After the preseason, the Celtics had a record of 6 wins and 2 losses.
The Boston media began to hype it up wildly, praising the "rebirth of a powerhouse" and head coach Rick Pitino's "iron-fisted discipline" to the skies.
But this is all just outsiders watching the spectacle. The reality is that Pitino's full-court press, which was invincible in college, simply doesn't work in the NBA.
Many games are won purely because of the team's inherent talent.
What's worse is the conflict in the locker room.
Gary Payton, a veteran with a long-standing reputation, simply couldn't stand Pitino lecturing him like a student every day. After a conflict during a training session, the locker room was vaguely divided into two factions: one was the " Kentucky Gang " who followed Pitino, and the other was the disgruntled players led by Gary Payton.
After a brief training session, President Lin Qi pushed open the door to the head coach's office.
Pitino sat behind his desk, his face grim. The moment he saw Lin Qi, he began to complain, " Gary Payton needs to understand one thing: I'm the coach here, and everyone must obey my discipline unconditionally."
Lin Qi pulled out a chair and sat down, interrupting him bluntly. " Rick, stop dreaming, this is the NBA."
Pitino was stunned.
"The future and life or death of college players are entirely in your hands; whatever you say, they have to listen. But these stars here have guaranteed contracts worth millions... tens of millions of dollars... You can't treat these established professional players like brainless college students with a condescending attitude."
Pitino gritted his teeth. "If I give in to Gary Payton, how will I ever be able to stand in the locker room again?"
"Giving him some freedom on the court is better for everyone, isn't it?" Lin Qi stood up and walked out.
After leaving the office, Lin Qi didn't go home. Instead, he went straight to the underground parking lot and blocked Gary Payton's car as he was about to drive away.
Gary Payton tilted his head and sneered, "President Lin, why are you blocking my way in the middle of the night? Are you relaying a message from that ' The Pope ' inside, telling me to behave myself on the training field tomorrow?"
" Gary, if you continue to slack off in training, you're just handing him leverage over you, giving him a legitimate reason to use you as a scapegoat to set an example." Lin Qi leaned against a pillar, his voice low.
"Set rules? I've been in the league for seven years and I've never seen a college coach manage to stay in the NBA coaching position!" Gary Payton spat.
"You can hate him to death in private," Lin Qi stared intently at him, "And you can use your performance on the court to prove how stupid it is for him to try to transplant his college methods to the NBA. But remember this bottom line... Don't use the most rude actions to argue with the head coach about who's the boss in front of the nationally televised cameras. Gary, we're in the same boat, I'm protecting you."
Gary Payton was silent for a moment, then spat out his chewing gum and asked with a cold laugh, "You're calculating this so meticulously with me in the middle of the night... do you also think that there's bound to be trouble in the locker room sooner or later?"
Lin Qi didn't answer. Gary Payton stepped on the gas, and the sports car disappeared into the darkness.
The last person Lin Qi wanted to see was Kevin Garnett.
It was past 10 Late Night., and most of the lights in the main arena were off. Garnett, shirtless, stubbornly repeated the same routine of catching, jumping, and shooting in the corner. He was exhausted from running shuttle runs that afternoon, and the ball kept hitting the front of the rim, making him look very frustrated.
Lin Qi walked down the stands, stood under the basket, and casually became the young man's unpaid caddie.
"Lin..." Garnett held the ball, his voice full of confusion, "Was what Gary said in the locker room this afternoon right or wrong?"
" Gary is absolutely right; that's how you play to win," Lin Qi said, passing the ball back to him, "But that doesn't mean you can openly cause trouble."
"Damn it, I hate your bureaucratic tone of playing both sides!" Garnett, somewhat annoyed.
"Kid, I've offended the coach and Gary Payton tonight, I don't care if I curse you too." Lin Qi patted the backboard cushion. " Pitino wants to act like a local tyrant, that's fine; Gary Payton wants special privileges, that's fine too. Just mind your own business and play your game."
"So what should I do? Pretend to be deaf and dumb and act like a dead person?"
"Your task is simple: win." Lin Qi looked directly at him. "Winning is the best painkiller. As long as you keep winning, any conflict can be suppressed by the winning record. Don't take sides, and don't meddle."
Garnett lowered his head and thought for a long time before asking in a low voice, "What about my contract extension? When can I sign it?"
"This is a matter between you, your agent, and the owner; don't worry about it." Lin Qi slung his trench coat over his shoulder. "You, Kevin Garnett, are not for sale for the next twenty years. Even if the owner is a real tightwad, I'll find a way to sign you back."
Upon hearing this, Garnett finally flashed a smile, revealing two rows of white teeth. "Lin, I'd heard you were ruthless when negotiating, and now I believe it."
"Nonsense."
Garnett returned to the three-point line, assuming a ball-calling stance, his eyes less naive and more ruthless. "Lin, I'm here to be a superstar, not to be a college coach's good son. If that old man in white tries to manage me like he manages college students, I don't know what I'll do. But I've remembered what you said today, and I absolutely will not publicly cause trouble."
Lin Qi looked at him and gave him his first satisfied smile of the night, "Use your brain, don't be used as a pawn."
The opening match.
The Washington Bullets ' starting point guard, Rod Strickland, had barely dribbled the ball across half-court when Gary Payton swarmed him like a demon.
Gary Payton's chest was pressed firmly against his opponent's, and he spat directly at the opponent's face. "Is that all you've got? You dribble like you're pushing your grandma across the street!"
Just as the opponent was about to change direction in frustration, Gary Payton's " The Glove " had already precisely struck the ball.
Snap! Successful interception.
"Run, kid!" Gary Payton yelled at the forward line without even looking at the ball.
Gary Payton's pass seemed to have eyes, slipping through the fingers of two defenders, traversing the entire field with pinpoint accuracy.
Garnett receives the ball, takes off from just inside the free-throw line.
boom!
The basketball hoop emitted a muffled thud, as if it were about to break down, and the entire arena seemed to explode instantly.
"Open your mouth wide, kid. I'll chop these pieces of trash up and feed them to you tonight." Gary Payton didn't even look at the defender opposite him, but arrogantly patted Garnett's chest, looking as smug as a desperado who had just robbed a bank.
Garnett landed on his feet, pounding his chest and roaring furiously at the audience. He grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, and the youthful innocence in his eyes was gradually being completely swallowed up by the ruthless and thuggish aura brought by Gary Payton.
On the sidelines, head coach Pitino was about to raise his hand to call out tactics, but halfway up, he stiffly lowered his hand again.
The cheers from the crowd were so loud that no one could hear what he was shouting...