Chapter Summaries

As the NBA Finals approached, Li Fei felt prepared to face O'Neal and Kobe, while David Falk planned how the Li Fei Brand could capitalize on the series. Falk left the company ready to expand production and save a Li Fei-Kobe collaboration for after the Finals.

• Michael Jordan said Li Fei's rivalry with him had ended and that the Finals would decide whether Li Fei or the Lakers owned the era.
• Li Fei watched the sun rise at his Manhattan villa, reflected on his years of preparation, and kissed Monica as she slept.
• David Falk told executives that Li Fei VI and Mamba II shoes had sold millions of pairs and that both stars' performances would promote the brand.
• Falk ordered production increased by one million pairs and urged the company to make regular Li Fei shoes accessible to Chinese fans.
• Falk rejected an immediate Li Fei-Kobe co-branded shoe, deciding to wait until after the Finals, and an executive remarked that his mind was beyond ordinary people.

As the NBA Finals began, Falk announced an ambitious Li Fei Brand marketing campaign while the Lakers arrived in New York determined to win Game 1. Madison Square Garden and the surrounding streets filled with Knicks fans as the showdown approached.

• Falk announced increased production of championship and Mamba II shoes, a ten-percent price cut in China, and donations for every point scored by Li Fei or Kobe during the Finals.
• The Lakers landed in New York, and Kobe studied the Knicks’ playoff games while Fisher, Fox, and Horry prepared to defend their opponents.
• O'Neal urged the Lakers to rest and focus on winning Game 1, and Kobe declared that he would guard Li Fei throughout the game.
• Thousands of fans gathered around Madison Square Garden and watched TNT’s broadcast in Times Square as city officials closed nearby streets to manage the crowds.

The Knicks and Lakers began Game One of the 1999-2000 Finals at Madison Square Garden before a packed arena of celebrities and basketball legends. Li Fei and Kobe faced off at center court as the opening tip launched the series.

• Celebrities, NBA legends, and commentators gathered courtside before Game One.
• The Knicks entered the arena, and Li Fei drew a roaring ovation from the crowd.
• Li Fei spotted Monica Bellucci in the stands and exchanged a look with Kobe.
• The referee tossed up the ball, beginning the 1999-2000 Finals.

Before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Lakers and Knicks players and coach shared their expectations with reporters. Sabonis revealed that this was his final season and declared his determination to win a third consecutive championship.

• O'Neal predicted he would score 30 points against Sabonis and said he was not afraid of Li Fei's help defense.
• Kobe said he would make Li Fei uncomfortable rather than try to stop him, and admitted he had learned from Li Fei how to focus on winning.
• Phil Jackson praised Li Fei's maturity and said the Lakers would answer questions about their chances on the court.
• Li Fei said he had prepared for six years and noted that Kobe's smaller size gave him a physical disadvantage.
• Sabonis said his body was failing, but he wanted to end his final season with a third NBA Finals ring and avoid leaving with regrets.

Arvydas Sabonis opened Game One of the NBA Finals by driving past Shaquille O'Neal and making an and-one. The veteran then showed that, despite his injuries and impending retirement, he still had one last battle in him.

• Sprewell passed the ball to Sabonis at the free-throw line on the Knicks' first possession.
• Sabonis faked a pass, drove past O'Neal, switched hands in midair, and scored while drawing a foul.
• Sabonis made the free throw to complete the opening and-one, and Madison Square Garden erupted.
• Li Fei patted Sabonis on the back as they passed, and Sabonis nodded in response.
• Kevin Harlan, Bill Walton, and Marv Albert praised Sabonis's experience and determination to prove he was not old yet.

Sabonis opened the Finals game by scoring an and-one over O'Neal, stopping him in a one-on-one post-up, and launching a full-court outlet pass for Li Fei's dunk. The Knicks seized the initiative as Sabonis delivered a final standout performance on the Finals stage.

