In late April 1998, springtime in Boston was strange.
The weather remained gloomy and cold, with rain pounding against the car windows in successive downpours, and the sea breeze blowing from the Atlantic Ocean making faces stiff.
In the 1997-98 season, the Boston Celtics had a regular season record of 60 wins and 22 losses, ranking second in the Eastern Conference.
However, the humiliation of being swept 0-3 in the first round of the playoffs turned this record into a great irony.
ESPN's sports news has started using the most glaring red scrolling text to report headlines.
Shocking the nation! Seventh-seeded New York Knicks sweep Eastern Conference -seeded Boston Celtics 3-0!
Celtics become a laughing stock in history: their star-studded 60-win season is swept aside in the first round.
This crushing defeat alarmed the true masterminds behind Boston.
The night the series ended, Lin Qi was taken directly to the private residence of owner Chris Paul Gaston.
In the classically styled, heavy mahogany study, Mr. Gaston swirled the whiskey in his glass, his face flickering in the firelight of the fireplace.
Gaston watched the footage of Pitino being interviewed by the media on television and sneered.
"Lin, I pay those star players' salaries so they can win on the court, not so they can be a foil for a college coach's ego. Boston doesn't need a dictator who puts himself above the team's interests."
Lin Qi stood at the table, his expression calm. "If he stays, we won't be able to keep either Gary Payton or Garnett."
The owner of Gaston slammed his glass down on the table, the ice cubes clanging against the glass. "Notify his agent. Given that he led the team to sixty wins in the regular season, the club will give him a final shred of dignity in front of the media. Let him go under under the pretext of 'resigning voluntarily due to health reasons.'"
With the boss personally in charge, this irresistible cleaning order took full effect as the clock struck midnight.
Rick Pitino's dominant season in Boston ended in a darkly humorous way, after being swept, but in a dignified manner.
Sixty wins in the regular season.
Second seed from the Eastern Conference.
The best defense in the league.
An unbeatable home record of 36 wins and 5 losses.
In the first round of the playoffs, they were down 0-3.
They were cleanly and decisively defeated by the seventh seed from the Eastern Conference.
These are all things that actually happened in the past few months.
But it is precisely because every single word of it truly happened that this historic defeat, presented to American fans at this very moment, seems so absurd.
He knew very well that from the moment Pitino left Boston with that decent severance package, he would have to sit alone in his office and reread that regular season summary filled with glory.
This time, he sat there to personally review the autopsy report of this once-glorious Boston Celtics that had fallen at its peak with sixty wins.
At the season-ending meeting, he laid out several key statistics from the year on the table.
Team record: 60 wins and 22 losses (36 wins and 5 losses at home / 24 wins and 17 losses away)
Average points per game: 101.4
Average points allowed per game: 89.6
Defensive metrics: 1st in defensive efficiency, 3rd in rebounding rate, lowest opponent field goal percentage in the paint, 1st in blocks per game, and 1st in steals per game.
Turnover metric: Fifth worst in the entire league in terms of turnovers.
Gary Payton (No. 20)
Averages: 18.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 2.5 steals per game
Field goal percentage: 45.9% for field goals, 34.8% for three-pointers, and 78.6% for free throws.
Honors: All-Star, All-NBA First Team, NBA All-Defensive First Team
In his first year in Boston, Gary Payton's scoring and three-point shooting weren't exactly career highs, but he remained one of the best defensive perimeter players in the league. His stats don't reflect his impact in the fourth quarter when he was playing with everything he had. He had a bad temper, often clashing with Pitino and even disregarding the coach's tactics. But in the final five minutes, everyone knew that giving him the ball was the right thing to do.
[ Eddie Jones (No. 7)]
Averages: 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.1 steals, 0.8 blocks per game
Field goal percentage: 48.7% for field goals, 39.1% for three-pointers, and 82.4% for free throws.
Honors: NBA All-Defensive Second Team
Jones is a practical wing player who doesn't vie for attention but quietly gets the job done. He doesn't like to show off, but on the defensive end, he can use his long arms and good judgment to shut down the opponent's key scorer. He doesn't hold onto the ball, he's reliable on open three-pointers, he never slacks off in defensive rotations, and he can even step in and hold off Gary Payton when he's about to explode. Coaches across the league voted for him, making him the All-Defensive Second Team, which is a testament to the value of his defense.
[ Robert Horry (No. 8)]
Averages: 7.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.2 blocks per game
Field goal percentage: 46.9% for field goals, 38.3% for three-pointers, and 76.5% for free throws.
His stats may seem mediocre, but Horry is the kind of role player every championship-contending team wants. He makes almost no mistakes on the court, always finds his place in the core defensive position, and his corner three-pointers are reliable. More importantly, he's experienced, and when tensions rise in the locker room, he can calm the younger players down with a few words, making him an excellent mediator.
[ Kevin Garnett (No. 5)]
Averages: 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 2.1 blocks per game
Field goal percentage: 49.8% for field goals, 33.5% for three-pointers, and 79.4% for free throws.
Honors: All-Star, All-NBA Third Team, NBA All-Defensive Second Team
In his contract year, Garnett established himself as the team's absolute core player with his all-around offensive and defensive performance. After targeted training, he mastered free-throw line playmaking, turnaround jump shots, and high-post handoffs, and his three-point shooting began to become consistent, making his offensive arsenal very diverse. His improvement on the defensive end was also obvious; his positioning and help defense showed a better overall understanding of the game, and he no longer relied solely on his physical talent.
What pleased Lin Qi even more was that he and Gary Payton developed excellent pick-and-roll chemistry on the court, and the two also built a strong brotherly bond off the court.
It's extremely rare in the entire league for a 21-year-old to average 5 assists and 2 blocks per game on both offense and defense.
[ Dikembe Mutombo (No. 55)]
Averages: 10.7 points, 12.1 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.4 steals, 3.3 blocks per game
Field goal percentage: 52.8% for field goals, 67.2% for free throws.
(Actual age unknown) At 31, Mutombo remains one of the league's top interior defensive anchors. As long as he's in the paint, opposing drives to the basket have to worry about his rim protection and shot-blocking ability. With him and Garnett on the court, the Celtics can maintain the league's best defensive efficiency.
[ Chauncey Billups Billups (No. 4)]
Averages: 5.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists per game
Field goal percentage: 38.6% for field goals, 34.2% for three-pointers, and 79.1% for free throws.
As a backup point guard, these stats are indeed a bit meager. But he endured a whole year of criticism alongside Gary Payton, and his growth happened behind the scenes.
Chauncey Billups has gradually broken free of his previous awkward position—he used to be considered too short to play shooting guard and lacked the fundamentals to play point guard. Now, he's learning to anticipate the opponent's defensive intentions before executing plays, and his passing and playmaking have shown significant improvement. His basketball IQ and experience are steadily increasing, and he's gradually approaching the threshold of a qualified backup point guard.
Lin Qi turned to the last page and closed the file.
It's time to start preparing for the next draft.