Chapter Summaries

After several NBA legends retired, Li Fei prepared to defend the Knicks’ dynasty against a reshaped league. Michael Jordan challenged Charles Barkley over his retirement, prompting Barkley to cancel it and return to the Houston Rockets for the new season.

• David Falk told Li Fei that retirements had reshaped the league and left contenders preparing to challenge the Knicks.
• Li Fei practiced a mid-range jumper as rivals eyed the Knicks’ dynasty throne.
• Michael Jordan called Charles Barkley and criticized him for retiring rather than competing against Li Fei.
• Barkley reconsidered his decision and admitted that he did not want his career to end in escape.
• Barkley contacted the Houston Rockets management to cancel his retirement and confirmed he would play next season.
• The Houston Rockets announced Barkley’s return, sparking a wave of breaking news and online discussion.

After Charles Barkley rescinded his retirement and announced his return, Li Fei’s Knicks teammates praised him for predicting the reversal. Barkley became a free agent, and the chapter ended with the league wondering whether he would re-sign with Houston or choose another team.

• Fans and the Knicks players reacted with shock when Charles Barkley announced that he was returning to the NBA.
• Sprewell, Allan Houston, Donyell Marshall, Sabonis, and Stephen Jackson praised Li Fei for predicting Barkley’s brief retirement would not last.
• Li Fei said the league’s real show had only just begun, and David Falk noted that Barkley’s return had renewed suspense in the Western Conference.
• Sports media focused on where Barkley would play after his Houston Rockets contract expired and his retirement announcement left him a free agent.
• NBC Sports analyzed Houston’s aging Big Three and argued that Barkley’s decision could reshape the championship race.

Sports commentators, media, and fans argued over whether Charles Barkley should join the Knicks, Bulls, or stay with Houston. As the Knicks' executives secretly weighed pursuing him to replace Sabonis, they faced a bigger concern: Li Fei had rejected the team's supermax extension.

• Kevin Harlan, Marv Albert, and Bill Walton debated Barkley's possible destinations, naming Houston, Chicago, and New York.
• ABC Sports argued that Barkley should join Li Fei on the Knicks, while the Houston Times urged him to stay with the Rockets.
• Fans across Houston, Chicago, Phoenix, and Li Fei's camp argued over Barkley's next move as public speculation intensified.
• The Knicks' top executives held a closed meeting to assess the advantages and risks of pursuing Barkley, excluding Van Gundy and the players.
• Knicks management noted that Sabonis was unlikely to re-sign because of injuries and thoughts of retirement, leaving a hole in the interior rotation.
• The Knicks' executives discussed Li Fei's contract situation after he turned down their supermax early extension.

The Knicks management decided to pursue Charles Barkley, believing his reunion with Li Fei could strengthen the team and persuade Li to stay in New York. As Barkley became the NBA’s most sought-after free agent, the chapter left his destination undecided while outlining Houston’s concerns about its aging roster.

• The Knicks owner asked whether Barkley could replace Sabonis, improve the roster, and help keep Li Fei in New York.
• Knicks executives argued that Barkley’s physical play and proven chemistry with Li Fei made him an ideal fit and a way to reassure their star.
• The Knicks owner approved a recruitment plan, and the team prepared a guaranteed three-year contract with a salary above five million dollars per year.
• David Falk contacted Barkley’s representatives with the Knicks’ offer, shifting the free-agent race in New York’s favor.
• Barkley’s return from retirement sparked league-wide speculation about his destination, while Houston faced the prospect of an aging Big Three with Olajuwon and Pippen.

Charles Barkley struggled to choose between offers from the Rockets, Bulls, and Knicks, torn between a chance at another championship and the fear of becoming a supporting player. After three days of indecision, he answered a call from an unknown number.

• Charles Barkley agonized over the Knicks' guaranteed three-year contract, fearing that joining Li Fei's dynasty would reduce him to a sidekick.
• Barkley spent three days shut inside his Houston villa, neglecting training and diet while Rockets, Bulls, and Knicks pursued him.
• Barkley weighed staying with the Rockets, joining Jordan and the Bulls, or reuniting with Li Fei on the Knicks, but found every choice unsatisfying.
• On the third evening, Barkley answered a call from an unfamiliar number.

