June 30, 1999, Washington, D. C., MCI Center.
The spotlights of the draft divided the entire arena into dappled patterns of light and shadow.
The Boston scouting department had been on edge for three whole months in preparation for this night.
A huge whiteboard hangs on the wall of the conference room, listing players from the number one draft pick all the way to the end of the second round. Behind each densely packed name is a long string of data: college shooting percentages, physical attributes, injury risks, and even detailed assessments of family background and personality. This is one of the most diligent scouting teams in the entire league. Over the course of a year, they have traveled to every well-known NCAA basketball powerhouse in the United States, and even crossed the Atlantic Ocean to station personnel at various clubs in Europe.
Lin Qi sat at the far end of the conference room, and the list in front of him was different from everyone else's.
The talent show has officially begun.
The number one draft pick, the Chicago Bulls.
NBA Commissioner David Stern walked steadily to the front of the stage, opened the envelope, and read out the name.
" The Chicago Bulls have selected... Elton Brand from Duke University."
A sophomore at Duke University, standing at 2.06 meters tall, he possesses an incredible wingspan and historic finishing ability in the paint. On the ruins of Michael Jordan's retirement and the collapse of the Chicago Bulls dynasty, this former powerhouse has found hope for rebuilding.
The moment the name was announced, the nationally televised studio erupted in cheers. ESPN's commentators, their voices trembling, shouted the news from their seats.
"My God! Less than two years after Michael Jordan's retirement, Chicago has completed its rebuild at lightning speed! The newly drafted number one pick, Elton Brand, paired with Tracy McGrady, who has already shown terrifying superstar potential and reminds us of a young Scottie... plus Ron Mercer, who averaged 17 points per game last season and whose pull-up jump shot even evokes Michael 'Ron style! The Chicago Bulls ' young trident is complete! This is a dream team overflowing with talent; the new overlord of the Eastern Conference has been born!"
In an instant, Chicago's local media headlines were completely out of control. Fans flooded the streets, as if they saw the dawn of a seamless transition to Chicago Bulls dynasty. Faced with this roster on paper consisting of Brand, McGrady, and Mercer, the outside world believed that they were young, overflowing with talent, and practically a "blueprint for building a team with unlimited possibilities."
However, deep within the United Center, in the management offices, the atmosphere wasn't as celebratory as expected. The general manager frowned as he looked at the salary structure and ball distribution chart on his desk: McGrady needed the ball to maximize his growth potential; Mercer was a standard scorer, his eyes were only on the basket, and he also needed the ball. Now, there was another number one draft pick, Brand wanted the ball relentlessly in the low post. Three young talents in their prime, all needing significant tactical roles, were crammed into the same team, and the locker room battle for ball possession had only just begun.
In the Boston Celtics' conference room in Boston, Lin Qi watched the Chicago Bulls' management on TV, their expressions a mixture of pain and pleasure, and gave a cold laugh.
" The Vancouver Grizzlies have selected... Steve Francis from the University of Maryland."
The television broadcast immediately cut to Steve Francis. However, the scene presented on screen showed absolutely no trace of the ecstasy and glory one would expect from a second overall pick.
On camera, the exceptionally talented guard's facial muscles instantly stiffened, his expression quite unpleasant. Steve Francis's lips were tightly pressed together, his eyes reddened, and his hands gripped the hems of his trousers tightly at his knees, trembling slightly. His taut nerves seemed poised to completely collapse in front of the nationally televised cameras. The commentator could even be heard awkwardly trying to salvage the situation, vaguely trying to smooth things over, saying that the young man was "feeling somewhat conflicted."
A burst of barely suppressed laughter erupted in the conference room.
"Don't you guys know? This kid practically had 'I refuse to go to Vancouver ' written all over his face before the game." The young scout shook his head, pointing to the face filled with despair on the screen. "He complained that it was freezing cold, thousands of miles from home, and that Canada's tax rates were outrageously high... The worst part is, the Grizzlies already have a point guard, Mike Bibby, whom they consider the cornerstone of their team. He wouldn't get enough touches or a significant role in the offense there."
The scouting director chuckled, twirling a pen in his hand.
"With ambitions soaring to the heavens, the Grizzlies' management is in for a lot of headaches."
Lin Qi's gaze didn't linger on the television screen for even a second longer, and his voice remained calm as still water.
"Let him do whatever he wants, it's none of our business."
On television, under the gaze of countless flashing lights and viewers across the United States, Steve Francis forced out a stiff smile that looked worse than a grimace, and muttered a sentence to the camera.
"I hope... I'll be happier when I wake up tomorrow."
Another burst of relaxed laughter filled the conference room.
David Stern didn't give the audience, both in the venue and watching on television, much time for gossip and sighs. The league's leader once again strode back to the microphone with steady steps.