• Harlan and Albert explained that Sabonis had used experience and anticipation to draw a foul on O'Neal with his opening drive.
• O'Neal tried to answer with a post-up, but Sabonis blocked his baseline spin, forced a missed hook shot, and secured the rebound.
• Sabonis immediately threw a full-court outlet pass to Li Fei, who dunked unchallenged.
• Harlan and Walton praised Sabonis's vision, passing skill, and basketball IQ as the Knicks celebrated the fast-break score.

Sabonis dominated the opening minutes of the NBA Finals, combining defense, a full-court assist to Li Fei, and a low-post hook over O'Neal despite his pain and exhaustion. After Kobe scored the Lakers' first field goal, Sabonis answered with another basket, leaving the Knicks ahead 6–2.

• Sabonis stopped O'Neal's low-post attack, grabbed a rebound, and sent a full-court pass to Li Fei for a dunk.
• Sabonis refused to leave the court during the Lakers' timeout, telling Van Gundy he needed to stay in the game.
• Kobe made a jumper over Sprewell for the Lakers' first field goal, cutting the score to 4–2.
• Sabonis backed down O'Neal and scored a turnaround hook shot to put the Knicks ahead 6–2.

Arvydas Sabonis dominated the opening minutes against the Lakers, scoring, disrupting Shaquille O'Neal, and setting up Li Fei for two dunks as the Knicks took a 10–2 lead. During the timeout, Phil Jackson ordered O'Neal to pressure Sabonis more closely.

• Sabonis deflected O'Neal's dunk attempt, and Li Fei secured the rebound for the Knicks.
• Sabonis passed to Li Fei for a two-handed dunk, putting the Knicks ahead 8–2.
• Sabonis grabbed a defensive rebound, threw a full-court pass to Li Fei, and watched him dunk to make it 10–2.
• The Lakers called timeout, and Jackson told O'Neal to pressure Sabonis and deny him room to pass or score.
• O'Neal acknowledged Jackson's instructions and said he understood.

Arvydas Sabonis dominated the first quarter as the Knicks built a double-digit lead over the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal led a Lakers response, but the Knicks stayed ahead 58–44 at halftime.

• Phil Jackson urged Kobe to attack more aggressively and trust his teammates after the Knicks took an early lead.
• Sabonis controlled the rest of the first quarter with scoring, rebounds, assists, and blocks as the Knicks went ahead 32–20.
• Kobe and O'Neal scored early in the second quarter, but Li Fei, Sprewell, and Houston kept the Knicks' offense moving while Sabonis rested.
• At halftime, Sabonis had 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two blocks, and the Knicks led the Lakers 58–44.

The Knicks beat the Lakers 108–94 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, led by Arvydas Sabonis’s triple-double and Li Fei’s game-high 42 points. After the loss, Kobe admitted the Lakers had overlooked Sabonis and promised they would adjust for Game 2.

• Kobe and O'Neal led a Lakers rally in the third quarter, but Sabonis answered with three assists as the Knicks maintained a 14-point lead.
• Li Fei scored ten points in the fourth quarter while Sabonis added three assists and four rebounds, helping the Knicks hold off the Lakers and win 108–94.
• Sabonis finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, three blocks, and two steals, while Li Fei scored 42 points; Kobe led the Lakers with 32 points.
• Kevin Harlan, Bill Walton, and Marv Albert credited Sabonis’s performance and the Knicks’ balanced play for the victory.
• Kobe told reporters that the Lakers had lost because they forgot about Sabonis and said they would adjust their defense for the next game.
• O'Neal sat with ice packs on his knees and reflected on scoring only ten first-half points while Sabonis scored sixteen against him.

After the Knicks won Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Phil Jackson and Arvydas Sabonis discussed how Sabonis’s triple-double had changed the game. Sports outlets celebrated Sabonis’s performance, while he left the locker room knowing the Knicks were three wins from his third championship.

