Chapter Summaries

Michael Jordan saw the Knicks’ winning streak end as his chance to challenge Li Fei, while Li Fei surged ahead of Jordan in the first round of All-Star voting. Nike pressured David Stern to boost Jordan’s profile, and Stern increased Jordan’s promotional exposure, but it did nothing to help.

• Michael Jordan watched Li Fei’s postgame remarks and vowed to exploit the Knicks’ first loss to defeat him.
• The 1998 NBA All-Star voting opened, and Li Fei drew a flood of votes from fans in China and the United States.
• After 24 hours, Li Fei led the voting with 580,000 votes, ahead of Michael Jordan’s 370,000 and Grant Hill’s 310,000.
• Phil Knight called David Stern, demanded that the league improve Jordan’s standing, and suggested falsifying the vote totals.
• Stern refused to alter the results but ordered the promotions department to give Jordan more exposure.
• Jordan’s highlights filled sports broadcasts, but the promotional push did not improve his vote standing.

After Li Fei widened his lead over Michael Jordan in the first round of All-Star voting, both stars resolved to fight for the top-vote honor. Li Fei urged Allen Iverson and Charles Barkley to secure starting spots, leaving a battle over All-Star votes, brand prestige, and pride underway.

• The first round of All-Star voting ended with Li Fei at 1.25 million votes and Jordan at 880,000.
• Jordan watched the results at the Bulls' practice facility, then vowed to dominate offensively and reclaim fans' attention.
• Li Fei reviewed the voting report and called Iverson, challenging him to take the Eastern Conference guard starting spot.
• Li Fei called Barkley and pushed him to make the Western Conference forward starting lineup; Barkley vowed he would earn a spot.
• Li Fei and Jordan each resolved that they would not lose the coming contest.

Jordan and Li Fei turned their All-Star voting rivalry into a scoring duel, trading huge performances that captivated fans. After Jordan scored 68 against the Hornets, Li Fei answered with 72 against the Warriors, leaving their contest at a new peak.

• Jordan scored 45 points as the Bulls defeated Iverson’s 76ers 110:98.
• Li Fei scored 50 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 blocks in the Knicks’ 125:101 win over the Nets, finishing five points ahead of Jordan’s latest total.
• Jordan and Li Fei continued answering each other with high-scoring games, fueling fan debates and soaring ratings.
• Jordan scored 68 points against the Hornets, prompting the league to hail his performance.
• Li Fei scored 72 points against the Warriors, sinking two free throws as the crowd chanted “MVP!”

Li Fei and Michael Jordan scored synchronized buzzer-beaters after making nearly identical moves, intensifying the public’s fascination with their rivalry. David Stern announced the second-round All-Star voting results, leaving the chapter poised to reveal who led.

• After Li Fei scored 72 points to answer Jordan’s 68, the second round of All-Star voting opened.
• Li Fei drove past David Robinson and Tim Duncan, stopped for a fadeaway, and beat the buzzer to lead the Knicks past the Spurs.
• At nearly the same moment, Jordan made an almost identical move against Reggie Miller and hit a buzzer-beater to lead the Bulls past the Pacers.
• Broadcasters and fans compared the synchronized shots, and the phrase “copy and paste” spread across sports media and fan discussions.
• David Stern announced the second-round All-Star voting results at a press conference.

Li Fei won the 1998 NBA All-Star vote for the fourth consecutive year, while his brand’s endorsers Allen Iverson and Charles Barkley also earned starting spots. All-Star Weekend began in New York with Iverson winning the Rookie Challenge MVP, as Li Fei anticipated his upcoming showdown with Michael Jordan.

• Li Fei’s late-round advertisement with Barkley and Iverson helped him finish ahead of Jordan and claim the All-Star vote king title with 2,451,136 votes.
• The NBA announced the All-Star lineups, with Li Fei, Iverson, and Barkley starting and Knicks center Arvydas Sabonis named an Eastern Conference reserve.
• David Falk praised Li Fei for signing Iverson and building a brand that challenged Nike and Jordan, while Li Fei said the real battle with Jordan would begin during All-Star Weekend.
• New York hosted the 1998 NBA All-Star Weekend, where Iverson led the Eastern Conference rookies to victory and won Rookie Challenge MVP.
• Saturday’s three major All-Star events took place.

