Chapter Summaries

After the Bulls lost the NBA Finals to Li Fei’s Knicks, Michael Jordan and Jerry Krause clashed over the team’s future, making their rift public. Li Fei watched the fallout from New York and anticipated an uncertain new season as Jordan sought revenge.

• Jordan confronted Krause, who argued the Bulls needed young talent and could not keep relying on aging players.
• Jordan blamed Krause for the team’s problems and threatened to leave if Phil Jackson and Scottie Pippen were forced out.
• Sports media and fans widely discussed the public feud and debated whether the Bulls should rebuild.
• Li Fei watched the reports and reflected that Jordan’s defeat by the Knicks had changed the course of history.
• Li Fei looked forward to seeing whether Jordan or Krause would give way as the new NBA season approached.

Charles Oakley told Li Fei he was leaving the champion Knicks for a lucrative three-year contract with the Toronto Raptors, and Li Fei accepted his decision. New York fans and sports media condemned Oakley after the news broke, while Li Fei recognized how quickly the city’s praise could turn to scorn.

• Charles Oakley apologized to Li Fei for leaving the Knicks, explaining that Toronto’s contract would secure his future as his career neared its end.
• Li Fei told Oakley he understood and that Oakley owed the Knicks nothing; Oakley praised Li Fei and warned that John Starks might also leave, likely by trade.
• ESPN and TNT reported Oakley’s three-year deal worth more than twenty million dollars with the Toronto Raptors and discussed the loss to the Knicks.
• New York fans called Oakley a traitor and ungrateful, blaming him for leaving the newly crowned champions for money.
• Li Fei read the hostile headlines and reflected that New York’s glory and scorn were separated by a thin line.

John Starks opted out of his contract, prompting the Knicks to seek Li Fei’s input on roster moves. A leaked report that New York had offered a sign-and-trade for Scottie Pippen enraged Pippen and Chicago fans, and the talks quickly collapsed.

• John Starks announced that he would opt out of his final contract year and test free agency.
• Li Fei told James Dolan and Ernie Grunfeld that the Knicks needed a power forward and an energetic defensive guard to replace Charles Oakley and Starks.
• Sam Smith reported that the Knicks had offered Starks and future draft picks to the Bulls for Scottie Pippen.
• Scottie Pippen erupted at Jerry Krause and refused to play for the Knicks or become Li Fei’s sidekick.
• Chicago fans condemned Krause, and the Bulls-Knicks trade talks fell through.

The Knicks traded John Starks and Richard Ward to the Warriors for Latrell Sprewell and Donyell Marshall, drawing intense debate over Sprewell’s volatility. Li Fei backed the deal and told Grunfeld that both new players would adapt to New York’s winning culture.

• The Lakers, SuperSonics, and 76ers made offers for John Starks, but the Knicks rejected them.
• The Knicks completed a trade sending John Starks and Richard Ward to the Warriors for Latrell Sprewell and Donyell Marshall.
• TNT analysts and New York fans argued over whether Sprewell’s talent justified the risk of bringing him to the Knicks.
• Li Fei watched footage of Sprewell choking P.J. Carlesimo and saw his competitive drive as an asset.
• Grunfeld confirmed that the league had approved the trade and praised Sprewell’s and Marshall’s abilities.
• Li Fei told Grunfeld that the Knicks expected both players to adapt to the character of a winner.

The Knicks’ trade for Latrell Sprewell and Donyell Marshall sparked debate over whether the gamble would strengthen the team. In Chicago, Scottie Pippen felt humiliated by the deal, demanded a trade, and told Michael Jordan he had decided to leave the Bulls.

• Marv Albert, Kevin Harlan, and Bill Walton debated the Knicks’ trade on Inside the NBA, disagreeing about its risks and potential.
• Scottie Pippen watched the trade news and concluded that the Knicks’ deal had diminished his perceived value.
• Pippen confronted Jerry Krause and demanded to be traded, saying he no longer wanted to play for the Bulls.
• Jordan met Pippen for dinner, where Pippen explained why he was leaving Chicago and Jordan accepted that their partnership was ending.

