In February 1997, a huge gold banner hung under the dome of Gund Arena in Cleveland—"NBA 50th Anniversary".
There was some snow outside the stadium, but the stadium was packed with people.
This is the NBA's 50th anniversary celebration, where 50 of the greatest players in history have gathered in Cleveland. Russell, Magic, Jordan... these names, which usually only appear in documentaries, walked onto the same floor one after another. The legends of the older generation lined up without saying a word, yet the young players on the sidelines slowed their breathing.
That year's Eastern Conference frontcourt was terrifyingly star-studded. In the first round of fan voting and coaching selection, the starting lineup had already been secured by Detroit's darling Grant Hill and the Chicago Bulls' second-in -Detroit Scottie Pippen. On the bench sat Milwaukee's Vin Baker, Charlotte's muscle beast Anthony Mason, and Chris Webber of Washington's twin stars. A twenty-year-old sophomore who had recently struggled through a game after being physically choked by Derrick Coleman should have had absolutely no chance of getting a spot among these monsters.
However, God played a cruel joke on the Eastern Conference that year—a sudden wave of injuries completely disrupted the landscape.
With both Patrick Ewing and Mourning sidelined due to injury, then-NBA Commissioner David Stern moved Dikembe Mutombo, who was originally selected as a reserve, into the starting lineup to fill the vacancy at center, thus freeing up a valuable frontcourt reserve spot in the Eastern All-Stars roster.
According to NBA rules, injury replacements are not determined by fan votes, but are directly appointed by the league commissioner.
The Atlanta Hawks immediately began promoting their star power forward, Doug Christie Laettner, in the media. Laettner averaged 18.1 points and 8.8 rebounds this season, Hawks' management believed that such a traditional and consistent star center was the safest choice to fill the All-Star vacancy.
However, due to the loss of Mutombo in this timeline, the Hawks ' overall record was surpassed by the Boston Celtics before the All-Star break. What the league office could not ignore even more was Kevin Garnett's near-perfect performance in Boston.
Garnett not only maintained his high-quality defense this season, but also developed some ability to facilitate from the high post and create space on the perimeter.
As of early February, Garnett was averaging 18.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game, and even demonstrated a three-point shooting range rarely seen for a big man.
Faced with the provocative remarks from the Atlanta media, Lin Qi didn't engage in a war of words. He simply had the front office send a compilation of Garnett's high-post playmaking and outside shooting highlights from this season, along with the Celtics' impressive record, to the league headquarters in New York.
Faced with a clear advantage in record and more dynamic statistics, Laettner's mediocre 18 points and 8 rebounds were clearly less convincing. After comprehensively considering the team's record and the entertainment value of the All-Star Game, David Stern made his final decision.
On February 6, the league officially announced that Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett had been selected to the 1997 Eastern All-Stars team.
From the second-floor VIP box, Lin Qi looked down at the Eastern Conference bench.
The usually passionate and boisterous boy was unusually quiet, clutching a bottle of water tightly in his hand.
Six months ago, when Lin Qi defied public opinion and broke up the Celtics, the entire American media was overwhelmingly criticizing him for destroying the foundation of the team and for being delusional.
Now, Boston has selected two All-Star centers at this epic event, which is the best response to the doubts.
In addition to these two big men, Michael Finley was also invited to participate in Saturday night's Slam Dunk Contest.
Lin Qi stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass of the VIP box on the second floor, his gaze sweeping across the court and landing on the eighteen-year-old boy wearing a purple and gold number 8 jersey who was warming up alone.
Kobe Brian.
As the DJ roared, the lights in Cleveland's Gund Arena suddenly dimmed, and the 1997 All-Star Slam Dunk Contest officially began.
Then Finley took the court. As a top favorite to win the championship, his first dunk was a high-difficulty windmill dunk. He stretched his body completely in the air, like an eagle spreading its wings. However, at the last moment of gathering the ball, the basketball slammed hard against the front of the rim and flew out.
Penny Hardaway Hardaway, sitting on the sidelines, even yawned out of boredom.
Finley's face instantly flushed. He didn't dare to play with fire for the second dunk, and instead obediently smashed the rim with a powerful alley-oop windmill dunk, thus barely managing to squeeze into the finals as the runner-up.
And the player ranked first on the finals roster was none other than the cold-eyed Lakers rookie, Kobe Brian.
Finley sat on the bench, staring at Kobe wiping his sweat, and unconsciously clenched his fist. If he could just beat this eighteen-year-old rookie in the finals, he would be Boston's hero.
What he didn't know was that just a few hours earlier in the practice room, Minnesota's dunking star Chris Carl, after watching Kobe's dunk attempt, had despairingly said to Finley, "If that kid pulls off that move tonight, we'll all just be fighting for second place."
The final match has begun.
Driven to desperation, Finley decided to take a desperate gamble, opting for an extremely difficult move that resembled acrobatics—a side-handed flip-over dunk while running up!
He sprinted forward, completely losing his balance in mid-air. The basketball bounced off the rim and he fell heavily to the ground, pounding the floor in frustration.
He lost the bet, lost everything.
All eyes instantly turned to Kobe as he walked toward the baseline.
