The next morning, on Fifth Avenue in New York, on the fifteenth floor of the Olympic Tower, at the NBA headquarters.
At exactly nine o'clock in the morning, accompanied by a few crisp ticking sounds, an internal fax personally signed by the league president's office was sent on time to the desks of the general managers of the other 28 teams in the league.
The fax contained a simple message, yet it sent shockwaves through the league's upper echelons: with the official start of the new fiscal year on July 1st, the league officially approved Lin Qi's new contract with the Boston Celtics. Lin Qi officially acquired a 5% stake in the Celtics and was appointed as Boston's official representative on the NBA Board of Governors.
"Bang..."
Lin Qi pushed open the heavy double wooden door to the president's office, ignoring the secretary's attempts to stop him, and strode inside.
David Stern sat behind his large mahogany desk, holding the original fax that had just been distributed to the entire league. Stern looked up, adjusted his signature gold-rimmed glasses, and scrutinized Lin Qi with a critical gaze.
"The new fiscal year just started yesterday, and I've already kept my promise to you." Stern tossed the fax onto the table, his tone ambiguous. "For someone your age to join the board is unprecedented in the league's history. Now, you're officially a partner in this circle, Lin Qi."
"Thank you for your trust, Mr. President." Lin Qi calmly pulled out a chair and sat down. "I've also fulfilled my promise to you. The data company's equity restructuring was officially completed last night, with the alliance officially holding 51% of the shares. With that real-time monitoring system that connects directly to your office, you'll be the first to detect any referee trying to do something wrong."
Stern nodded slightly, his tense expression easing somewhat. The special collaboration before the NBA Finals was finally completed in a pragmatic and dignified manner.
"So, you flew all the way to New York today just to confirm the deal with me in person?" Stern leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping over the brown paper bag in Lin Qi's hand.
"Of course not." Lin Qi's smile faded, and he looked directly at Stern. "I'm here today as a member of the board to inform you of something. The Detroit Pistons have damaged the league's interests; one of the league's most valuable assets was almost ruined by them."
Lin Qi changed the subject, his tone becoming serious. He placed the thick medical report, jointly signed by multiple authoritative experts, steadily on Stern's desk.
"What is this?" Stern frowned slightly.
" Grant Hill's original MRI scan, and a joint diagnosis from the nation's top foot and ankle specialists." Lin Qi interlaced his fingers, looking calmly at the other man. " The Detroit medical team, knowing Hill faced the risk of a comminuted fracture of the talus, not only made a serious misdiagnosis post-surgery, but also concealed the true extent of his injury during the trade negotiations."
Stern's face suddenly darkened. He quickly flipped through the report, his brows furrowing more and more as he read.
"Mr. President, Hill just signed a $93 million contract. If we hadn't been careful during his physical, and had let him play based on the medical report provided by Detroit, his left ankle would have been completely ruined within a month, like a crushed cookie."
Lin Qi spoke calmly, gently pushing the diagnosis report forward.
He paused deliberately for a few seconds, letting the words "completely ruined" ferment in David Stern's mind, before speaking again unhurriedly, "Before I came to see you, I just spoke on the phone with the Pistons' newly appointed president, Joe Dumars." Lin Qi's lips curled into a mocking sneer. "That poor Detroit legend was so shocked on the phone that he was incoherent. He swore to me that he knew nothing about the cover-up by the previous management and medical team, and that he inherited a whitewashed mess."
"But ignorance is never an excuse for shirking responsibility." Lin Qi tapped the table, his voice suddenly turning cold.
"You know better than anyone what Grant means. He's the most perfect icon of the Jordan era, an irreplaceable asset in the league's global landscape. Perhaps Dumars truly didn't know, but that doesn't change the fact that the Detroit Pistons as a whole were deceitful and short-sighted. For that paltry playoff spot, Detroit dared to use such underhanded tactics as concealing an injury, jeopardizing the career of a pillar of the league. The losses they caused weren't just the $93 million contract Boston offered, but also the commercial value and golden brand the league had painstakingly cultivated!"