Charles Barkley received an olive-branch call from the Phoenix Suns, whose general manager invited him to return with a four-year, fully guaranteed $15 million contract. Barkley was deeply tempted by the security and homecoming, but he remained aware that the Suns’ roster was still immature and mediocre.

• Charles Barkley answered a call from the Phoenix Suns’ general manager and warmly reminisced about his time with the team.
• The general manager told Barkley that the Suns, their owner, and their fans wanted him to come home.
• The general manager offered Barkley a four-year, fully guaranteed contract worth $15 million, with no team option or performance clauses.
• The general manager explained that the Suns wanted Barkley back for both his place in the franchise’s history and his ability to revive the team’s attention and local market.
• Barkley was moved by the offer’s security and the honors a return might bring, but he recognized that the Suns lacked a mature, talented roster.

Charles Barkley weighed offers from Phoenix and New York before Michael Jordan invited him to join the Bulls. Barkley refused because he would not become Jordan’s weapon against Li Fei, his former teammate and brother.

• Barkley told the Phoenix Suns general manager he needed two days to decide whether to return to Phoenix.
• For the next three days, Houston kept urging Barkley to stay, the Knicks left their offer open, and Phoenix remained his fallback.
• Michael Jordan called Barkley and invited him to join the Bulls for another season.
• Jordan said he wanted to stay in Chicago, build a championship contender, and defeat Li Fei with Barkley’s help.
• Barkley refused Jordan’s invitation and explained that he would not help Li Fei’s greatest enemy use him as a weapon.
• Barkley said Li Fei was his brother, with whom he had fought in Phoenix and won two championships.

Charles Barkley rejected Michael Jordan’s offer to join the Bulls, deciding that teaming up with Li Fei’s greatest enemy would betray their bond. He returned to Phoenix, where he agreed to a four-year contract with the Suns and signed it.

• Barkley told Jordan he would not join the Bulls to take revenge on Li Fei, and Jordan accepted his decision.
• Barkley reflected on his history with Li Fei and decided Phoenix was where he wanted to end his career.
• Barkley bought a one-way ticket to Phoenix and arrived the next morning, where the Suns’ general manager welcomed him home.
• Over a meal, Barkley told the general manager he would accept a four-year, fifteen-million contract without negotiating.
• Barkley went to the Suns’ arena offices and signed the fully guaranteed contract.

Charles Barkley returned to the Phoenix Suns on a four-year, $15 million deal, choosing loyalty and sentiment over joining the Knicks or Bulls for a championship run. Li Fei understood Barkley's decision, while the chapter ended with the Knicks preparing for the new season.

• Charles Barkley signed a four-year, $15 million deal to return to the Phoenix Suns, turning down the Knicks and Bulls.
• The announcement sparked celebrations in Phoenix, where fans gathered outside the arena and Suns jersey sales surged.
• Sports commentators and fans praised Barkley's choice as a sentimental homecoming rather than a move for money or another championship.
• Li Fei read the Suns' announcement in Manhattan and felt relief that Barkley had stayed true to himself and their old bond.
• The next morning, the Knicks' players trained at their facility as they prepared to defend their title.

At Knicks practice, Li Fei and his teammates discussed Charles Barkley’s decision to return to the Phoenix Suns instead of joining a contender. Li Fei explained Barkley wanted to face him fairly rather than take a shortcut to victory, and the team returned to training with respect for his choice.

• Li Fei practiced his mid-range shots while the Knicks discussed Barkley’s decision to sign with the Phoenix Suns.
• Allan Houston, Madman Sprewell, Sabonis, Stephen Jackson, and Donyell Marshall debated why Barkley had rejected the Knicks’ offer and the chance to reunite with Li Fei.
• Li Fei said Barkley still wanted to beat him, but would not join a superteam or rely on Jordan to do it.
• Van Gundy praised Barkley’s loyalty and principles, and Li Fei recalled how Barkley had supported him early in his career.
• Li Fei accepted Barkley’s choice to finish his career in Phoenix, and the Knicks resumed training.

