorsement and the signature shoe he had always wanted.

• Mark Parker and Nike’s executives reviewed Feixiang Sports’ surging sales and losses at its Rust Belt flagship stores.
• Phil Knight concluded that Li Fei was challenging Nike’s cultural influence and ordered Nike to offer him the highest-level endorsement deal or eliminate the threat.
• Suns players admired Devin’s exclusive Fei 1st Generations and talked about Feixiang’s growing appeal.
• Charles Barkley reflected on his disappointing Nike deal and resolved to seek a Feixiang endorsement and his own signature shoe.

Charles Barkley asked Li Fei for a shoe endorsement contract, and Li Fei welcomed him to the Soar brand as an Archbishop. Li Fei then showed Barkley a rugged, armored-looking shoe design, leaving him intrigued by the unfamiliar style.

• Barkley approached Li Fei and praised his shoes and the Church project before asking to endorse Fei.
• Li Fei reminded Barkley how doubters had dismissed him at Auburn for being too short and heavy, and Barkley recalled proving them wrong through rebounding.
• Li Fei told Barkley that Soar needed someone who could inspire people looked down on for their size, and welcomed him as an Archbishop.
• Barkley worried that Li Fei's contract might be insulting, but Li Fei showed him a tablet and sketched a tall, heavily strapped shoe with a thick, tank-like sole.

Li Fei persuaded Charles Barkley to embrace the bulky shoe design and reclaim the insult “Flying Pig” as his signature brand. Barkley asked for the contract, and Li Fei offered him three years for ten million dollars after taxes.

• Barkley rejected Li Fei’s heavy, bulky shoe design and complained that it looked ugly and would make him a laughingstock.
• Li Fei explained that the shoes were armor for short, heavy players like Barkley, who used strength to dominate the paint.
• Barkley grew interested in the design, but erupted when Li Fei named the shoes the Flying Pig 1st Generation.
• Li Fei argued that Barkley had already turned the media’s insult into proof of his strength and could use it to sell shoes.
• Barkley accepted the idea of reclaiming the nickname and asked where the contract was.
• Li Fei handed Barkley a contract offering ten million dollars after taxes for three years.

Charles Barkley accepted a three-year, ten-million-dollar endorsement deal with Li Fei’s Fly brand, then unveiled the controversial Flying Pig I shoe to widespread ridicule. As Shaquille O'Neal laughed at the announcement, other Bulls players recognized that Fly might offer endorsement opportunities beyond the league’s biggest stars.

• Barkley accepted Li Fei’s three-year, ten-million-dollar deal to endorse the Flying Pig.
• Li Fei described Barkley as a fearless knight when reporters questioned how he fit the Church initiative.
• Barkley rejected Nike’s expectations and announced that Fly’s signature shoe would be called the Flying Pig.
• Sports media and the public mocked the shoe and predicted that Fly’s deal would fail.
• Shaquille O'Neal laughed at the news in the Bulls locker room while Toni Kukoč and other players focused on Barkley’s reported contract amount.
• The Bulls players realized that Fly could be a new, well-funded shoe buyer willing to offer deals outside the established brands’ rules.

After Charles Barkley’s lucrative Fei endorsement deal stirred interest among overlooked NBA players, Scottie Pippen demanded that his agent pursue a shoe deal with Li Fei. Li Fei saw Pippen as a valuable recruit but told his agent that Pippen would have to prove his commitment before joining Fei.

• Toni Kukoč saw Barkley’s endorsement as an opportunity for overlooked players to get their own signature shoes.
• Scottie Pippen flew into a rage after learning Barkley’s Fei deal paid more than Pippen’s Bulls salary, and he called his agent to demand a shoe endorsement from Li Fei.
• Li Fei’s assistant Emily reported that dozens of player agents, including Gary Payton’s and Kenny Anderson’s, had contacted Fei.
• Li Fei instructed Emily to identify All-Stars without signature shoes and learned that Pippen’s agent had called.
• Li Fei told Pippen’s agent that Pippen could join Fei only if he proved his devotion.

The Phoenix Suns finished the 1992–93 regular season with the league’s best record, while the Utah Jazz clinched the final Western playoff spot. The Jazz fans’ celebration turned to despair when they learned Utah would face Phoenix in the first round.

