Three days before the draft, Boston and Detroit finalized a trade for the 10th overall pick.
The Pistons ' asking price was very shrewd.
They want Derrick Anderson, the Celtics ' own 25th overall pick in the first round, two future second-round picks, plus a cash payment.
In 1998, exchanging such a large bag of loose chips for a lottery pick on the edge of the top ten was somewhat of a premium.
Anderson was a lottery pick last year, averaging double-digit points in his rookie season. He was a valuable asset with both potential and immediate impact. The two general managers went back and forth at the negotiating table several times. Lin Qi deliberately acted like an eager young buyer, adding the two future second-round picks and a sum of cash as final throws to the deal in order to finalize it as quickly as possible.
Detroit's management felt this was a brilliant move, not only acquiring much-needed young key players but also managing to extract more benefits from the Boston Celtics during the trade negotiations.
But Lin Qi, sitting in his office, didn't care about this small stake at all.
He only focused on one name: Chris Paul Pierce.
Of course, not a single word of this name should be leaked from the Celtics' management.
Pierce's performance in college was outstanding. As an All-American and the absolute core of the University of Kansas, his draft stock consistently ranked in the top five. He was physically strong, had solid fundamentals, a reliable mid-range shot, and was particularly adept at drawing fouls. He was widely recognized as the most mature college player in the league since Jason Kidd. No matter how you look at it, it was impossible for him to fall to the tenth pick.
Pierce and his agent thought the same way. They believed that going to a top-five team was a sure thing, so they arrogantly rejected all offers from teams ranked below the top five, looked down on other draft positions, and had no intention of coming to Boston for a tryout.
Lin Qi simply didn't even send out tryout invitations.
At this critical juncture, suddenly contacting a top-five player isn't a gesture of goodwill; it's a reminder to all competitors in the league: I'm keeping an eye on him.
Lin Qi suffered too many losses at the hands of that cunning old fox Jerry West in Los Angeles. Back then, Kobe, Peja, O'Neal Jr. all fell victim to the old fox's underhanded tactics because management leaked information.
The person you truly want should never be allowed near your training facility.
With the draft night approaching, Boston showed absolutely no interest in Pierce.
No phone calls, no tryouts, no dinners.
Instead, Lin Qi went to great lengths to bring Dirk Nowitzki from Europe to Boston.
This tryout was organized in an extremely high-profile manner, as if they wanted paparazzi from all over the United States to come to the FleetCenter Arena to watch the excitement.
2 PM.
Side entrance to the FleetCenter Arena.
A blond, somewhat timid-looking young Germany man entered the building accompanied by his assistant coach. He looked at the legendary green and white mosaic flooring in the FleetCenter North Shore Garden, a hint of timid awe flashing in his eyes. His oversized green training uniform was particularly conspicuous, hanging loosely on his body, making him appear even more like a bamboo pole lacking any real resistance.
This scene was captured on camera by a reporter from the Boston Globe who was waiting at the door.
The next morning, the sports section's headline was out. Veteran columnist Bob Ryan wrote in extremely scathing terms:
Lin Qi's High-Stakes Gamble: Larry Bird Larry Bird's Successor, or the Next International Speculator?
This news completely captivated Boston fans. A white, tall guy with exceptionally accurate shooting. The moment Nowitzki stepped onto the court in his green jersey, veteran fans watching on TV could almost picture Larry Bird Larry Bird. While comparing a rookie who had never experienced American-style physicality to a legend is unprofessional, Boston fans bought into it.
Not only did Lin Qi not clarify the situation, he also had his scouting manager leak information to reporters he had close relationships with.
"That kid's shooting form is unique, like a guard's."
" Garnett needs a big man who can create space around the defense."
These few internal comments reached the Pistons ' management within half a day, and other teams holding lottery picks also received the news.
The Pistons ' general manager called Lin Qi's office directly and laughed out loud on the other end of the line.
"Lin, judging from the tone of your scouts, is Boston planning to find Larry Bird stand-in on the international market to boost ticket sales?"
Lin Qi leaned against the table with one hand, twirling his pen, without saying a word.
"Silence means consent." The Pistons manager, feeling he'd seen through the situation, spoke with a hint of smugness. "That big Germany guy, the reporters even photographed you treating him to a steak after the tryout, no matter how well-done it was."
Lin Qi smiled at the other person's self-righteous tone.
When did Detroit start caring about who Boston wanted to vote for?
The person on the other end of the phone laughed along, their tone carrying a hint of condescension and superiority.
"Don't misunderstand, we just want to double-check before signing."
When will the document be signed?
Before hanging up, the Pistons ' representative asked one last question, "For the sake of our friendship, are you really going to draft that Germany?"
Lin Qi did not answer.
There was only a hissing sound from the receiver.
Five seconds later, he let out a cold laugh.
"I'm paid a high salary by the Celtics, not writing scouting reports for your Detroit Pistons over the phone."
The call was immediately disconnected.
But this firm refusal only elicited knowing smiles from the Detroit management in the meeting room.
They felt they understood perfectly: the young Boston manager had been exposed and was now furious.
In their view, this made perfect sense. A Celtics that had just changed owners, desperately needing to prove themselves again and, incidentally, win over local long-time fans; a Europe white power forward with the aura of Larry Bird who could shoot; a story that the Boston media would hype for three months straight.
The logic is completely closed loop.
No one would be so idle as to make any connection to that black wing player from the University of Kansas. Everyone was focused on his incredible athleticism; only Lin Qi saw in the videotape Pierce's post-up game far beyond his years, his phenomenal ability to draw fouls, and most importantly...
His inherent ruggedness and resilience are a natural fit for Boston.
Half an hour later, the formal transaction framework was filed at the alliance office.
Boston secured the 10th pick.
Detroit acquired the young guard and draft picks they wanted.
Before faxing the document to the New York Union headquarters, Lin Qi personally checked each clause three times on his computer.
He leaned back in his chair, slowly lit a cigarette, and watched the smoke dissipate in the dim light.
"Fall down, Chris Paul." Lin Qi stared at the name.
The plan has been set up. Now, it remains to be seen whether the entire league will indeed be blind to the potential outcomes of this draft, just as he predicted.