Li Fei continued training and reaffirmed his loyalty to Barkley as the 1999 offseason drew to a close. The Knicks’ championship twin towers split when Sabonis agreed to sign with the Portland Trail Blazers, while Michael Jordan’s future remained uncertain.

• Li Fei practiced his mid-range shooting and replied to David Falk that his brand would continue supporting Barkley despite Barkley’s move to Phoenix.
• Fans debated whether Michael Jordan would retire, remain with the Bulls, or join another team after Barkley’s departure made a Rockets superteam unlikely.
• Sabonis reached a verbal signing agreement with the Portland Trail Blazers on a lucrative contract.
• The media reported that Sabonis’s departure ended the Knicks’ twin-tower system that had powered their three straight championships.

Sabonis left the Knicks for a massive contract with the Trail Blazers, ending the Twin Towers era and prompting debate about Li Fei’s role and the team’s future. New York fans respected Sabonis’s choice while looking ahead to a Knicks team built around Li Fei alone.

• TNT Sports, ABC Sports, The New York Times, and Portland Tough Guy News covered Sabonis’s departure and the changing fortunes of both teams.
• Sabonis signed a lucrative deal with the Trail Blazers, who celebrated his return and expected him to help their title push.
• New York fans acknowledged Sabonis’s contributions and understood that the Knicks could not match Portland’s offer because of their salary constraints.
• Knicks fans debated whether Sabonis’s exit would free Li Fei to become the undisputed offensive centerpiece or expose gaps in the team’s interior depth.
• The chapter concluded that the Knicks’ dynasty had been founded on Li Fei, the 23-year-old star who had dominated the league for four years.

After Sabonis left for the Trail Blazers, the Knicks began preparing for a new season built around Li Fei as their sole star. A TNT roundtable predicted that New York would be less stable but potentially more dangerous in the playoffs, leaving Li Fei to carry the Dynasty alone.

• The Knicks players and Van Gundy faced the end of the twin-tower era as Li Fei continued training calmly.
• Kevin Harlan opened a TNT roundtable to discuss whether the Knicks would weaken or grow stronger after Sabonis's departure.
• Marv Albert argued that concentrating the offense around Li Fei would free his scoring and playmaking from the old system's constraints.
• Bill Walton warned that losing Sabonis weakened the Knicks' interior defense and would place a heavy physical burden on Li Fei.
• Kevin Harlan and the commentators predicted a slightly worse regular-season record but greater playoff danger as the Knicks began their single-core era.

After Sabonis left, the Knicks planned to promote Latrell Sprewell while pursuing Michael Jordan to preserve their title chances and commercial appeal. Jordan accepted New York’s three-year, $45 million offer, setting the stage for him to join Li Fei.

• The Knicks’ management acknowledged that Sabonis would sign with the Trail Blazers and discussed the risks of relying on Latrell Sprewell as the second scorer.
• The Knicks’ owner directed the front office to pursue Michael Jordan as a star who could help the team compete and protect its future popularity.
• The Knicks offered Jordan a guaranteed three-year contract worth $45 million.
• Jordan weighed the offer against his ties to Chicago, his desire to face Li Fei, and the commercial opportunities in New York.
• Jordan called his agent and agreed to sign with the Knicks, and news of his decision spread across the league.

The Knicks celebrated after Michael Jordan agreed to join New York, turning Sabonis’s departure into a major signing alongside Li Fei. The news swept across the country, while Chicago’s media mourned Jordan’s departure from the Bulls.

• The Knicks’ general manager announced that Michael Jordan had agreed to join the team, prompting the executives to celebrate.
• James Dolan recalled his long effort to recruit Jordan and said Li Fei and Jordan would make New York the focus of the coming season.
• Dolan ordered the Knicks to announce the signing across the country and hold a major press conference.
• American sports media rapidly covered Jordan’s move, predicting that his partnership with Li Fei would make the Knicks a championship powerhouse.
• The Chicago Tribune reported Jordan’s departure with regret, marking the end of his fifteen-year Bulls legacy.