Li Fei dominated the opening of the All-Star Game on his New York home court, while Jordan punished Kobe for trying to imitate him. The game continued with Li Fei attacking the Western defense again.

• Jeff Hornacek defended his Three-Point Contest title, while Li Fei skipped the individual events and waited for the main game.
• The Eastern All-Stars entered to loud cheers, and Li Fei and Jordan exchanged a tense look at center court.
• Li Fei beat Shaquille O'Neal for the opening tip, received Iverson's pass, and scored a mid-range jumper for a 2–0 lead.
• Kobe Bryant challenged Jordan with Jordan's own moves, but Jordan stole the ball and finished a fast-break alley-oop with Grant Hill to tie the score.
• Iverson passed to Li Fei again, and Li Fei drove along the baseline past O'Neal and rose before Garnett could help.

Li Fei dominated Shaquille O'Neal in the paint while Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant waged a fierce duel, and the Eastern Conference ended the first quarter ahead 34–30. Jordan took Kobe more seriously, while Li Fei calmly prepared for the next quarter.

• Li Fei powered past O'Neal for a dunk, and Jordan answered Kobe's challenge with a fadeaway to tie the score.
• Jordan repeatedly outplayed Kobe, while Li Fei scored freely as O'Neal gave up defending and turned to enjoying the exhibition.
• Kobe recovered from Jordan's defensive pressure and scored with an Up and Under layup and a fadeaway jumper.
• The first quarter ended with the Eastern Conference leading 34–30; Jordan and Li Fei each had 14 points, while Kobe had 10 and O'Neal had 2.
• Jordan regarded Kobe with new seriousness as Li Fei discussed tactics with Sabonis on the bench.

Li Fei dominated the 1998 NBA All-Star Game, leading the Eastern Conference to a 145–120 victory and earning MVP. After the game, Kobe asked to endorse Li Fei’s brand, and Li Fei suggested helping him terminate his Adidas contract early if his play was strong enough.

• Li Fei scored repeatedly against Shaquille O'Neal and Kevin Garnett as the Eastern Conference built a lead, while Kobe closely guarded Michael Jordan.
• The Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference 145–120, with Li Fei recording 38 points and 18 rebounds.
• David Stern presented Li Fei with the All-Star Game MVP trophy, and Jordan said the real games would begin in the second half of the season.
• Kobe told Li Fei he wanted to endorse his brand despite having a four-year Adidas contract he did not plan to renew.
• Li Fei agreed in principle and suggested his brand might pay to help Kobe terminate his Adidas contract early if Kobe performed well in the second half of the season.

After Li Fei’s All-Star success boosted his brand and angered Nike and Michael Jordan, Li Fei and the Bulls’ star-powered Knicks surged through the rest of the regular season. The season ended with both teams primed for a playoff showdown, while Li Fei tied his brand’s global IPO plans to winning the championship.

• Kobe warmly accepted Li Fei’s decisive offer to pay his contract buyout and promised not to disappoint him.
• Mark Parker told Jordan that Nike’s All-Star Weekend sales had fallen short as customers sought Li Fei Brand and The Answer products, and Jordan ordered Nike to focus on the playoffs and the Bulls’ title defense.
• David Falk reported that Li Fei Brand’s sales had surged by 300 percent, and Li Fei said the brand would launch a global IPO if the Knicks won the championship.
• Jordan led the Bulls to wins over the Magic and Rockets, while Li Fei led the Knicks to victories over the Lakers and Jazz with dominant performances.
• The Bulls and Knicks continued piling up wins as the regular season ended, setting up a playoff contest between the two East Coast powerhouses.

The Knicks finished the regular season with a record-breaking 73-9 mark, leaving the 72-10 Bulls in second place and setting up an anticipated playoff showdown. Michael Jordan reacted to being overshadowed by Li Fei by rallying the Bulls and demanding total focus on reclaiming the championship.

• The Knicks ended the season at 73-9, while the Bulls finished second at 72-10.
• Jordan entered Phil Jackson's office and said the Bulls had spent the season living in Li Fei's shadow.
• Jordan connected the Knicks' success to Li Fei's growing commercial influence and ordered Phil Jackson to assemble the team.
• Jordan told the Bulls to forget their regular-season record and treat every practice and playoff possession like a Finals Game 7.
• Jordan assigned extra shooting and post-move drills and vowed the Bulls would take their glory back from the New Yorkers.