Upon hearing this, David Stern paused slightly in his coffee cup, his eyes behind his glasses narrowing instantly to slits, revealing a chilling aura.
A surge of suppressed anger churned within the iron-fisted CEO.
"Speak," Stern said, putting his glasses back on and looking at the young man before him, his voice low and dangerous, "As the victim, what does Boston want?"
Lin Qi leaned back in his chair and made a reasonable request.
"First, Detroit must pay for their management's negligence and malicious fraud. I want the league to rule through arbitration that the Pistons ' first-round draft picks for the next two years be transferred to Boston without protection, as compensation."
"Secondly, to fully cure Hill, he will be out for a full year and a half. I request the league to grant a full Disability Exception (DPE) and to minimize the impact of his salary on the team's salary cap until he returns."
At this point, Lin Qi paused slightly. He looked at Stern's furrowed brows and raised his third finger.
"Third, we can't always passively clean up the messes of these short-sighted teams. To prevent such medical fraud from happening again, I propose establishing an ' Independent Medical Review Committee ' at league headquarters."
Stern's gaze shifted slightly, and he unconsciously sat up straighter in his chair. "Go on."
"In the future, any trades involving top-20 league stars, sign-and-trade deals, or max contract extensions with a history of serious injuries can no longer be decided by team doctors who are just trying to keep their jobs by covering things up." Lin Qi placed his hands on the table, his tone revealing a detached and ruthless vision. "We must bring in a league-designated, authoritative third-party medical institution for mandatory secondary evaluations."
Lin Qi looked Stern straight in the eye and succinctly revealed the core benefit of the system: " David, these superstars are the league's cash cows. You need a mechanism that can bypass the management of each team and directly monitor and protect the health of these core assets. Centralize the review authority at the New York headquarters, and no other Detroit will dare to disobey you."
Stern gently pushed the document back to the center of the table.
Lin Qi's three conditions each challenged the bottom line of this alliance leader.
"Two unprotected first-round picks, a full injury exception, plus a newly established committee to be crammed into league headquarters." Stern's voice was calm and even, a testament to his instincts as a top lawyer. " Lin Qi, I admire your audacity. But this isn't compensation; it's taking advantage of the situation. What makes you think I'd agree to such outrageous demands?"
Faced with pressure from the alliance president, Lin Qi did not back down, but unexpectedly, he toned down his previous aggressive demeanor. He leaned forward, crossed his hands on the table, and his tone became unusually sincere, even carrying a hint of heaviness.
" David, you think Boston is getting a good deal. But in my opinion, it's a huge sacrifice Boston is making to preserve the league's reputation."
Lin Qi pointed to the copy of the $93 million contract on the table, his voice steady yet resolute. " Boston originally had a chance to contend for a three-peat this season. This summer, we traded away two All-Defensive Team-caliber starters. And what happened? Now I've acquired a risky asset who will be out for at least a year and a half, and could even be sidelined for the rest of the season due to injury, becoming one of the worst contracts in NBA history. Boston's salary cap will be completely locked up. We will face pressure from sponsors, a decline in performance, and even become a laughing stock in the eyes of the media."
Stern paused slightly, his hand holding the coffee cup, and his gaze darkened. He was well aware of what the Celtics had sacrificed for the Hill trade.
"With this medical report, I'm in the right, you know that." Lin Qi spread his hands. "I could easily expose this to the entire American media, making Detroit and even the whole league lose face, and then legitimately request league intervention to forcibly annul the trade. Or, to make it easier, I could simply shut up, let Hill run on Detroit court until his ankle completely breaks according to those incompetent doctors' schedule in Detroit, and then apply to the league for injury-related retirement, clearing out this $93 million in salary cap space."
Lin Qi looked Stern into his eyes and said clearly, "But I didn't do that."
