Chapter Summaries

Li Fei led the Knicks to a 127–116 win over the Spurs, taking a 3–0 series lead with 33 points, 18 rebounds, and 18 assists. After the game, commentators and Spurs fans questioned Gregg Popovich’s decision to abandon the double-team, and Popovich accepted responsibility for the loss.

• Li Fei scored 15 points in the final five minutes as the Knicks defeated the Spurs 127–116 and took a 3–0 series lead.
• Li Fei finished with 33 points, 18 rebounds, and 18 assists.
• Marv Albert, Kevin Harlan, and Bill Walton discussed Popovich’s decision to switch from double-teaming Li Fei to one-on-one defense.
• Spurs fans argued over why Popovich had changed the defense in the closing minutes.
• At the press conference, Gregg Popovich said his adjustments had not helped the team win and accepted responsibility for the loss.

After the Knicks took a 3-0 Finals lead over the San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan and David Robinson reflected on Li Fei’s decisive late-game scoring while Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, and Hakeem Olajuwon discussed the game and series. The media and fans looked ahead to the next game, with New York celebrating and San Antonio bracing for a possible championship loss.

• Tim Duncan said Li Fei had outplayed him in the final minutes and that the Spurs would review the game and prepare for the next one.
• David Robinson admitted that the Spurs’ double-team strategy had affected his defensive instincts and said the team would not give up despite trailing 0-3.
• Charles Barkley praised Li Fei’s unusual ability to draw attention for most of the game and then take over, while Scottie Pippen said Li Fei’s dominance set him apart.
• Hakeem Olajuwon sympathized with Duncan and Robinson and hoped the Spurs could win a game to keep the Finals going.
• Sports media around the world declared the Knicks close to winning back-to-back titles as San Antonio fans mourned and New York fans celebrated.

The Spurs defeated the Knicks 113–107 in Game 4, with Tim Duncan leading the way and Popovich’s decision to let Li Fei face single coverage paying off. The Knicks still led the Finals 3–1, but their championship celebration was postponed as the series returned to New York.

• The Knicks and Spurs stayed even through most of Game 4 as Li Fei passed out of double-teams, but the Knicks’ shots fell short while Duncan and the Spurs’ shooters delivered.
• With the score tied at 105–105 and five minutes remaining, Popovich ended the double-teams and had Duncan guard Li Fei one-on-one.
• Li Fei missed two key shots against Duncan, and Duncan scored before Elliott’s midrange basket extended the Spurs’ lead.
• The Spurs won 113–107, led by Duncan’s 35 points and 16 rebounds, while Li Fei recorded 28 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists.
• The win cut the Spurs’ series deficit to 1–3, and media coverage praised Popovich’s gamble while noting that the Knicks had missed their chance to clinch the championship.

The Spurs celebrated their Game 4 victory, but analysts judged a comeback unlikely as the Knicks still led the Finals 3-1. In Game 5, Li Fei remained confident, and his pass found Allan Houston open against the Spurs’ early double team.

• San Antonio fans honored Duncan and the Spurs for their determined Game 4 win, while analysts debated whether it marked a comeback or a final burst of brilliance.
• Kevin Harlan, Bill Walton, and Rudy Tomjanovich assessed the Spurs’ strategy and the Knicks’ chances, and the broadcast put San Antonio’s comeback odds at 7.3%.
• Li Fei told reporters that the Game 4 loss had not changed the Knicks’ goal of winning the championship.
• Duncan scored first for the Spurs after they won the opening tip and fed him in the low post.
• Li Fei passed through Duncan and Robinson’s double team to find Allan Houston open on the weak side.

The Knicks defeated the Spurs in Game 5 to win the 1998–1999 NBA Championship, securing their second consecutive title. Li Fei sealed the win with decisive plays against Tim Duncan, and New York finished the series 4–1.

• Li Fei punished the Spurs’ double-teams by setting up Knicks teammates for open shots, helping New York maintain a slim lead.
• With five minutes remaining and the Knicks ahead 98–96, Gregg Popovich switched to a one-on-one defense that left Li Fei facing Tim Duncan.
• Li Fei drove past Duncan and scored an underhand layup, extending the Knicks’ lead to four.
• Li Fei secured a rebound, posted up Duncan, and hit a fadeaway to make the score 102–96.
• The Knicks held off the Spurs’ late comeback and won 108–98, taking the series 4–1 and claiming their second straight championship.

