June 16th, 9:00 AM. Boston New Garden, President's Office.
With a full ten hours to go before Game 6 of the NBA Finals, Lin Qi's desk was already piled high with various logistical and security briefings.
"Boss, around 2 AM last night, a large group of enthusiastic Boston fans drove around the Four Seasons Hotel where the Los Angeles Lakers were staying in modified pickup trucks, honking their horns incessantly." The team's PR manager stood at his desk, his tone even tinged with schadenfreude. "I heard they also shone laser pointers into Shaq's room window. Someone even set off smoke bombs in the hotel's fire escape, triggering the building's fire alarms."
Boston fans are notorious for their fanaticism and xenophobia. In their view, using every dirty but legal means to crush the visiting team's nerves is a sacred legacy of home-court advantage.
The PR manager expected Lin Qi to give a knowing smile; after all, this was Boston.
But Lin Qi didn't laugh; instead, his brows furrowed slightly.
"Find out which neighborhood these troublemaking fans are from. Once you do, don't call the police, just call them on behalf of the team." Lin Qi threw the briefing on the table, his tone extremely cold. "Tell them to stop doing these underhanded things at the hotel. And while you're at it, send them some team merchandise."
The PR manager was stunned. "Boss, this... this is our home-field advantage! They didn't sleep well, their performance tonight will definitely be affected!"
"Foolish." Lin Qi raised his head coldly. "Trying a beast with sharp teeth into a corner and then throwing stones to provoke it isn't home-court advantage; it just adds unnecessary variables. Top superstars like Shaq and Kidd, if they're fully provoked by this kind of underhanded tactic, might launch an unpredictable and crazy counterattack on the court tonight."
Lin Qi stood up, his eyes brimming with confidence. "Our lineup has the ability to crush them head-on without a doubt. Therefore, tonight's game must be played in an absolutely clean, basketball-only environment. I want the Los Angeles team to be defeated fair and square on the court, with no excuses!"
"Call the Boston Police Department," Lin Qi continued, "Send mounted police to escort the Lakers ' bus and make sure they arrive at the arena on time, safely, and smoothly. I want the Lakers to be at full strength, in their best health and most alert condition, on our home court."
"Understood." The PR manager immediately stopped smiling and nodded seriously, fully sensing the chilling composure emanating from his boss.
"Also, has the VIP reception been confirmed?" Lin Qi changed the subject and began to check the most important aspects of tonight's operations.
"Everything is ready. ' The Cardinal ' Auerbach, Beal Russell, and Larry Bird Larry Bird will all enter through the VIP entrance an hour before the game; they've been seated in the legends' section directly behind the bench." The PR manager quickly flipped through the memo. "However, regarding the arrangements for the players' families..."
"What's wrong with the player's family?" Lin Qi keenly noticed the public relations manager's slight hesitation.
"Several key players' families expressed a desire to visit the players in the locker room before the game, or at least to hug them in the players' tunnel."
The PR manager was in a dilemma. Such a request was reasonable on the night of the championship victory. However, Lin Qi's previous order was that quarantine was mandatory before the match.
"Hold them all in the panoramic executive banquet hall on the fourth floor of the arena. Inform the Michelin -starred culinary team to provide them with the best Boston lobster and champagne, and the service must be of the highest standard." Lin Qi's tone left no room for negotiation. "However, until the final red light comes on, I will not allow any family members to approach the players' tunnel."
Lin Qi looked at the PR manager. "You can tell them it's for security reasons. Actually, you and I both know the real reason. The players are ready to go. Any warm hug before the game, or even just a 'Mom is proud of you,' will instantly diminish their killing intent by half. I want them to go on the field with pure hunger and ruthlessness, understand?"
They provided the best possible treatment to the families, yet cruelly severed all pre-match emotional ties.
"Understood, I will personally keep watch at the entrance of the banquet hall."
"Finally..." Lin Qi's gaze fell on the seating chart on the table, specifically on the VIP box located in the most central position on the second floor, "Where is my box?"
"It has been cleaned as you instructed. The soundproofing equipment has been tested."
"Very good."
3 PM, underground loading and unloading area of the stadium.
Lin Qi stood in the shadows, watching two Alliance security personnel in black suits carefully carry out a black, sealed, explosion-proof aviation case. Inside was the Larry Bird O'Brien Trophy.
"Mr. Lin Qi." The league's vice president in charge of the awards ceremony approached with a walkie-talkie. "According to standard league procedure, if you're leading by more than 10 points with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, my team will move the podium to the player tunnel, and security will set up yellow safety tape on the sidelines to prepare for a courtside lockdown to ensure smooth broadcast camera transitions..."
"No." Lin Qi interrupted him without hesitation. "Change the time to the last minute. I don't want any of my players seeing the champagne cart in the tunnel or that damn yellow rope on the sidelines before the red light on the scoreboard comes on."
"This will affect the broadcast schedule..."
"I don't care about the broadcast camera angles." Lin Qi stared at the black explosion-proof box, his tone cold and uncompromising. "Before the red light comes on, I won't allow any external factors to distract them. If they see even the slightest hint of premature celebration, that taut string might loosen. I'm not taking that risk. If a broadcast mishap occurs due to the delay, I'll cover NBC's breach of contract penalty."
In the four hours leading up to the game, Lin Qi meticulously dealt with all off-court factors that could potentially affect Boston's chances of winning the championship.
Meanwhile, at the Los Angeles Lakers' hotel on the other side of the city, Phil Jackson was facing an extremely awkward silence.
He had prepared a highly inflammatory speech, intending to use the Lakers players' frustration and anger at being harassed by fans last night to ignite their desire for revenge in their desperate situation. However, he did not expect that the Boston authorities would not take advantage of the situation but instead send the highest-level mounted police to clear the way.
As the Lakers ' bus, escorted by police cars, arrived at the New Garden comfortably, without even encountering a single red light, Jackson looked out the window at the well-organized security team, his brow furrowing even more deeply.
The calmer and more thoughtful the Boston Celtics are, the more it demonstrates their absolute confidence.
Lin Qi used the most dignified method to dilute the violence and anger that the Lakers players had painstakingly accumulated.
Compared to being enraged by the frenzied fans, this unwavering composure actually sent a chill down the spine of this seasoned championship coach.