Under the dome of the New Garden, green and white ribbons fell like a blizzard.
Staff quickly set up the championship trophy stage in the center of the arena. Amidst the deafening cheers of more than 20,000 Boston fans, NBA Commissioner David Stern walked onto the main stage with a broad smile and took the microphone.
Standing behind him was the entire Celtics, all wearing championship commemorative T-shirts. Chris Paul Pierce waved his towel excitedly, Artest and Billups had their arms around each other, while Kevin Garnett, standing in the center of the team, covered his face tightly with a towel, his tall body trembling slightly with excitement.
Sitting in a wheelchair not far away, 83-year-old the Cardinal Arnold Auerbach lit a signature cigar and looked at the group of young people with a contented smile on his aged face.
"We've witnessed countless great moments throughout this long season," David Stern's voice boomed through the arena, "But tonight, the Boston Celtics showed the world the very essence of basketball... selflessness, discipline, defense, and teamwork."
Congratulations to the Boston Celtics on winning the 1999-2000 NBA Championship!
As Stern announced, the gleaming Larry Bird O'Brien Trophy was handed to Lin Qi. Lin Qi didn't linger in the spotlight; he smiled and passed the trophy to head coach Doc Rivers, who then passed it from player to player, sparking waves of celebration.
As the trophy was passed around, David Stern picked up the microphone again. The roar of the crowd gradually subsided, and everyone awaited the final award of the night— the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (FMVP).
To be honest, this year's FMVP selection process presented an unprecedentedly difficult choice for both the media and the judges.
This Boston Celtics played an all-around, flawless team basketball. Chris Paul Pierce shone brightly on offense, repeatedly dismantling the Lakers ' flanks with his kaleidoscope of scoring. Veteran Gary Payton made enormous sacrifices, not only averaging 10.5 assists to orchestrate the team's offense but also dedicating immense energy to guarding and wearing down Kobe defense, burning his own stamina without reservation.
Giving the trophy to any one of them would be absolutely well-deserved.
But in the end, the media's votes still went to the big guy wearing the number 5 jersey.
"This year's NBA Finals MVP award goes to this player."
David Stern looked at the cue cards in his hand and said solemnly, "He built an insurmountable barrier on the defensive end and revitalized the entire team as the axis of offense. He sacrificed a lot of individual isolation plays for the team's tactical system, but with his all-around performance of 21.5 points, 13.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game, he became the most solid cornerstone of this championship team."
"The winner of the Beal Russell Trophy (FMVP) in the 2000 NBA NBA Finals was Kevin Garnett!"
"Boom!!!"
The New Garden is buzzing with excitement again.
Pierce was the first to rush forward, giving Garnett a hard shove and laughing as he pushed him to the front of the court. Gary Payton and Mutombo applauded wildly on either side. No one in the Celtics camp was dissatisfied with the result, because everyone knew that it was Garnett's omnipresent help defense and sweeping ability that successfully cut off the Lakers' inside-outside connection, forcing the Lakers into a sporadic isolation play rhythm. Coupled with his unreserved playmaking in the high post, this was the key to Boston's ability to fundamentally crush the Lakers' system.
Garnett took a deep breath, his eyes slightly red. He strode over to David Stern and accepted the Finals MVP trophy, the highest honor in his career, with both hands.
The 23-year-old power forward raised the trophy high above his head and then leaned close to the microphone.
"Thank you... thank you everyone." Garnett's voice was a little hoarse as he turned to look at his teammates behind him.
"To be honest, this trophy also belongs to Chris Paul and Gary. Chris Paul carried our outside firepower with an incredible scoring performance, while Gary... he put all his energy into the defensive end, tearing apart defense and orchestrating the team's offense. He made the biggest sacrifice for the team. And Dikembe, he created defensive depth in the paint through help defense. Even rookie Ron ( Artest ) impressed everyone tonight."
Garnett patted the trophy in his arms, his tone becoming extremely serious:
"Many people would say that you need a superhero who takes 20 or 30 shots and scores 40 or 50 points every game to win a championship. But we don't play like that in Boston."
"We don't care who wins the scoring title, we don't care who's in the spotlight. On offense, we pass the ball whenever a teammate is open. On defense, we help out as soon as a teammate is screened. This trophy doesn't belong to me alone; it's a reward for all of us who set aside selfishness and chose to support each other."
At this point, Garnett's gaze pierced through the crowd and landed precisely on Lin Qi, who stood quietly at the edge of the court, observing everything.
"Back then, it was Mr. Lin Qi who called my name at the draft. He gave me this green jersey, and from the moment I stepped into the arena, he has been honing and nurturing me. He taught me that the numbers on the stat sheet can never measure a player's true contribution to victory. He taught me defense, discipline, and what the glory of Boston is. He told me that the only measure is whether you can make your four teammates better."
Garnett raised the Finals MVP trophy and waved it vigorously in Lin Qi's direction.
"Tonight, I finally proved him right."
The entire audience erupted in thunderous applause.
Lin Qi stood amidst the confetti, smiling and gently applauding Garnett. Looking at the group of players embracing tightly on the podium, Lin Qi knew he had not only won a trophy, but had also planted the foundation for a future dynasty in Boston this summer of the new millennium.