As Lin Qi stepped out through the heavy glass revolving door of the Olympic Tower, he looked up at the hazy Manhattan skyline and took a deep breath of the air, which was filled with the smell of car exhaust and coffee beans.
"Wait some more? No, David, I can't wait even a second longer," Lin Qi thought to himself.
He knew David Stern all too well. Although the league commissioner was tough, the NBA was ultimately a business league jointly owned by the owners. To get those owners, whose minds were filled with old-fashioned dogma, to agree to overturn decades-old defensive rules, Stern would need a long time to negotiate, compromise, and exchange interests.
But what Lin Qi lacks most right now is time. His Celtics are at their peak, and their groundbreaking "dynamic offensive system" has already taken shape. He must completely shatter the "illegal defense" that is hindering the development of modern basketball's spacing before the Mountain game of the 1999-2000 season.
Since Stern needed external assistance, Lin Qi didn't mind pouring several tons of gasoline into the fire.
For the next two months, Lin Qi handed over the team's daily tactical drills to Doc Rivers and David Blatt, while he immersed himself in the public relations circles of Washington and New York.
He signed checks for millions of dollars, and top sports PR teams across the country and lobbying firms in Washington mobilized in droves. An invisible yet deafening "rules reform war" swept through the entire North America sports media circle at an alarming speed.
Throughout September, Sports Illustrated's columns and ESPN's primetime talk show tacitly focused on the same topic. "The NBA's entertainment value crisis."
The PR team's methods were simple, yet extremely effective. They bought prime-time slots and repeatedly played replays of last season's games where the total score barely exceeded 70 points. The suffocating halftime battles between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat were dissected frame by frame and labeled "ugly" and "anti-basketball." The anxiety of "plummeting ratings" precisely struck the most sensitive nerve of every team owner... their wallets.
Meanwhile, another videotape was circulating quietly in the secret meeting rooms of the management of various teams. It was a highlight reel of the Celtics' effortless dismantling of the All-Star team during their Europe tour.
"Smooth," "flowing teamwork," "the future of basketball."
These enticing concepts, coupled with the large checks waved by Europe television broadcasters, completely shattered the conservative defenses of the old-school coaches, becoming the final straw that broke the camel's back.
With Lin Qi's relentless financial support and media blitz, coupled with David Stern's opportunistic and forceful pressure at the league meeting, the deal was finally done.
On October 24, 1999, less than ten days before the opening game of the new season.
Boston, Celtics president's office.
The bulky, old-fashioned fax machine in the corner suddenly emitted a piercing "squeak," its gears turning as it slowly ejected a stack of papers still reeking of pungent ink. This was the "1999-2000 Season Rule Amendment Resolution," just issued by the league headquarters, which had been voted on and passed overnight by the competition committee and the owners' meeting.
Assistant coach Igor Kokoškov practically pounced on it, hastily tearing off the scalding hot fax paper and quickly scanning the densely packed clauses on it.
"Lin, it's done!" Igor's voice trembled slightly with excitement. "Article one of the resolutions: Starting this season, 'illegal defense' is completely abolished! Teams are officially allowed to use zone defense in positional play!"
Lin Qi, sitting behind his large walnut desk, let out a long sigh of relief. The tension that had been building for two whole months finally eased at that moment.
"Secondly, strictly prohibit hand contact by perimeter defenders, giving ball handlers greater freedom to drive..." Igor's speech quickened as he read, his eyes gleaming. "My God, this is practically tailor-made for our 'dynamic offense'! Without illegal defense, opponents can no longer use those rigid, localized one-on-one tactics to lock down our off-ball movement, and our offensive space... is completely open!"
Lin Qi leaned back in his chair, completely satisfied. The millions of dollars spent on public relations had been well worth it. Before the new century arrived, he had personally cleared away the last and toughest obstacle in the rules on the road to dynasty for the Boston Celtics.
"Make a copy of the document immediately and give it to Doc and David. Tell them to adjust the final week's internal scrimmage according to the new rules," Lin Qi instructed, gesturing towards the door.
