A week before the NBA draft, the torrential rains in Boston finally stopped.
In his top-floor office at the FleetCenter Arena, Lin Qi sank into a leather chair, twirling a pen in his hand.
On the surface, the 1998 Chicago Bulls were riding high. They had just defeated the Utah Jazz in the NBA Finals to complete their second three-peat in franchise history. All the sports channels in the United States were broadcasting the footage of Michael Jordan shaking off Byron Russell and making the "shot of the century" 24 hours a day.
All of Chicago was in a frenzy of drinking, partying, and celebrations.
This was not a victory celebration banquet at all.
This was a parting meal that ended as soon as it was over.
Phil Jackson and management have completely broken ties, and it's impossible for him to renew his contract...
Scottie Pippen, who has been on a "child labor contract" for many years, has been holding back his anger for a long time, and will definitely leave when his contract expires in the summer.
Dennis Rodman's knees were ruined, his discipline was broken, and his mind was entirely on the casinos and wrestling rings in Las Vegas.
As for role players like Steve Kerr and Luke Luc Longley, they are all planning their exit strategies.
The whole world is waiting for Jordan's answer: stay or go.
Only Lin Qi didn't need to wait, because he had the standard the Answer in his mind.
"Knock knock knock."
There was a knock on the office door.
The scouting manager strode in, placed a stack of newspapers still smelling of ink on the table, and then tactfully withdrew.
The top one is from a local Chicago newspaper with a very jarring headline.
Jerry Krause ' Summer: Reconstruction or Betrayal?
Jerry Krause, general manager of the Chicago Bulls, and the mastermind behind their six-time championship dynasty.
But at the same time, he is also the most frustrated and psychologically twisted championship manager in the entire league.
For the past eight years, Jordan has publicly called him "fatty" in the locker room and mocked his height. Pippen has used all sorts of profanities to insult his ancestors on the bus.
The media attributed the Chicago Bulls ' success entirely to Jordan, Pippen, and Zen Master. Who would care about a short, stout general manager who spent all his time behind the scenes?
Jerry Krause hated feeling like he was being ignored.
At 3 p. m., the encrypted phone call between Boston and Chicago went through.
Jerry Krause's voice came through the receiver, tinged with barely concealed impatience. "Lin, I heard things' been quite lively in Boston lately. Even the boss, Gaston, is about to be fired?"
"Small-scale stuff, nothing compared to Chicago." Lin Qi sank back in his chair, his tone languid. "The whole nation is cheering for your three-peat, Jerry."
A cold laugh immediately came from the other end of the phone, devoid of any of the triumphant air of a championship manager, filled only with self-deprecation and exhaustion. "Damn three-peat! Now all the reporters are asking me about Michael... Michael this... Michael that... They only ever have Michael in their eyes!"
Lin Qi deliberately paused for two seconds, then suddenly spoke.
"You can't win a championship with just players and coaches."
"It depends on the operation of the entire club."
This quote is what Jerry Krause considers his guiding principle, but it's also the "famous quote" that led to him being relentlessly attacked by the American media.
Jerry... I understand your situation.
Jerry Krause tentatively asked, "Lin... is that really what you think?"
"Of course I think so, Jerry. The layman sees the spectacle, the expert sees the strategy. Without the management orchestrating things behind the scenes, how could the team possibly win the championship?"
Who do you want to buy? Or who do you want to sell?
Lin Qi first threw out a bait. " Ron Mercer."
In an era when shooting guards were in short supply, Mercer was labeled "the next Jordan " by the media early on.
Of course, at that time, the rookies hailed as " Jordan's successor" could be found all the way from Boston to Los Angeles.
Lin Qi pressed his advantage. "I know that during last year's draft, I was very optimistic about that young man named Tracy... I even considered trading Pippen for him."
Jerry Krause couldn't sit still any longer. "You're willing to put Tracy McGrady on the shelf?!"
"Look at the price, Jerry," Lin Qi said with a faint smile. "You know better than I what this level of talent means in Chicago right now."
The Chicago Bulls' current roster is full of traces of the Jordan and Pippen era. Jerry Krause desperately wants to kick these arrogant old guys out, but he can't bear the stigma of destroying a championship team. He has to dismantle the old dynasty while bringing new hope to Chicago fans.
" Jerry, if you just give your approval, you can hold your head high and tell the media tomorrow... The Chicago Bulls have completed a great transition between generations."
"You want Tony Kukoč?"
"No, I don't want Kukoč, Jerry." Lin Qi refused decisively. "That Croatia is very useful to you. If Kukoč stays, Chicago won't look like it collapsed into ruins overnight, and you'll get scolded less."
Lin Qi was always mindful of his public image, which gave Jerry Krause a strange sense of trust.
Then, Lin Qi finally revealed his fangs.
"I only want Ron Harper."
Jerry Krause frowned deeply, his tone full of suspicion. " Harper?"
"As long as Harper is still wearing his Chicago Bulls jersey on the court, every time Chicago fans see him, they'll miss Michael and Scottie."
Lin Qi paused deliberately, waiting for Jerry Krause's breathing to become heavier on the other end of the phone before continuing.
"Only by getting rid of him can you completely erase the traces of those old guys."
" Jerry, this should be your team."
"It doesn't Phil, it doesn't belong to Scottie, and it certainly doesn't belong to Michael Jordan."
"Lin... name your bottom line, how much will it take for you to release these two young men?"
Lin Qi laid out the framework for the deal. " Ron Harper."
"And... your first-round draft picks from 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2005. All of them are unprotected."
"This is absolutely impossible! Lin, have you taken the wrong medicine?!" Jerry Krause almost screamed on the other end of the receiver.
Lin Qi couldn't help but chuckle softly.
" Jerry, what are you afraid of? You guys are a super dynasty that just won three consecutive championships."
"Is there any idiot in America right now who thinks the Chicago Bulls won't even make the playoffs next year?"
Before Jerry Krause could refute, Lin Qi continued to casually flatter him.
"You have McGrady and Mercer in your hands, and Kukoč is still there, so you don't need to worry about attendance at the United Center. There aren't many decent teams in the Eastern Conference next year. If you keep these draft picks, at best you'll only get a few mid-to-late first-round picks. Are you going to keep them to breed more kids?"
Lin Qi didn't give the other party time to think, and continued to escalate the situation.
"This is an opportunity to wash away eight years of humiliation and prove to the world that you are the only true master of Chicago."
"Just imagine, a few years from now, in June, when the completely new Chicago Bulls you built lifts the O'Brien Trophy again, everyone will have to tearfully admit one thing..."
"The management team is indeed greater than any individual."
Jerry Krause finally spoke, " Ron Harper, four unprotected first-round picks in 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2005. Salary? Still a little short. Who do you want to use to balance that out?"
"Plus Tony Delk."
"Make a deal."
Boston Celtics traded:
Tracy McGrady
Ron Mercer
Tony Delk
Chicago Bulls traded:
Ron Harper
1999 Chicago Bulls first round, unprotected
2001 Chicago Bulls first round, unprotected
2003 Chicago Bulls first round, unprotected
2005 Chicago Bulls first round, unprotected