The regular season ended with the playoff standings and first-round matchups set, while Li Fei captured the scoring, rebounding, and blocks titles for the fourth straight season. The chapter left the league and fans marveling at his unprecedented dominance as playoff coverage began.

• The final standings and best-of-five first-round matchups were announced for both conferences.
• Li Fei led the league with 45.2 points, 18.2 rebounds, and 8.8 blocks per game, sweeping all three titles for the fourth consecutive season.
• Sports media and fans celebrated Li Fei's statistical dominance and compared his numbers with Michael Jordan's.
• Kevin Harlan asked Marv Albert and Bill Walton to assess Li Fei's achievements during a TNT playoff preview show.
• Marv Albert said Li Fei's four straight seasons of dominance marked the beginning of an era.

Kevin Harlan, Marv Albert, and Bill Walton previewed the 1997-1998 NBA playoff matchups and made their predictions. With the regular season over, the sixteen teams began their postseason campaigns.

• Bill Walton praised Li Fei's extraordinary basketball achievements before Kevin Harlan turned the discussion to the playoffs.
• Marv Albert and Bill Walton predicted dominant first-round wins for the Knicks and Bulls, while Albert favored the Pacers and Walton favored the Heat in their Eastern Conference series.
• Kevin Harlan introduced the Lakers-Rockets matchup, and Marv Albert picked Houston while Bill Walton predicted the Lakers would win 3-2.
• The analysts discussed the remaining Western Conference series, with predictions favoring the SuperSonics, Suns, and Spurs.
• Kevin Harlan declared that the postseason had begun, and the 1997-1998 NBA Playoffs officially started.

The 1997–1998 NBA playoffs opened with several decisive games, including Kevin Garnett’s Timberwolves crushing the Suns without Li Fei. The opening round moved toward its most anticipated matchup: the Knicks’ playoff opener.

• The Bulls routed the Cavaliers 115:82 as Michael Jordan and Karl Malone led Chicago.
• Reggie Miller hit a game-winning shot to give the Pacers a 98:95 win over the Hawks.
• The SuperSonics beat the Kings, while Charles Barkley led the Rockets past the Lakers 101:97.
• The Heat defeated the Hornets, and the Spurs beat the Trail Blazers on the second day of the playoffs.
• Kevin Garnett led the Timberwolves to a 105:79 blowout of the Suns, whose offense struggled without Li Fei.
• The chapter ended by building anticipation for the Knicks’ playoff opener.

The Knicks faced the Nets at Madison Square Garden, where Li Fei’s extraordinary defense overwhelmed Keith Van Horn’s shooting. After two consecutive blocks led to a Knicks fast-break basket, Van Horn’s confidence began to collapse.

• Before the game, Keith Van Horn and Sam Cassell predicted the Nets would upset the Knicks and said their shooting would exploit New York’s defense.
• On the Nets’ first possession, Li Fei rotated from the paint and blocked Van Horn’s high-post jumper into the stands.
• Cassell encouraged Van Horn, and the Nets ran a Pick-and-Pop play to free him for a three-pointer.
• Li Fei anticipated Cassell’s pass, crossed the paint, and blocked Van Horn’s shot into the floor.
• Allan Houston collected the loose ball and scored in transition, giving the Knicks a 2–0 lead as Van Horn began to lose confidence.

Li Fei dominated the Knicks’ playoff opener against the Nets, shutting down Keith Van Horn and leading New York to a 115–82 win. The Knicks took a 1–0 series lead as commentators predicted a sweep.

• Li Fei blocked Van Horn for the third time in the opening quarter, leaving him demoralized as the Knicks built a 35–12 lead.
• Li Fei recorded eight blocks in the first quarter, tying his NBA playoff record for blocks in a quarter.
• Van Horn lost confidence, while Allan Houston and John Starks helped the Knicks contain Sam Cassell.
• Li Fei and Arvydas Sabonis controlled the interior as the Knicks extended their lead into garbage time.
• The Knicks defeated the Nets 115–82, with Li Fei finishing with 26 points, 17 rebounds, 11 blocks, and 6 assists.