The brief uproar quickly subsided, and everyone's attention refocused on the envelope that would decide their fate.
"Third overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft."
Stern unfolded the card, his gaze sweeping across the audience, his voice amplified through the loudspeakers to every corner of the MCI Center.
" The Portland Trail Blazers have selected... Baron Davis from University of California, Los Angeles."
boom!
The moment the name was announced, a burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted in the arena. The spotlight instantly focused on the television screen in the Celtics' meeting room... On the screen, a young man in a baggy suit, sporting his signature buzz cut, and with a wild, arrogance and excitement in his eyes, was grinning broadly. Baron Davis abruptly stood up from his seat, embraced his family and close friends tightly, then put on the cap emblazoned with the Trail Blazers logo and strode confidently onto the stage.
In stark contrast to Steve Francis's stiff face, which looked more like a grimace, just minutes before, Davis's eyes were full of joy and anticipation.
In the Boston conference room, the director of scouting looked at the confident Davis on TV, then glanced at Lin Qi sitting in the shadows, and couldn't help but shake his head, his tone tinged with a mix of regret and uncertainty. "Honestly, Lynch, is it really not a pity to let go of this point guard with the physique of a heavy tank? That's Baron Davis."
"But we already have Gary and Chauncey Billups..." Lin Qi said expressionlessly, " The Trail Blazers paid a price that satisfies me very much to get this third overall pick..."
The scouting director chuckled and lowered his head again to look at the chip list for the next round on the table.
The lottery section was bustling like a pot of boiling porridge, teeming with guards and Duke Blue Devils graduates. One after another, talented young men walked confidently to the front of the stage, put on their team hats, and shook hands with Stern for photos.
But Lin Qi remained seated, completely still.
15th pick, New York Knicks.
When David Stern stood on the stage of the MCI Center and unfolded the envelope in his hand, the nationally televised camera cut to the countless New York fans waiting anxiously outside Madison Square Garden. Everyone was certain that this pick belonged to that homegrown tough guy from Queens, who had made a name for himself at St. John's University, Ron Artest.
However, when Stern's voice came through the loudspeaker, the entire venue fell into an eerie silence.
" The New York Knicks have selected... Derrick Weiss from France."
Boom! After a brief silence, the bars and streets of New York City erupted in chaos.
In the Boston Celtics' meeting room in Boston, a young scout slammed his documents on the table, then burst into laughter after a moment of astonishment. "Are they crazy! The New York have a ready-made local ironclad defense, and instead they're using the 15th pick in the first round to pick a seven-foot France center from Europe whose ability to even handle physicality is questionable?!"
Lin Qi leaned back in his chair, watching the uproar on TV over the New York home crowd, a cold smile creeping onto his lips.
In the annals of basketball history, this France giant Derrick Frédéric Weiss never even stepped onto the floor of an NBA regular season game. His only memorable moment was the earth-shattering "dunk of death" by Vince Carter at the Sydney Olympics.
The New York Knicks didn't select Artest because he went to a nightclub and drank himself into a stupor before the tryout. The next day, when the Knicks ' scouts and executives were sitting in the training facility with dark faces waiting for him to try out, Artest not only didn't show up, but he didn't even say hello. When they finally contacted him through his agent, all they heard on the other end of the phone was a garbled, drunken mumbling.
The New York Knicks ' management, in a fit of pique, missed out on a local defensive talent due to an absurd no-show for a tryout, and the Big Apple went through another long and dark period of chaos.
Sixteenth pick, Chicago Bulls.
The young scout muttered instinctively, " The Chicago Bulls will probably want Artest, right? He, McGrady, Mercer would make a perfect trio..."
Lin Qi frowned. This was completely different from what he remembered, but he quickly suppressed his emotions and spoke calmly.
" The Chicago Bulls ' wing position is already saturated. They have Tracy McGrady and Ron Mercer. Both of these are young, rising wing players who need the ball, and they can't develop them all."
As expected, the Chicago Bulls selected Jeff Foster with the 16th pick, seemingly to find an inside partner for Brand. The Atlanta Hawks then selected Carl Boudler with the 17th pick.
Artest was ignored once again.
Lin Qi originally intended to use this pick to select LeBron James Posey, but to his surprise, Artest slipped all the way to the 18th pick.
The air in the conference room seemed to freeze at that moment. All eyes turned to the person sitting in the shadows.
"Boss," the scout swallowed hard, tentatively breaking the silence, "This kid's temper is like a powder keg ready to explode at any moment, but his defensive talent... are we really just going to watch him decline?"
Lin Qi didn't answer immediately. He picked up his paper cup and took a sip of warm water.
"Make the call." He slowly set down his water glass, his voice soft but carrying an undeniable certainty, "Tell them that Boston has chosen..."