New York, Olympic Tower, NBA Headquarters
David Stern's office was always kept very cool. The commissioner of the world's premier basketball league was flipping through documents, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.
The cover of the document reads, " Europe Joint Training Camp and Exhibition Match Proposal".
" Lin Qi, sometimes I really wish the security guards downstairs would put your name on an unwelcome blacklist." Stern took off his gold-rimmed glasses, rubbed his temples, and complained with a hint of helplessness in his voice. "All the general managers of the 29 teams in the league combined don't have as many problems as you. I just sent someone to Beijing to handle the aftermath of that first-round pick for you, and the executives haven't even boarded their flights back to New York yet, and you come to me again with this plan that operates outside the league's official system?"
Stern turned to the last page of the document, his finger pausing on a long list of funders and insurance terms.
" Olympia Milan in Italy, Panathinaikos in Greece, Spain..." Stern looked at the list, raising his eyelids with undisguised surprise in his eyes. "These established Europe giants usually fight tooth and nail for even the smallest sponsorship share. And you actually managed to get them to agree on a single story, willingly pooling together five million dollars to pay the Celtics players' so-called 'overseas commercial appearance fees'? Lin Qi, I have to admit, your lobbying skills in Europe over the past two weeks have exceeded my expectations."
The office fell silent.
Stern was extremely shrewd; he instantly calculated the costs. Although the money came from Europe clubs, the large sums of money spent on overseas commercial endorsements and appearance fees directly on active NBA stars still required extremely careful compliance handling from the league's regulatory perspective.
"But this is five million dollars in external commercial sponsorship." Stern tapped the table, his tone scrutinizing. "You know very well that whenever large sums of external funds flow to active players, the Labor Union and the Players Association will immediately intervene and conduct the most rigorous audits. Any financial crossover that could easily lead to misunderstandings will bring unnecessary trouble to the league."
Lin Qi leaned back calmly on the leather sofa, his arms crossed. Faced with Stern's reprimand, he didn't argue, but instead steered the conversation to another level.
"Mr. President, the legal procedures for this money are completely independent. On the surface, it only pertains to the player's personal overseas commercial endorsements and won't touch Boston's salary cap." Lin Qi looked at Stern, throwing out his real bargaining chip. "Leaving aside these legal details, what you should really be concerned about is how much overseas market benefit this money can bring to the NBA."
Stern did not interrupt him, but made a listening gesture.
"Since the McDonald's Championship was discontinued, our promotion in Europe has essentially come to a standstill," Lin Qi said, leaning slightly forward. "And during this period of stagnation, several major Europe clubs have been planning to break away from FIBA and create their own Super League. Once this independently operated league is established, they will monopolize television broadcasting rights and the main sponsor niche throughout Europe."
"So, you're sending the Celtics to Europe for this exhibition match? And what about a joint training camp?" Stern astutely grasped the crux of the matter.
"This isn't just an exhibition game; it's a top-tier commercial showcase," Lin Qi said earnestly. "We can't send two fringe teams to Europe for those weak preseason games; that won't impress the local sponsors. I want to bring the Celtics, with Garnett, Gary Payton, and Pierce —the most talked-about and strongest roster in the league—directly to the stadiums in Athens and Milan."
Lin Qi spoke calmly yet persuasively, "When this roster, worth tens of millions of dollars, demonstrates the highest level of offense and defense in Europe, sports media and broadcasters across Europe will realize who truly is the best basketball league on the planet. This will directly boost the NBA's negotiating power in Europe broadcasting contracts, cause Celtics merchandise to sell out throughout the Mediterranean Sea coast, and completely disrupt the commercial sponsorship schedule of Europe domestic leagues."
Stern's expression shifted slightly. As a businessman, Lin Qi's vision precisely captured the global ambition he had pursued throughout his life.
"But this roster is too expensive." Lin Qi changed the subject. "To get these millionaires who just signed huge contracts to fly to Europe during the hot summer offseason to play real basketball, there needs to be a real incentive. And this appearance fee, jointly paid by Europe clubs, is the incentive to ensure they provide top-quality games. The perfect thing is..."
Lin Qi looked directly at Stern: "The NBA and the Boston Celtics won't have to spend a single penny to make this international promotion happen."
"Venues, promotion, travel, and even the high-value injury insurance for all the superstars are all fully covered and settled in advance by Milan and Athens. Even if someone is injured on a Europe court, the local insurance company will directly cover their contract losses. For the NBA, this is an excellent opportunity with zero financial risk, yet it can greatly expand its Europe market base."
The only sound in the office was the soft hum of the air conditioner.
Stern quickly calculated in his mind. Lin Qi's logic was flawless, and he marveled at how this young general manager could get those stubborn Europe to part with real money to sponsor NBA stars. This "appearance fee," cleverly packaged by Lin Qi, dramatically became the most cost-effective stepping stone for the NBA to expand into overseas markets.
There were no pointless arguments; in this business battle, there was only a tacit understanding to quickly reach a consensus on enormous interests.
"Joint sponsorship from Europe clubs..." Stern picked up the Parker pen on the table, his tone returning to its usual calm, even tinged with tacit approval, "It can indeed provide some very 'appropriate and practical' assistance when we encounter bottlenecks in our overseas expansion."