After Scottie Pippen demanded a trade, the Knicks weighed two possible lineups for the new season. Li Fei was asked whether he wanted to play power forward beside Arvydas Sabonis or move to small forward, and he showed interest in the new role.

• Scottie Pippen publicly demanded a trade, setting off speculation about his destination and the Bulls' future.
• Jeff Van Gundy and Ernie Grunfeld discussed a traditional Knicks lineup with Li Fei at power forward and a taller, unconventional lineup with him at small forward.
• Van Gundy and Grunfeld worried about the unconventional lineup's lack of a true point guard and about Latrell Sprewell's response if he had to come off the bench.
• Grunfeld suggested asking Li Fei which position and teammates he preferred for the new season.
• Van Gundy asked Li Fei about playing power forward beside Arvydas Sabonis or moving to small forward, and Li Fei said the small-forward role sounded fun.

Li Fei chose to play small forward and told the Knicks to settle the final starting guard spot through competition in practice. Latrell Sprewell surprised the team by saying he was willing to come off the bench.

• Li Fei chose small forward and recommended that Larry Johnson and Latrell Sprewell compete for the remaining starting spot through practice and performance.
• Van Gundy announced Li Fei as the starting small forward and left the backcourt spots open for competition.
• Sprewell impressed the team in practice by defending hard, scoring decisively, and making plays for Allan Houston and Sabonis.
• Sprewell approached Van Gundy after practice and said he could come off the bench.

Latrell Sprewell agreed to lead the Knicks’ second unit, and Li Fei settled their expectations with a clear promise that playing time would depend on performance. A team dinner welcomed Sprewell and Donyell Marshall, leaving the Knicks’ coaches confident that the new roster was coming together.

• Sprewell volunteered to come off the bench and lead the second unit alongside Stephen Jackson, surprising Van Gundy and the Knicks staff.
• Sprewell told Li Fei he had joined New York to pursue a championship and accepted a reserve role, while asking Li Fei to replace Larry if his play faltered.
• Li Fei told Sprewell that whoever helped the Knicks win would earn the starting spot, and the two agreed to let performance decide.
• Li Fei invited the team, coaching staff, and personnel to dinner, welcoming Sprewell and Donyell Marshall to the Knicks.
• Li Fei connected with the players over their interests and urged Sprewell and Stephen Jackson to make the Bench Mob a force.
• Van Gundy and Ernie Grunfeld watched the team bond at dinner and recognized Li Fei’s influence on the Knicks’ chemistry.

The Knicks settled on a lineup featuring Li Fei at small forward as Chicago fielded offers for Scottie Pippen. The Bulls traded Pippen to Houston for Clyde Drexler and Sam Cassell, strengthening their push to reclaim the championship.

• The Knicks finalized a starting lineup with Larry Johnson at point guard, Allan Houston at shooting guard, Li Fei at small forward, Donyell Marshall at power forward, and Arvydas Sabonis at center.
• The Bulls considered offers for Scottie Pippen from the Lakers, Celtics, and SuperSonics as they sought immediate help for another title run.
• On October 1, 1997, Chicago and Houston agreed to trade Pippen for Clyde Drexler and Sam Cassell.
• The deal gave the Bulls veteran scoring from Drexler and a prime point guard in Cassell to support Michael Jordan and Karl Malone.

The Bulls traded Scottie Pippen to the Rockets for Sam Cassell and Clyde Drexler, igniting a league-wide arms race as both teams prepared to challenge Li Fei and the Knicks. While pundits debated the deal, Li Fei practiced three-pointers at the Knicks’ training facility.

• The Bulls gained Sam Cassell and Clyde Drexler, while the Rockets acquired Scottie Pippen to join Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon.
• TNT commentators Kevin Harlan, Bill Walton, and Marv Albert discussed the trade and identified Li Fei as the rival driving both teams’ moves.
• Li Fei practiced three-pointers at the Knicks’ training facility as the trade sent shockwaves through the league.
• Sports Illustrated’s website crashed, and ABC and ESPN aired sharply divided reactions to the deal.
• The Houston Chronicle praised the Rockets’ all-in trade, arguing that Pippen could fill multiple roles and strengthen their championship bid.