The 18-year-old Lakers rookie leisurely tossed the ball into the air, then sped off. He leaped into the air, caught the ball, and amidst the breathless stares of 20,000 people, he executed an incredibly fluid between-the-legs dribble in mid-air, followed by a stunning behind-the-back dunk!
Bang!
The dull thud of the ball hitting the rim instantly ignited the entire Gund Arena!
Flowing like clouds and water, elegant yet ruthless in a way that sends chills down your spine.
49 points! Almost perfect!
When Kobe lifted the trophy that made him the youngest dunk champion in history, there was no ecstasy on his face, only a calm acceptance.
"The newly crowned 18-year-old Slam Dunk Champion." Lin Qi leaned against the railing of the VIP box, watching the young Kobe below the stage, raising the trophy with a haughty expression.
Not far away, Garnett was also staring at the center of the court. The two young men exchanged a glance across the crowd amidst the cheers of the crowd.
The NBA All-Star Game will be the final event on Sunday.
When 20-year-old Garnett stood on the Eastern Conference bench as one of the youngest All-Stars in history, listening to the thunderous applause from the crowd, Lin Qi knew that the young man's destiny had been completely changed.
This night's main game was a celebration for the older generation of superstars. Michael Jordan recorded the first triple-double in All-Star history, and Glen Rice broke the record by scoring 20 points in the third quarter, winning the MVP award.
As a replacement player, Garnett didn't get much playing time, and he seemed a bit rushed when he came on. In the first possession, his face-up shot was too short, and in the second possession, he grabbed a rebound and pushed the fast break himself, but his pass was too hasty and went out of bounds.
"Slow down, kid." Mutombo grabbed Garnett's shoulder as they retreated on defense, his loud voice booming. "This is full of superstars. You don't need to prove yourself in one play. Just do your job."
Garnett tugged at his jersey and let out a breath.
When he returned to the court, he was more alert. After receiving the ball high up the post, he didn't blindly try to contest it. Instead, he caught a glimpse of his teammate cutting to the weak side out of the corner of his eye, flicked his wrist, and delivered a subtle bounce pass that tore through the defense.
Assist for points.
As he retreated on defense, Michael Jordan, waddling along, happened to walk past him and casually remarked, "Nice pass, kid."
Garnett pursed his lips and ran back, his temples throbbing, but Lin Qi could tell that the kid was practically strutting around with his tail between his legs.
That's the significance of the All-Star Game. Lin Qi watched this scene silently from his box. The statistics didn't matter; what mattered was letting Garnett know that he had truly broken into this circle that belonged only to monsters.
As a newcomer Garnett played somewhat cautiously in his limited playing time and didn't have many standout performances.
But when Lin Qi saw Garnett and Mutombo standing side by side on the court, battling hand-to-hand with legendary veterans like Jordan, Pippen, and Carl Malone, he clearly saw a burning ambition in the eyes of that twenty-year-old.
During halftime, the award ceremony for the 50 Greatest Players in History sent the arena into a frenzy. One legend after another walked onto the court, greeted by thunderous applause. Unfortunately, Boston's number 33 was the only one missing, who should have been standing in the very center.
Lin Qi looked around the private room for a while, then turned to his deputy and asked, "Why isn't Larry Bird Larry Bird here on such a big day?"
"Boss, didn't you know? Larry Bird just had back surgery not long ago, and the doctors have strictly forbidden him from flying, or even sitting for long periods," his deputy explained. "I heard he can only lie in his hometown in Indiana and watch TV; he's too immobile to move."
"I see..."
Lin Qi nodded, said nothing more, turned and walked towards the inner room of the private room, closing the heavy soundproof glass door behind him.
The noise outside was instantly shut out. Lin Qi sat back on the sofa, pulled out the private number he had obtained through management channels a while ago, and dialed it on his mobile phone.
The phone rang five times before being answered. The faint sound of a television broadcast ceremony came through the receiver, followed by Larry Bird Larry Bird's signature, slightly husky Indiana nasal voice:
Who is it?
His voice was indifferent, and his words were concise.
"Hello, Mr. Larry Bird, this is Lin Qi." Lin Qi's voice was calm and polite. "I'm sorry to bother you at this time. I'm in Cleveland. I didn't see you at the 50 Greatest Stars ceremony, and after asking around, I learned that you just had surgery."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a soft scoff. Clearly, Larry Bird knew perfectly well that behind Lin Qi's impeccable social niceties lay ulterior motives. Although Larry Bird was retired, he couldn't possibly be unaware of who the president of basketball operations was currently turning Boston upside down.
"Mr. Lin." Larry Bird's tone on the other end of the phone didn't warm up after those words; it remained businesslike. "Alright, enough with the pleasantries. So, what do you want to talk about, specifically choosing this time when the whole league is watching the game live?"
Despite the Larry Bird's subtle rejection, Lin Qi showed no embarrassment; instead, he smiled slightly.
This is the unspoken understanding between smart people: they've used up all their excuses, now it's time to get down to business.
Lin Qi leaned back in his armchair, looking out the glass window at the bustling stadium.
"Mr. Larry Bird, I'd like to talk to you about..."