The Knicks defeated the Spurs 4–1 to win the 1998–1999 NBA championship and secure back-to-back titles. After celebrating with his teammates, Li Fei pushed through the crowd and headed toward the Spurs’ side of the court to meet Duncan.

• The final buzzer confirmed the Knicks’ championship, and Sprewell, Johnson, Houston, Sabonis, Marshall, and Jackson rushed to celebrate Li Fei.
• The Knicks lifted Li Fei into the air as their players celebrated the title.
• Duncan watched Li Fei’s celebration and resolved that his own story was only beginning.
• Robinson accepted the loss and took comfort in seeing Duncan’s determination, while Popovich applauded Li Fei.
• After his teammates set him down, Li Fei pushed through the crowd and headed toward Duncan.

The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 108–98 to win the Finals 4–1 and defend their championship, with Li Fei recording 29 points, 21 rebounds, and 20 assists. David Stern presented the championship trophy, and Li Fei raised it above his head as the Knicks celebrated.

• Li Fei embraced Duncan and David Robinson after the game, telling Duncan that the future was his and congratulating Robinson on the series.
• TNT announcers recapped the Knicks' 108–98 victory and praised Li Fei's 29-point, 21-rebound, 20-assist performance and dominant Finals averages.
• The Knicks gathered at the awards stage in championship shirts while the Spurs quietly left the court.
• David Stern announced the New York Knicks as the 1998–1999 NBA champions and handed the Larry O'Brien Trophy to Li Fei.
• Li Fei passed the trophy toward Allan Houston and Larry Johnson, then raised it high as the Knicks and their fans erupted in celebration.

Li Fei led the New York Knicks to another championship and received the Finals MVP trophy after averaging 34 points, 18 rebounds, and 14 assists. As his teammates celebrated, media outlets around the world hailed his dominance and the rise of a Knicks dynasty.

• Li Fei credited Latrell, Larry, Alan, Sabo, his teammates, and New York for the championship in his speech.
• Stern announced Li Fei as Finals MVP, citing his averages of 34 points, 18 rebounds, and 14 assists across five games.
• Li Fei held the Larry O'Brien Trophy and the Bill Russell Trophy, promised the Knicks would return next year, and passed the trophies to his teammates.
• Li Fei's teammates drenched him with champagne in the locker room as they celebrated the championship.
• Media outlets praised Li Fei's Finals performance, described the Knicks' continued success, and reflected on the Spurs' defeat.

China celebrated Li Fei’s fourth championship as a national triumph, while a televised panel debated his place in basketball history. The chapter left Li Fei acclaimed as the sport’s new greatest player.

• Fans across China celebrated Li Fei’s championship victory, and television commentators hailed his achievement.
• Li Fei and his teammates flew back to New York and celebrated at an exclusive nightclub.
• The Knicks’ management prepared a championship parade for three days later.
• Marv Albert, Kevin Harlan, and Bill Walton compared Li Fei’s accomplishments with Michael Jordan’s.
• Bill Walton concluded that Li Fei had surpassed Jordan and become the greatest player in basketball history.

After the Knicks' victory, Li Fei celebrated at Tunnel nightclub with his teammates. He invited Larsa Pippen, Angelina Jolie, and Monica Bellucci to join him, and the party continued as he charmed all three.

• Li Fei relaxed in the Knicks' VIP booth while Larry Johnson and Latrell Sprewell celebrated on the dance floor.
• Li Fei read messages from Larsa Pippen, Angelina Jolie, and Monica Bellucci, then invited all three to Tunnel.
• Monica Bellucci, Angelina Jolie, and Larsa arrived at the nightclub, drawing astonished reactions from Larry Johnson and Latrell Sprewell.
• Li Fei greeted each woman and exchanged playful remarks with Larsa.
• Li Fei talked with Monica, Jolie, and Larsa as the celebration continued around them.

After celebrating the Knicks’ championship with Monica Bellucci, Angelina Jolie, and Larsa Pippen, Li Fei joined his teammates for New York’s championship parade. He praised the team and thanked the city as fans celebrated their second title.