Michael Jordan confronted Jerry Krause over trading Scottie Pippen for Clyde Drexler and Sam Cassell, warning Krause he would be blamed if the Bulls failed. Krause established a star-studded roster, but the team’s coaching situation remained unresolved amid Phil Jackson’s conflict with Krause.

• Jordan angrily challenged Krause in his office, criticizing the return for Pippen and questioning whether the Bulls could beat Li Fei and the Knicks.
• Krause defended the trade, arguing that Drexler, Cassell, and a two-point-guard system would improve the team’s offense.
• Jordan warned Krause that he would be the first to go if the Bulls failed, then left the office.
• Krause finalized a lineup with Cassell, Jordan, Drexler, Karl Malone, and Luc Longley, with Ron Harper and Patrick Ewing on the bench.
• The unresolved conflict between Krause and Phil Jackson left the Bulls without a settled coach for their new roster.

Scottie Pippen joined Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston, where the veteran trio vowed to chase a championship. In New York, Li Fei kept training as Latrell Sprewell warned him that labor agreement negotiations seemed close to collapsing.

• Scottie Pippen arrived in Houston and was welcomed by Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon.
• General manager Dawson praised Pippen as the final piece of Houston's championship puzzle, while Barkley declared the Rockets would win the title.
• Pippen said he had joined Houston to help Barkley and Olajuwon achieve their long-awaited dream of winning a championship.
• At Madison Square Garden, Latrell Sprewell watched Li Fei practice and discussed the league's new rival teams with him.
• Sprewell told Li Fei that negotiations over the collective bargaining agreement appeared close to falling apart.

Li Fei reassured Sprewell that a lockout was coming but urged the Knicks to keep training, while Jerry Krause began arranging Phil Jackson’s replacement and NBA owners and players clashed over a hard salary cap. The chapter left the league meeting tense and unresolved.

• Sprewell worried that a lockout would derail the Knicks’ new lineup, and Li Fei confirmed one was coming while urging him to focus on training.
• Jerry Krause reviewed coaching candidates and decided to call his longtime friend Tim Floyd about replacing Phil Jackson.
• David Stern argued that rising payrolls and team losses threatened the NBA’s finances and pushed for a hard salary cap.
• Paul Gaston backed Stern’s proposal and demanded an end to the escalating player contracts.

Billy Hunter and Patrick Ewing clashed with the owners over salary-cap proposals as NBA labor negotiations neared a lockout. In Chicago, Michael Jordan confronted Jerry Krause over reports that the Bulls planned to replace Phil Jackson, demanding to be traded if Jackson was fired.

• Billy Hunter rejected the owners’ proposed hard salary cap and elimination of Bird Rights, while Patrick Ewing challenged their claims of financial losses.
• The negotiations reached a deadlock, and David Stern feared that a lockout might be the only way to bring both sides back to the table.
• Michael Jordan stormed into Jerry Krause’s office after the Chicago Sun-Times reported the Bulls had met with coaching candidate Tim Floyd.
• Jordan defended Phil Jackson’s record and told Krause to trade him first if the Bulls intended to fire Jackson.

Michael Jordan forced Jerry Krause to honor Phil Jackson’s contract and keep him as the Chicago Bulls’ head coach for their title defense. Meanwhile, David Falk and Li Fei chose the New York Stock Exchange for the Li Fei brand’s IPO, turning the decision into a challenge to Nike.

• Jordan threatened Krause with the collapse of the team unless he announced that Jackson would coach the Bulls next season.
• Krause agreed to honor Jackson’s contract, and Jordan left after warning him to stay out of the team’s affairs.
• The NYSE and NASDAQ each offered to waive fees and provide major promotional support for the Li Fei brand’s listing.
• Falk called Li Fei to ask which exchange he preferred, and Li Fei chose the NYSE because Nike was listed there.
• Falk agreed to take the Li Fei brand to the NYSE and present its IPO as the arrival of a new era.