"Okay, boss... wait a minute."
Igor's gaze suddenly stopped on the last page of the document. When he read that inconspicuous supplementary clause, the ecstasy on his face froze instantly, and his brows furrowed into a tight knot.
"Supplementary Clause 3: To prevent excessive congestion in the paint due to zone defense and to maintain the smooth flow of the game's offense, the league officially introduced the 'defensive three-second' violation rule. A defensive player may not remain in their own restricted area (paint zone) for more than three seconds without a clearly identified defensive target; violators will be called for a technical foul."
The spacious office fell into a deathly silence. The only sound was the chilly Boston early autumn wind whistling through the glass outside the window.
Lin Qi's smile gradually faded. He abruptly stood up, strode over to Igor, snatched the fax paper, and fixed his gaze, sharp as a knife, on the words "three-second defense."
After a long, deathly silence.
Lin Qi suddenly shook his head, a low, cold laugh escaping his throat. He raised his hand and slammed the fax paper onto the table with a "thud."
" David Stern... you really are something, you old fox." A hint of surprise at being outmaneuvered flashed in Lin Qi's eyes, but more than that, it was a heartfelt admiration for the masterful skills of the one in power, a sense of having met his match.
"Boss, is this rule... going to have a big impact?" Igor swallowed hard and asked tentatively.
"For other teams, it might just be a minor problem. But for us? It's a dagger pressed against our throats." Lin Qi turned and strode to the tactical board, grabbed a red Mark, and heavily drew a large circle in the rectangle representing the paint area. " Igor, tell me, who is the most solid cornerstone of our defensive system?"
" Dikembe Mutombo," Igor blurted out.
"That's right! Dikembe is the best rim protector in the league, but he's also a typical, traditional 'sink-type' heavy center." Lin Qi slammed his Mark on the whiteboard with a dull thud. "Before, he could legitimately stand like a mountain under the basket, swatting away anyone who dared to come in. But now with the 'three-second rule'?"
Igor's expression finally changed; he immediately realized the tactical disaster. " Dikembe can no longer stay in the paint! He has to keep stepping out of the paint and back in like he's dancing... This will not only greatly deplete his massive physique's stamina, but more fatally, every time he's forced to step out of the paint, our basket will be briefly wide open!"
"This is Stern's scheme... playing balancing act on me," Lin Qi said coldly.
It wasn't until this moment that he finally understood. No wonder Stern had agreed to his suggestion so readily at the Olympic Tower that day, and even later encouraged it within the league.
Stern wasn't going with the flow; he was using someone else's strength against them!
He used the public relations momentum created by Lin Qi to complete the rule reforms he had long wanted to push forward. But he was also keenly aware that once the zone defense was completely dismantled, with a terrifying frontcourt of Mutombo, Garnett, and Rasheed Wallace that combined height, toughness, and mobility, the Celtics would absolutely be able to dominate the rest of the league on the defensive end!
This is no coincidence at all; it was deliberately arranged by Stern to maintain the balance of power within the alliance...
This wasn't just for the sake of the league's offensive spectacle; it was Stern's trump card, shown to Lin Qi across half the East Coast: You want offensive space? Fine, I'll give it to you. But in exchange, I'll take away your most prized steel barrier in the paint.
"Lin, what do we do now?" Igor's forehead was beaded with sweat. "If Dikembe can't adapt to the new rules, our prized defensive rotation will collapse."
"Now that the rules are printed on paper, what we need to do is study them and utilize them, not complain about them."
Lin Qi turned his head, his sharp gaze sweeping across the calendar on the wall.
November 2, 1999, the day circled in red Mark...
There are only seven days left until the opening game of the new season.
Lin Qi walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the bustling crowds on the streets of Boston.
The initial ripples caused by being tricked have quickly settled into absolute coldness.
David believed that a mere three-second violation could limit this team's ceiling...
Lin Qi braced his hands on the glass, his deep voice radiating a chilling confidence.
Whom do you look down on?