He signed his name in a flamboyant manner in the approval section of the document, and then pushed the document back.
"By the way, Mr. President," Lin Qi said calmly, as if discussing tomorrow's weather, "Given the overwhelming enthusiasm from Europe, I think it would be a waste to hold only one Atlantic Ocean exchange of this scale."
Stern's hand, which was about to pick up his coffee, froze in mid-air. He looked up at him and asked, "What do you mean?"
"I intend to turn this into a regular project." Lin Qi, meeting Stern's scrutinizing gaze, smoothly announced the next step, "Starting this year, every summer, the Celtics will embark on a regular ' Europe Tour' during the off-season. Not only Milan and Athens, we also plan to expand our reach to Madrid, Barcelona, and even London."
The air in the office fell silent instantly.
Stern looked at the young man before him, his previously relaxed brows furrowing tightly once more. He took a deep breath, and with a hint of exasperation, slammed his Parker pen onto the table.
" Lin Qi," Stern leaned forward, his tone menacing, "I just signed off on a borderline special approval document, and you're already planning to turn this 'exception' into standard practice? What do you take the league's compliance guidelines for?"
Faced with Stern's reprimand, Lin Qi did not back down at all, but calmly placed another draft of the long-term plan that he had prepared beforehand on the table.
"It's precisely because this is a regular event that it's most valuable to the NBA's globalization strategy, isn't it?" Lin Qi's voice was calm and unhurried. "If it were just a one-off exhibition game, those shrewd Europe club owners would only see it as a money-making gimmick. But if it's a regular tour held every year, the significance is completely different."
"When Europe fans get used to seeing Garnett, Gary Payton, and Pierce on their doorstep every summer, their expectations for their domestic leagues will change. Over time, those plans to create Super League that breaks away from FIBA will naturally lose their foothold in the face of the gap in top-level competition and commercial success. Meanwhile, the NBA's overseas broadcasting rights and sponsorship system will firmly take root across the Europe continent through this year-after-year cultivation."
Lin Qi looked at the silent Stern and smiled slightly, "Of course, in return, Milan and these Europe clubs will contribute their own money every year to provide ample operating funds and sponsorship support for this overseas promotion plan."
A long, deathly silence fell over the office.
Stern put his gold-rimmed glasses back on, his sharp gaze fixed on the long-term plan on the table. In the eyes of this league commissioner, Lin Qi was simply a business genius... He had managed to get those arrogant Europe powerhouses to willingly spend money to package NBA stars into Europe superstars, while also helping the league make its overseas market pie incredibly huge.
The alliance president's mind worked incredibly fast, and he instantly devised a much larger plan.
"Since you want to normalize this, then let's widen the gap even further." Stern's fingers tapped lightly on the table, his tone revealing shrewd calculation. "Starting this year, the league will not only approve the Celtics ' Europe tour, but I will also officially encourage all other teams in the league to actively seek commercial partnerships with Europe clubs."
Lin Qi raised an eyebrow, but did not interrupt him, listening quietly to the second half of the leader's sentence.
"But the principles must be agreed upon," Stern's eyes suddenly turned stern. "All operating expenses, appearance fees, and player insurance must, and can only, be fully funded by Europe teams. Any attempt to siphon funds from NBA team salaries or sponsorship accounts will be severely punished upon discovery."
On the surface, this gives all teams in the league an equal opportunity to go overseas, avoiding the Celtics ' exclusive privilege. But in reality, looking at the entire league, apart from Lin Qi having already secretly made arrangements in Europe and quietly acquired a bunch of clubs that can be self-sufficient, other teams simply can't find any Europe powerhouses willing to be suckers and spend millions of dollars of their own money to invite them to play exhibition games.
"Perfectly fair," Lin Qi chuckled.
This enormous cake is simply too tempting.
As long as Lin Qi can guarantee that Europe capital will be brought in every year to pave the way for the NBA's globalization, and ensure that the funding comes entirely from external sponsorships, then in Stern's view, this is nothing more than a perfect way to generate foreign exchange and conduct overseas marketing.
Stern finally shook his head helplessly, a wry smile laced with both admiration and warning appearing on his lips.
" Lin Qi," Stern picked up the Parker pen again, pointed at Lin Qi, "You'll one day drive those lawyers on the Labor Committee to the heart hospital."
"That means their business capabilities still need improvement, Mr. President." Lin Qi smiled and pushed the long-term plan forward. "It's a pleasure working with them."
"Make sure all supporting documentation, insurance contracts, and fund transfers go through cross-border third-party legal procedures." Stern casually signed the new memo, warning without looking up, "There absolutely cannot be any word related to this money in Boston's financial statements or official audit reports. If the labor committee finds any problems, I will take away the Celtics ' first-round picks for the next five years."
Of course, this money had nothing to do with the Boston Celtics; it came from Olimpia Milan, Olimpia Club Lin Qi had just acquired.
"Rest assured, the accounts will be perfectly clean."
Lin Qi stood up and put the signed documents into his briefcase. A mutually beneficial business collaboration was reached through their pragmatic and efficient conversation.