• The Suns beat the Houston Rockets 118–105 and secured the NBA’s best record.
• The 1992–93 regular season ended, with Phoenix first in the West and Utah claiming eighth place after Karl Malone returned from injury.
• The Jazz defeated the Indiana Pacers by two points on the final day and took the last playoff berth from the Denver Nuggets.
• Kenny Smith reviewed the Western standings and praised Utah’s late-season comeback.
• Jazz fans celebrated Utah’s playoff qualification, then fell silent when the matchups showed the Jazz would face the 68–14 Suns.

After the playoff standings were finalized, Li Fei planned to use the Suns-Jazz series to build publicity for the Fei brand and urged Scottie Pippen's agent to push him to prove himself independently of Michael Jordan. The chapter ended with tensions building ahead of the playoffs and Pippen being challenged to earn a place with the Cavaliers.

• Emily brought Li Fei the final standings and playoff bracket at the brand headquarters.
• Li Fei described the Suns-Jazz matchup as a clash of tradition and rebellion that could spotlight Charles Barkley's Flying Pig shoes.
• Emily asked about the Eastern Conference, and Li Fei called the Bulls' 68-win record a declaration of war.
• Li Fei called Scottie Pippen's agent, Jimmy Sexton, and urged him to make Pippen prove his star power and anger on the court.
• Li Fei told Jimmy Sexton that Pippen could discuss joining the Cavaliers only after showing the world that the Bulls had more than one god.

Playoff analysts predicted dominant first-round wins for Phoenix and Houston, while Karl Malone and John Stockton prepared to face the Suns despite being dismissed as remnants of an old era. The Rockets remained confident in their twin towers and looked ahead to the challenge Dennis Rodman posed.

• TNT analysts predicted that the Suns would sweep the Jazz and that the Rockets would beat the Kings, while offering predictions for the other playoff matchups.
• Karl Malone listened as commentators mocked the Jazz, then turned off the television and told John Stockton they would leave for Phoenix the next day.
• Clyde Drexler praised Arvydas Sabonis's passing after the Rockets' scrimmage, while Hakeem Olajuwon warned that Dennis Rodman's defense and rebounding could disrupt their plays.
• Sabonis said Rodman could not guard both him and Olajuwon as the Rockets discussed Phoenix's new-era reputation.

Li Fei planned to turn the Suns-Jazz series into a dramatic marketing spectacle and predicted tension between the Bulls’ stars during their series against the Heat. He then dismissed Orlando’s revamped roster as a pile of junk.

• Olajuwon said Houston’s inside game made the Rockets the real championship challenge, though he expected Utah to offer the Suns little trouble.
• Li Fei told Emily he wanted the Suns-Jazz series to include a Jazz victory before Phoenix won a hard-fought series, boosting the drama around Barkley’s sneakers.
• Li Fei predicted Shaquille O’Neal’s struggle for attention alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen would create friction in the Bulls’ series against Miami.
• Li Fei predicted the Bulls would beat the Heat in five or six games, with Alonzo Mourning provoking O’Neal and the Bulls showing signs of internal tension.
• Emily asked about the Knicks-Magic matchup, and Li Fei dismissed Orlando’s new roster as a pile of shiny junk.

Li Fei planned the playoff narratives and marketing around the Eastern matchups and the Suns-Jazz series, while Jordan demanded a quick, ruthless start from the Bulls against Miami. The chapter ended with Jordan insisting his team finish the series in three games and return home.

• Li Fei predicted the Knicks would sweep the Shaq-less Magic and said Orlando's collapse would make Shaq feel more confident in Chicago.
• Li Fei predicted the Hawks would beat the Pacers while Reggie Miller became the matchup's headline, and described Grant Hill as a lone hero in the Pistons-Cavaliers series.
• Li Fei told Emily to have the marketing team contact Grant Hill's agent about his next signature shoe without discussing a signing.
• Li Fei ordered two opposing promotional campaigns for the Suns-Jazz series to make Karl Malone and John Stockton believe they could upset Phoenix.
• Jordan told the Bulls that their 68 wins meant nothing without a championship and challenged Kerr and Pippen to perform against Miami.
• Jordan demanded that the Bulls defeat Miami in three games and return home to await their next opponent.