• Li Fei left the nightclub and spent the night visiting Monica Bellucci, Angelina Jolie, and Larsa Pippen.
• The next morning, Latrell Sprewell teased Li Fei after seeing him leave Monica Bellucci’s room at the St. Regis Hotel.
• Two days later, millions of fans filled New York for the Knicks’ 1999 championship parade.
• At City Hall, Li Fei told the crowd the championship belonged to the whole team and praised Larry Johnson, Allan Houston, Arvydas Sabonis, Donyell Marshall, Stephen Jackson, and Latrell Sprewell.
• Li Fei raised the trophy and thanked New York for helping the Knicks win a second championship.

After Li Fei promised New York a third straight championship, Michael Jordan committed to staying in Chicago to challenge him, while Scottie Pippen reflected on the Bulls’ defeat and began analyzing the Knicks’ weaknesses. Pippen identified Arvydas Sabonis’s aging, injury-worn body as a possible vulnerability in the Knicks’ offense.

• Li Fei urged Knicks fans to expect a third championship, and the crowd chanted for a dynasty.
• After Jerry Krause told Michael Jordan the Bulls would not renew Phil Jackson or Karl Malone, Jordan chose to exercise his player option and remain in Chicago.
• Scottie Pippen took satisfaction in the Bulls’ loss, seeing it as proof that his departure for Houston had exposed his importance to the team.
• Pippen worried that Li Fei’s Knicks could build a new dynasty and began assessing their weaknesses.
• Pippen focused on Arvydas Sabonis’s fatigue and fragile knees and Achilles tendons as a potential threat to the Knicks’ offensive flow.

Scottie Pippen believed the Rockets could contend next season once their Big Three found their rhythm, and focused on a possible Finals matchup with Li Fei’s Knicks. After Kobe Bryant watched the Knicks celebrate, he trained relentlessly and vowed to defeat the Spurs and challenge Li Fei next season.

• Pippen assessed the Knicks’ aging stars and vulnerabilities, then concluded that the healthy Rockets could still emerge from the West.
• Pippen drank his whiskey and resolved to keep proving himself against Li Fei’s team in New York.
• Kobe ignored Shaq’s call and replayed Li Fei’s performances as he practiced his moves in his private gym.
• Kobe continued shooting through exhaustion and vowed to beat the Spurs before challenging Li Fei for the top spot.

Jerry West, Dr. Jerry Buss, and Mitch Kupchak decided to pursue Phil Jackson as the Lakers’ next coach, hoping he could lead Shaq and Kobe with the Triangle Offense. In New York, James Dolan and Ernie Grunfeld began confronting the problems facing the reigning back-to-back champion Knicks, starting with Jeff Van Gundy’s future.

• Jerry West argued that Del Harris should not be re-signed because his system and leadership did not suit the Lakers.
• Jerry West proposed hiring Phil Jackson, and he explained how the Triangle Offense could fit Shaq and Kobe.
• Dr. Jerry Buss told Mitch Kupchak to contact Phil Jackson and then decided to send a private plane to find him in Montana.
• James Dolan and Ernie Grunfeld discussed the need for the Knicks to address problems despite winning back-to-back championships.
• James Dolan raised Jeff Van Gundy’s name as he and Ernie Grunfeld considered the coach’s role in the Knicks’ future.

James Dolan and Ernie Grunfeld worried that Jeff Van Gundy’s coaching could not take the Knicks further and realized Phil Jackson might join the Lakers. Fearing Jackson could turn Shaq O’Neal and Kobe Bryant into a championship threat, Dolan rushed to Montana to recruit him first.

• Grunfeld told Dolan that Van Gundy’s tactical weaknesses made his contract extension questionable despite the Knicks’ back-to-back championships.
• Dolan and Grunfeld learned that Phil Jackson had left the Bulls and planned to spend a year fishing in Montana.
• Dolan discovered that Lakers coach Del Harris’s contract had expired and feared the Lakers would hire Jackson to coach Shaq O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
• Dolan ordered Grunfeld to prepare his private jet so they could fly to Montana and recruit Jackson before the Lakers did.

Jerry Krause planned to rebuild the Bulls around Michael Jordan and Tracy McGrady, while Phil Jackson received competing offers from the Lakers and Knicks as he prepared to fish in Montana. The chapter ended with James Dolan inviting Phil to share his private jet and fishing trip.