After the Knicks defeated the Nets, Keith Van Horn admitted that Li Fei’s defense had exposed an insurmountable gap between them. Li Fei celebrated the victory with Larsa Pippen, and their private movie date grew intimate in the theater.

• Keith Van Horn told reporters that facing Li Fei had shown him an abyss between their abilities.
• Li Fei called protecting the paint his job and declared the Knicks’ series a No-Fly Zone at the press conference.
• Larsa Pippen met Li Fei outside the arena, and they went to dinner together in Greenwich Village.
• Li Fei and Larsa shared a flirtatious dinner before driving to a VIP movie screening near Times Square.
• Larsa kissed Li Fei in the theater, and they became intimate in the darkened last row.

The NBA playoffs continued with several teams building series leads while Reggie Miller and the Houston Rockets tied their series. The Minnesota Timberwolves then stunned the top-seeded Phoenix Suns again, taking a 2–0 lead behind Kevin Garnett.

• Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, and Patrick Ewing led the Chicago Bulls to a 105:80 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers and a 2:0 series lead.
• Reggie Miller hit a three-pointer in the final minute to give the Indiana Pacers a 98:95 win over the Atlanta Hawks, tying their series at 1:1.
• Gary Payton and the Seattle SuperSonics overwhelmed the Sacramento Kings 112:91, taking a 2:0 series lead.
• Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and Charles Barkley led the Houston Rockets to a 101:98 win over the Lakers, tying the series at 1:1.
• Pat Riley's Miami Heat held the Charlotte Hornets to 78 points and won 92–78, taking a 2–0 lead.
• Kevin Garnett led the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Phoenix Suns 108–95, giving the eighth seed a 2–0 lead over the Western Conference's top seed.

The Knicks crushed the Nets 108–79 to take a 2–0 series lead, while Keith Van Horn and Sam Cassell admitted that Li Fei and the Knicks’ defense had overwhelmed them. On the ride back to New York, Li Fei read flirtatious messages from Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, and Kate Winslet.

• The Spurs defeated the Trail Blazers 99–85 to take a 2–0 series lead.
• The Knicks routed the Nets 108–79 as Li Fei recorded 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks in 20 minutes.
• At the postgame press conference, Keith Van Horn admitted Li Fei’s defense had shaken his confidence, and Sam Cassell described the Knicks as a tightly connected defensive unit.
• Bill Walton declared the Nets series effectively over and anticipated a possible Knicks matchup against the Miami Heat.
• On the team bus, Li Fei read messages from Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, and Kate Winslet.

Li Fei ignored messages from famous actresses and focused on winning a championship. He led the Knicks to a 115–82 win over the Nets, completing a 3–0 sweep and setting up the prospect of facing Pat Riley and the Miami Heat in the next round.

• Li Fei read private messages from several actresses, then turned his attention to a basketball highlight and his goal of winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
• In Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, Keith Van Horn struggled while Li Fei and the Knicks quickly took control against the Nets.
• Li Fei helped Arvydas Sabonis score, added a fadeaway jumper, and posted 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists in the opening five minutes.
• The Knicks routed the Nets 115–82, swept the series 3–0, and advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
• The commentators noted that Miami had taken a 2–0 lead over Charlotte and anticipated a second-round matchup between Pat Riley's Heat and Li Fei's Knicks.

Li Fei watched the remaining first-round playoff series as the Miami Heat swept the Charlotte Hornets and advanced. The Knicks’ second-round opponent was officially set as the Heat, setting up a showdown between Li Fei and Alonzo Mourning and between Jeff Van Gundy and Pat Riley.

• Li Fei studied the playoff teams and their stars while the Bulls, SuperSonics, and other teams advanced or battled through tied series.
• Glen Rice predicted the Hornets would trouble the Heat, but Miami overwhelmed Charlotte with its defense and swept the series 3:0.
• Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway led the Heat to a 99:85 win, and Pat Riley watched the Knicks’ upcoming challenge with a cold gaze.
• The Timberwolves upset Li Fei’s former team, the Suns, 3–1, while the Spurs defeated the Trail Blazers by the same score.
• The Heat’s victory established the Knicks versus Heat as the Eastern Conference semifinal matchup.