The Bulls, Knicks, Rockets, and SuperSonics won their first playoff games, while Anfernee Hardaway faced criticism after Orlando’s loss. In Phoenix, Li Fei’s media campaign fueled the Jazz’s confidence before the Suns’ playoff showdown, and Li defended his lineup choice to reporter Craig Sager.

• Jordan declared “Three-zero,” and the Bulls crushed Pat Riley’s Heat 121–88.
• The Knicks beat the Magic, and Anfernee Hardaway scored 17 points with six turnovers as Orlando’s media blamed the front office for letting Shaquille O’Neal go.
• The Rockets defeated the Kings, and the SuperSonics overwhelmed the Trail Blazers with fast-break play.
• Li Fei’s contrasting Suns and Jazz promotional campaigns divided fans and encouraged the Jazz to believe they could upset Phoenix.
• Jerry Sloan read a favorable newspaper report to Karl Malone and John Stockton as the Jazz prepared for the game, unaware that Li Fei had set a trap.
• Craig Sager questioned Li Fei’s decision to assign Dennis Rodman to defend Karl Malone, and Li said the Suns trusted Rodman and that winning built chemistry.

Before the game, Charles Barkley and Dennis Rodman taunted Karl Malone, and Jerry Sloan urged the Jazz to stay focused. Once play began, the Suns’ suffocating defense and fast breaks overwhelmed Utah, leaving the quarter as a showcase for Phoenix.

• Charles Barkley joked that Dennis Rodman would torment Karl Malone, and Rodman warned that Malone would be fired if the mail kept getting lost.
• Karl Malone seethed at the Suns’ taunts, while Jerry Sloan told the Jazz to stick to their pick-and-roll and defense.
• Li Fei won the opening tip and scored an alley-oop to give Phoenix a 2–0 lead.
• Dennis Rodman disrupted Malone’s screen, and the Suns’ defense forced John Stockton into a missed fadeaway.
• Charles Barkley secured the rebound and launched a fast break that ended with Li Fei hitting a three-pointer for a 5–0 lead.
• Malone drove into Rodman in the post, but Rodman fell theatrically and drew an offensive foul as the Suns dominated the first quarter.

The Suns dominated the Jazz as Li Fei's anticipation and defense exploited Karl Malone's mounting anger. After Li Fei blocked Malone's drive, he told him that his anger made him predictable.

• The Suns ended the first quarter leading the Jazz 38–14, leaving Jerry Sloan concerned about Malone's fury and Stockton's confusion.
• Sloan instructed John Stockton to run pick-and-rolls with Jeff Hornacek and avoid forcing the ball to Malone.
• Nick Anderson and Bruce Bowen trapped Stockton, who passed to Malone at the high post.
• Malone tried to drive past Dennis Rodman, but Li Fei anticipated his move and blocked his shot.
• Li Fei told Malone that his anger made him predictable.

Li Fei predicted that Karl Malone would return to a disciplined post game after the Jazz star lost his temper, and warned the Suns that this version of Malone was more dangerous. Malone resumed scoring in the second half, and the gap narrowed to 32 points.

• Barkley dunked after the Suns’ fast break, and Malone earned a technical foul before Sloan pulled him from the game.
• The Suns extended their lead to 68:32 by halftime while Li Fei predicted Malone would return to his basic post game.
• Sloan urged Malone to forget the first half and score through his strength in the post, and Malone returned to the court with a cold calm.
• Malone backed down Rodman and scored with a step-back, then beat Barkley with a spin and hook shot.
• Malone’s baskets narrowed the gap to 32 points.

Li Fei dismantled Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz with dominant defense and scoring, leading the Phoenix Suns to a 125–80 victory. He finished with 48 points, 25 rebounds, and 12 blocks, leaving Malone broken on the bench.

• Malone regained confidence by scoring in the post, but Li Fei anticipated his move and snatched away his layup.
• Li Fei launched a fast-break pass to Kevin Johnson for an easy basket, then continued to pressure Malone into hesitation and missed shots.
• Li Fei grabbed rebounds over the Jazz players and powered through the defense for a dunk as the Suns pulled far ahead.
• The Suns defeated the Jazz 125–80, with Malone finishing on 12 points and 3-for-14 shooting.
• Li Fei recorded 48 points, 25 rebounds, and 12 blocks as Barkley and Rodman praised him after the game.