The NBA’s offseason trades reshaped the league, and TNT ranked the Knicks as the top contender before the league announced a lockout starting July 1, 1998. Li Fei watched the announcement calmly, believing the real test was beginning.

• The Bucks traded Vin Baker to the SuperSonics for Terrell Brandon and Tyrone Hill, while Sam Cassell’s move to the Bulls disrupted the Mavericks’ plans.
• The Rockets retooled around Olajuwon, Barkley, and Pippen, forming an aging Big Three.
• Kevin Harlan, Marv Albert, and Bill Walton ranked the Knicks first, the Rockets second, and the Bulls and Lakers tied for third, prompting heated reactions from fans.
• The NBA announced a lockout beginning July 1, 1998, suspending team activities until a new collective bargaining agreement was signed.
• Li Fei watched David Stern announce the lockout at the New York training facility and remained calm, expecting the real test to begin.

During the NBA lockout, Li Fei reassured his anxious Knicks teammates that patience and training would prepare them for the season’s return. As negotiations collapsed and games were canceled, financial pressure began dividing the players’ union.

• Latrell Sprewell and Donyell Marshall worried that the lockout would derail their championship plans, and Li Fei urged them to stay patient and treat it as an extra offseason.
• David Stern and the owners demanded a hard salary cap and luxury tax, while Billy Hunter accused them of hiding profits and demanded detailed financial records.
• The league canceled the preseason in September and the first two weeks of regular-season games in October, leaving players without paychecks.
• Lower- and middle-tier players began privately criticizing the union’s leadership and pushing for a quick agreement, sowing divisions among the players.

Li Fei agreed to postpone FLY’s IPO during the NBA lockout and planned to use the delay to strengthen his business and prepare the Knicks for the shortened season. He left the chapter confident that the championship would be his.

• David Falk presented Li Fei with a report warning that the lockout made an IPO risky and recommended postponing it.
• Li Fei agreed to delay the IPO, reasoning that FLY should not be sold at a discount and that the lockout would not last long.
• Li Fei called Monica Bellucci, shared a warm exchange with her, and promised to visit her after the lockout.
• Li Fei studied the league’s teams and concluded that the shortened season’s packed schedule favored the Knicks’ young, deep roster and his own conditioning.
• Li Fei resolved to win the championship and declared that no one could take it from him.

Goldman Sachs anticipated that FLY would surge in value after the NBA lockout ended, while the league’s players and owners battled over a new collective bargaining agreement. After 204 days, basketball returned, and Michael Jordan gathered the Chicago Bulls to begin their championship campaign.

• Lloyd Blankfein and Goldman Sachs partners decided to wait until the lockout ended before pursuing FLY’s public offering.
• Patrick Ewing and Jerry Reinsdorf clashed over revenue sharing, salary caps, and player restrictions during prolonged negotiations.
• David Stern threatened to cancel the 1998–1999 season, pushing the players and owners toward a tentative agreement on January 6, 1999.
• The players’ union approved the new collective bargaining agreement on January 20, officially ending the 204-day lockout.
• Phil Jackson summoned the Chicago Bulls, and Michael Jordan urged Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Sam Cassell, and the other players to pursue the championship.

With the lockout over, the Rockets and Knicks prepared eagerly for the shortened season, while Kobe discovered that Shaquille O'Neal had returned from the break badly out of shape. The chapter ended with Kobe ordering Shaq to abandon his burger and start losing weight before the season began.

• In Houston, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and Scottie Pippen treated the shortened season as their last chance to win a championship.
• In New York, Li Fei rallied the Knicks by reminding them they were the defending champions and that the fight for the title was beginning.
• Kobe arrived at the Lakers' training facility and called Shaquille O'Neal, who was at home eating a burger and showed little urgency about training.
• O'Neal arrived half an hour later visibly heavier, and Kobe angrily confronted him about gaining weight during the lockout.
• Kobe ordered O'Neal to throw away his burger and get on the treadmill, demanding that he lose fifteen pounds before the season started.