• Jerry Krause told Jim Stack that Phil Jackson’s departure would free up money and pitched signing Tracy McGrady to pair with Michael Jordan.
• Krause outlined a Bulls lineup featuring Jordan, McGrady, Patrick Ewing, Luc Longley, Sam Cassell, and Ron Harper.
• Mitch Kupchak called Phil Jackson on behalf of the Lakers and offered him a private jet to Montana, with a stop in Los Angeles.
• James Dolan called Phil and invited him to fly with the Knicks owner to Montana on Dolan’s private jet.

Phil Jackson tried to avoid the Lakers and Knicks while traveling to Montana for a quiet fishing vacation, but both teams’ leaders met him at the airport to recruit him. He agreed to fish with them together, leaving the rivalry to play out beside the Flathead River.

• Phil Jackson thanked James Dolan and Mitch Kupchak for their invitations and said he would take a commercial flight to Montana alone.
• At Gallatin Field Airport, Jerry Buss, Jerry West, Mitch Kupchak, James Dolan, and Ernie Grunfeld waited for Phil and competed to welcome him.
• Phil joked that the rival delegations were frightening the local elk, easing the tension between them.
• Jerry Buss and James Dolan agreed to go fishing together with Phil, turning their recruitment meeting into a fishing competition.
• At the Flathead River, Dolan showed Phil his expensive fishing gear while Buss offered him wine and arranged a comfortable riverside setup.
• Jerry West carefully studied the river and selected a fly for Phil.

Phil Jackson spent a day fishing with Knicks owner Dolan and Lakers owner Dr. Buss, who both tried to win his favor without discussing basketball. That night, Jackson weighed the proven Lakers roster against the experimental possibilities of building the Knicks around Li Fei, and decided to keep both teams waiting.

• Ernie Grunfeld and Mitch Kupchak helped arrange the fishing trip while Dolan and Dr. Buss praised Phil Jackson's casting.
• Jackson caught a large rainbow trout, and the three executives spent the afternoon talking about everything except basketball.
• Dolan and Dr. Buss arranged a luxurious suite and two companions for Jackson at Lone Mountain Ranch.
• Jackson considered how the Lakers' star center and young guard could fit his Triangle Offense, while noting that Sabonis's failing health undermined the Knicks' plans.
• Jackson imagined building a new version of the Triangle around Li Fei, who could serve as both its finisher and pivot.
• Jackson chose not to give either team an answer yet, reasoning that keeping them waiting gave him leverage.

After ten days of lavish hospitality from James Dolan and Jerry Buss, Phil Jackson read their competing offers to coach the Knicks and Lakers. Buss's reminder that Jackson had repeatedly lost to Li Fei made him reconsider joining New York, and he was left with a newly decisive answer.

• Dolan and Buss spent ten days trying to win Phil Jackson over with extravagant outings and hospitality.
• On the eleventh morning, Jackson read Dolan's offer of a five-year, fifty-million-dollar Knicks contract and a pitch centered on Li Fei.
• Jackson read Buss's offer of a six-year, fifty-five-million-dollar Lakers contract, backed by Shaq and Kobe.
• Buss pointed out that Jackson had lost to Li Fei in the Finals and Eastern Conference Finals, making a move to the Knicks seem like defecting to his former enemy.
• Jackson was shaken by Buss's remark and reconsidered his choice.

Phil Jackson decided to join the Lakers rather than coach the Knicks, using the Knicks’ offer as leverage while he negotiated. He politely rejected James Dolan in Montana, and Dolan returned to New York to tell Li Fei the effort had failed.

• After reconsidering his pride and his defeats against Li Fei, Phil Jackson decided he could not join the Knicks and planned to use their offer to secure better terms from the Lakers.
• At breakfast, James Dolan asked Phil Jackson whether he had made up his mind and offered him a future in New York.
• Phil Jackson praised Li Fei but said his fear of failing to overcome him made coaching the Knicks feel like admitting defeat, and he declined Dolan’s offer.
• Dolan respected Phil Jackson’s decision and left Montana without recruiting him.
• Back in his Madison Square Garden office, Dolan told Li Fei that the recruitment had failed.