"I've chosen to put this report on your desk. I've chosen to shoulder the risk of hundreds of millions of dollars, accept the reality that Boston's championship-winning roster has been completely disrupted, and spend the best medical resources to treat his ankle. Because he is Grant Hill, a valuable asset the league cannot afford to lose. Saving him is good for both you and me."
Lin Qi leaned forward slightly and gave his final summary. "To preserve the league's reputation, Boston has taken risks it shouldn't have taken and made substantial sacrifices. So, my request for this compensation from you today is not extortion; it's reasonable compensation that Boston deserves."
Stern paused slightly, a hint of defensiveness appearing in his eyes.
"Don't be nervous, David. To ensure everyone can save face, I've already thought of a script for you." Lin Qi timely played his most tempting trump card, that perfect way out.
"In exchange, Boston will never publicly expose any fraudulent activities by the Pistons. The league doesn't need to accuse Detroit; you just need to announce that it was a 'serious misdiagnosis.' The key is to portray Hill as a 'tragic hero' who, driven by an extreme desire to win, endured long periods of pain and injury, ultimately aggravating his injury during offseason training. He's a tough guy who gives everything for basketball."
Lin Qi's tone carried a seductive allure. " The Boston Celtics, on the other hand, were willing to sacrifice their current record and $93 million in salary cap space to forcefully press the pause button and allow him to undergo a 18-month-long 'savior' treatment in order to protect the player's long-term career."
A brief silence fell over the office.
David Stern, holding his coffee cup, narrowed his eyes slightly behind the table. His previously tense shoulders slowly relaxed. He had to admit that Lin Qi's words had completely struck a nerve and perfectly resolved all his worries.
This was a truly top-tier crisis management campaign that benefited all parties involved.
Stern remained silent for a long time, the defensiveness and scrutiny in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by undisguised admiration. He gently put down his coffee cup.
"You know what, Lin Qi," Stern said, his fingers interlaced, his tone unusually candid, "Before receiving this medical report, I was actually quite hesitant. I even considered whether to forcefully stop the trade on 'basketball reasons'."
Lin Qi raised an eyebrow slightly. He knew that the iron-fisted CEO in front of him definitely had the power and the guts to do something like overturning the table.
"But I'm glad I didn't." Stern looked at Lin Qi, nodded slightly, his eyes full of approval. " Boston really suffered a huge loss in this matter. You were willing to pay such a huge price and make such a sacrifice for a player with a serious injury, for the health of the league's future image... It proves that you are indeed the best next team for Grant Hill."
After speaking, David Stern picked up his pen and neatly signed his name on the memorandum of agreement.
"I'll have Joe Dumars go to Boston this week to meet up. Those two first-round picks are what the Pistons owe you. As for the exception, it'll take effect this afternoon. And your proposed medical committee... prepare a detailed proposal, which you'll present at next month's board meeting."
Stern closed his pen, looked up at Lin Qi, and finally a slight smile appeared on his face, "As for the press release, have your PR department coordinate with the alliance. I want it to be flawless, down to the last punctuation mark."
"For the overall benefit of the alliance, I hope we can cooperate successfully, Mr. President."
Lin Qi stood up and calmly buttoned his suit jacket. As he reached the door, he paused slightly, turned back with a meaningful smile, and then pushed the door open and left.
A few minutes later, Lin Qi walked out of the Olympic Tower with Stern's instructions in hand.
The bright early summer sun of New York shone on my face, and the hustle and bustle of Fifth Avenue was overwhelming.
Lin Qi squinted his eyes, took a deep breath of the slightly hot air, and let the long-lost sense of relaxation spread throughout his body.
Finally, everything was settled. He not only achieved his desired promotion but also resolved the lingering issues from the Hill deal.
A new era for the Celtics has officially begun.
[ Boston Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons (League Arbitration Compensation)]
From the Pistons:
In the first round of the 2001 Detroit Pistons, without protection...
In the first round of the 2002 Detroit Pistons, without protection...