• Phil Jackson said the Lakers had lost because they focused too much on Li Fei and failed to account for the Knicks’ other players, especially Sabonis.
• Sabonis credited his teammates’ trust and contributions for his 28-point triple-double and said the Knicks had won as a team.
• Sabonis said the Lakers would likely double-team him next game, but trusted Li Fei, Sprewell, Houston, and Marshall to step up.
• Sabonis went to the shower with his body aching and reflected that he was three wins away from his third championship.
• ESPN, TNT, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and NBC Radio featured headlines praising Sabonis’s Finals-opening performance.

After Sabonis’s outstanding performance helped the Knicks win Game 1 of the NBA Finals, fans celebrated him online and rushed to buy his shoes. Li Fei Brand fans urged the company to sign the veteran, leaving his future commercial prospects in focus.

• Fans praised Sabonis’s 28-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist performance against the Lakers and debated how he might fare in Game 2.
• More than a thousand fans lined up at the Li Fei Brand flagship store, where Sabonis’s ordinary Nike shoes sold far faster than usual.
• Tens of thousands of posts on the Li Fei Brand forum discussed Sabonis, and a pinned post called for the company to sign him.
• Forum users pointed to Sabonis’s jersey and shoe sales and suggested Li Fei Brand could release commemorative products before and after his retirement.

After Sabonis’s standout Game 1 performance, he and Li Fei discussed the Lakers’ likely adjustments and joked about fans wanting the Li Fei Brand to sign Sabonis. The chapter ended at Knicks practice with Sabonis teasing Li Fei to develop a fadeaway and Li Fei asking him to teach it.

• Fans discussed Sabonis’s Game 1 performance, a possible Li Fei Brand signature shoe, and how the Lakers might adjust for Game 2.
• Sabonis received a message from Li Fei praising his veteran performance, and Sabonis warned him to be ready to score when the Lakers focused on him.
• At the Chattanooga Training Center, Sabonis stretched through his aches while considering how the Lakers would defend him in Game 2.
• Sabonis told Li Fei he had seen the forum discussion about signing him, and they joked about whether his shoes would sell.
• Sabonis challenged Li Fei to try a fadeaway, and Li Fei asked him to teach it.

Li Fei reassured Sabonis that he would not sign him but would support him after retirement, while the Knicks prepared for Game 2. In Los Angeles, Phil Jackson reviewed the Lakers’ Game 1 loss and set adjustments for Shaq and Kobe.

• Li Fei told Sabonis he could not sign him but offered to help him after he retired, and Sabonis joked with him about getting a first-class ticket.
• The Knicks practiced for Game 2 at Madison Square Garden, with each player focusing on his own work.
• Phil Jackson told the Lakers that they had lost Game 1 because they neglected Sabonis while focusing on Li Fei.
• Jackson instructed O'Neal to pressure Sabonis before he received the ball, and O'Neal vowed to do better.
• Jackson urged Kobe to trust his teammates against Sprewell, and Kobe said he would attack the defense and pass if double-teamed.

The Lakers prepared to counter Sabonis after losing Game One, and O'Neal promised Kobe he would stop Sabonis from repeating his performance. In Game Two at Madison Square Garden, O'Neal opened the scoring with a powerful post dunk, while Sabonis braced for a difficult battle.

• O'Neal, Kobe, Fisher, and Horry practiced while Jackson emphasized execution over talent.
• Kobe told Jackson he had been preparing, and O'Neal asked Kobe to trust him to contain Sabonis; Kobe said he did.
• O'Neal vowed that the Lakers would win Game Two, and Sabonis prepared to fight despite his injured knee.
• The Knicks and Lakers tipped off Game Two at Madison Square Garden, where O'Neal won the opening tip.
• O'Neal backed down Sabonis and dunked after Sabonis's knee pain made him give up half a step.
• Kevin Harlan, Marv Albert, and Bill Walton discussed whether Sabonis could repeat his Game One performance, with Walton predicting the Lakers would limit him.