Jordan signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the Knicks, joining Li Fei and transforming New York into a title favorite. Fans across the country reacted to the pairing, while Bulls fans accepted Jordan’s departure and mourned the end of his Chicago era.

• Sports media and fans across the United States focused on Jordan’s move to New York and the new partnership with Li Fei.
• Neutral fans marveled at the Knicks’ lineup, which also included Allan Houston, Sprewell, and Stephen Jackson, and viewed the team as a major contender.
• Knicks fans celebrated Jordan’s signing and anticipated watching the former rivals play together at Madison Square Garden.
• Bulls fans respected Jordan’s choice to accept New York’s three-year contract and regretted that his red No. 23 jersey would no longer play at the United Center.

TNT analysts debated how Michael Jordan’s arrival and Li Fei’s move to center would reshape the Knicks in the 1999–2000 season. They judged the new lineup formidable but noted that Li Fei’s heavy workload without a traditional backup big man was its main risk.

• Bulls fans bid Jordan a warm farewell, while New York fans celebrated his signing and neutral fans reacted with astonishment.
• Kevin Harlan, Marv Albert, and Bill Walton opened a TNT special to assess how Jordan would change the Knicks after Sabonis’s departure.
• Marv Albert predicted that Li Fei would move to center, and Bill Walton explained that the Knicks lacked a top-tier interior backup.
• The commentators traced Li Fei’s progression from center to power forward and small forward, arguing that his return to center was a tactical upgrade.
• The analysts praised the starting lineup of Sprewell, Allan Houston, Michael Jordan, Donyell Marshall, and Li Fei for its balance, versatility, and multiple scoring options.
• The analysts warned that Li Fei would face an extreme workload over the 82-game season but believed his Titanium Alloy Physique could handle it.

Nike executives reviewed the reaction to Michael Jordan joining the Knicks and found that the move had boosted the AJ Brand rather than causing a fan backlash. They approved a new marketing campaign built around Jordan and Li Fei, as the Knicks’ legendary summer continued.

• Nike’s president presented online sentiment data showing that fans understood and welcomed Jordan’s move to the Knicks.
• Nike executives noted that AJ preorders and searches for classic models had surged after Jordan’s signing announcement.
• The president concluded that Jordan’s move had expanded AJ’s audience by linking the brand to New York and Li Fei.
• Nike’s leadership approved a global “Legendary New Chapter” campaign focused on Jordan’s New York shoes and his partnership with Li Fei.
• Nike executives agreed to increase New York events and promote the two stars’ on-court partnership through game broadcasts.

After signing with the Knicks, Michael Jordan received a call from Li Fei, who challenged him to report for the team’s demanding training standards. Jordan accepted the challenge and prepared to leave for Madison Square Garden.

• Michael Jordan completed his three-year, $45 million contract with New York and planned to depart Chicago the next morning.
• Li Fei called Jordan and congratulated him on joining the Knicks.
• Li Fei told Jordan that the Knicks’ core players trained every evening and expected him to report despite having just signed.
• Jordan felt anger at Li Fei’s challenge, then rekindled his competitive spirit and told him to wait.
• Jordan hung up, changed into his sportswear, and got ready to train.

Jordan rushed from Chicago to Madison Square Garden to meet Li Fei for training, driven to answer Li Fei’s challenge about his discipline. The chapter ended with Li Fei tossing Jordan a basketball and calling for a one-on-one game.

• Jordan told his agent to book the earliest flight to New York and postponed his other commitments so he could reach the court that night.
• Jordan flew from Chicago to New York without resting, reviewing his game and past battles with Li Fei during the journey.
• Jordan ignored reporters at the airport and went straight to Madison Square Garden without checking into his arranged accommodation.
• Jordan entered the empty training gym and found Li Fei waiting alone after a long practice.
• Li Fei threw Jordan a basketball and challenged him to play one-on-one.