Li Fei led the Suns to another blowout over the Jazz, extending their series lead to 3–0. After the game, Malone and Stockton were left with the series on the brink as the teams prepared to meet again in Salt Lake City.

• Inside the NBA celebrated Li Fei’s 48-point, 25-rebound, 12-block performance as Barkley predicted the Suns would sweep the Jazz.
• In Game 2, Li Fei scored 42 points with 21 rebounds, 8 assists, and 5 blocks as the Suns beat Utah 118–85.
• The Suns arrived in Salt Lake City to a hostile reception, while Li Fei calmly ignored the crowd’s anger.
• Malone briefly regained his confidence at home, but Li Fei’s pass to Barkley for an easy layup exposed how narrowly Malone was focused on him.
• Li Fei repeatedly stopped Utah’s comeback attempts, and the Suns won 110–82 to take a 3–0 series lead.

Li Fei led the Phoenix Suns to a 110–82 sweep-clinching win over the Utah Jazz, shutting down Karl Malone in the decisive game. In the aftermath, Malone began to believe he could never win a championship with Utah and considered leaving.

• Li Fei finished the game with 30 points, 16 rebounds, 13 assists, 6 steals, and 5 blocks as Phoenix crushed Utah and completed a 3–0 sweep.
• The Suns sat in a subdued locker room while Charles Barkley tried unsuccessfully to get the team to celebrate.
• Karl Malone brooded over his poor performance and replayed the play where Li Fei passed over his head for Barkley to score.
• John Stockton offered Malone a drink, but Malone ignored him and saw his teammates and Coach Sloan sharing his despair.
• Malone concluded that Utah could not help him beat Li Fei or win a championship, and he began considering leaving the Jazz.

After the Phoenix Suns swept the Utah Jazz, Li Fei said the mission was not over, making clear the team was focused on defending its title. Furious over two straight playoff defeats, Karl Malone demanded that management acquire an All-Star center or trade him.

• Li Fei stayed silent through a provocative question, then told reporters he had no reason to smile because the mission was not over.
• Karl Malone showered and decided to plan a future without the Utah Jazz.
• Malone stormed into general manager Larry Miller's office and accused the Jazz of failing to strengthen the roster.
• Malone demanded an All-Star center to help the team compete with Li Fei and the Suns.
• Malone told Miller to acquire a star center or prepare to trade him, leaving her worried that he would leave the Jazz.

The first playoff round ended with the Suns, Bulls, and other contenders advancing, while the Magic’s loss intensified criticism of John Gabriel’s decision to trade Shaquille O'Neal for Anfernee Hardaway. As the second round began, TNT’s analysts predicted the Suns would sweep the Lakers and the Rockets would defeat the SuperSonics.

• The Suns swept the Mavericks, with Dennis Rodman’s rebounding and defense strengthening their already dominant team.
• The Rockets advanced against the Kings after Arvydas Sabonis set up Clyde Drexler for a decisive basket, while the SuperSonics and Lakers also won their series.
• The Bulls swept the Heat as Shaquille O'Neal overpowered Alonzo Mourning, and the Pacers and Cavaliers also advanced.
• The Knicks defeated the Magic, and John Gabriel watched Anfernee Hardaway struggle under pressure as fans blamed him for trading O'Neal.
• TNT’s Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Peter Vecsey discussed the second-round matchups, predicting a Suns sweep of the Lakers and a Rockets victory over the SuperSonics.

The Lakers and Knicks prepared to defy predictions by embracing physical play, while Li Fei turned his attention to expanding his shoe business. After new shoes sold out and preorders surged, Li Fei proposed using franchises to spread his brand into smaller cities across the United States.

• Kevin Harlan predicted that the Suns would sweep the Lakers, prompting Nick Van Exel to angrily throw a towel at the television.
• Del Harris told the Lakers they were underdogs and urged them to steal at least two games from the Suns.
• Pat Riley showed Patrick Ewing footage of Jordan and O'Neal's weaknesses and ordered the Knicks to drag the Bulls into a physical battle.
• Li Fei approved three colorways for the Flying Pig 1st Generation and ordered its production and simultaneous release with new Li Fei 1st Generation colorways.
• David Falk told Li Fei that the new colorways had sold out and Flying Pig preorders had exceeded initial stock.
• Li Fei proposed a four-company-owned-to-six-franchise store model to expand into smaller cities, and Falk recognized the strategy's potential.