Kobe Bryant dominated the first quarter against the Knicks, scoring repeatedly as the Lakers built an early lead. Li Fei answered with six straight points, but the Lakers finished the quarter ahead 30–22.

• Kobe Bryant scored on his first four shots, putting the Lakers ahead 8–2 while attacking Sprewell.
• The Lakers' defense disrupted the Knicks' offense, and Van Gundy called timeout with the Lakers leading 18–8.
• Li Fei scored six straight points after the timeout, cutting the Lakers' lead to four.
• Kobe Bryant hit a three-pointer, O'Neal added a hook shot, and Rice made a mid-range jumper as the Lakers closed the quarter ahead 30–22.
• Kobe Bryant finished the first quarter with 14 points on five-for-six shooting, while O'Neal held Sabonis to two points.

The Lakers led the Knicks 58-47 at halftime after Kobe Bryant dominated the first half and sank a buzzer-beating three. Li Fei resolved to take over in the second half, while Sabonis promised to find a way to contribute.

• Kobe Bryant scored 14 in the first quarter as the Lakers built an eight-point lead and O'Neal limited Sabonis.
• Li Fei led the Knicks' second-quarter response with scoring and assists, but Kobe, O'Neal, and Rice kept the Lakers' offense rolling.
• Kobe hit a buzzer-beating three over Sprewell to send the Lakers into halftime leading 58-47.
• Li Fei recognized that the Knicks needed him to score in the second half and reassured Sabonis that they still had time.
• Sabonis told Li Fei he would find a way to help as the second half began.

Li Fei took over at the start of the second half, scoring and disrupting the Lakers’ offense as the Knicks began to cut into their eleven-point lead. He drew a double-team and assisted Sprewell, but O’Neal scored in the post to keep the Lakers ahead 60–53.

• At halftime, Van Gundy told the Knicks to give Li Fei the ball and let him attack.
• Li Fei opened the third quarter with a mid-range jumper over Horry, making the score 58–49.
• Li Fei scored again and helped disrupt Kobe’s shot and O’Neal’s dunk attempt, while Sabonis collected both rebounds.
• When Horry and O’Neal double-teamed him, Li Fei passed to Sprewell, who dunked to make it 58–53.
• O’Neal scored a hook shot over Sabonis to extend the Lakers’ lead to 60–53.

Li Fei led the Knicks back from an eleven-point halftime deficit with a dominant third quarter, tying the game at seventy-eight. In the fourth quarter, he continued answering the Lakers’ baskets immediately, and the game remained tied at eighty-two after four minutes.

• Li Fei scored six straight points after halftime, cutting the Lakers’ lead to five and forcing Phil Jackson to call timeout.
• Shaquille O’Neal tried to score against Li Fei in the low post, but Li Fei held his ground and forced a missed hook shot.
• Li Fei passed to Latrell Sprewell for a layup, then scored and made plays on both ends until he left the court to a standing ovation.
• Li Fei scored twenty-two points with three assists, two blocks, and three rebounds in the third quarter, bringing the Knicks level with the Lakers at seventy-eight.
• Kobe Bryant and O’Neal scored for the Lakers in the fourth quarter, while Li Fei answered with baskets and two assists as the score reached eighty-two apiece.

Li Fei hit a buzzer-beating three to give the Knicks a 103–102 win over the Lakers in Game Two of the NBA Finals, scoring 55 points. The Knicks led the series two games to none as the teams prepared to head to Los Angeles.

• Kobe Bryant put the Lakers ahead 100–98 with a fadeaway, and Li Fei tied the score with a pull-up jumper.
• Kobe hit another midrange shot to give the Lakers a 102–100 lead with six seconds left.
• Van Gundy drew up a final possession for Li Fei, who beat O'Neal with a step-back three at the buzzer.
• Li Fei finished with 55 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and four blocks as the Knicks won Game Two and took a 2–0 series lead.
• Li Fei helped Sabonis to his feet, and they agreed that the Knicks needed two more wins.