The morning NBA Finals concluded.
The streets of Boston still bear the marks of last night's revelry, with remnants of paper scraps and fireworks. But in the president's office at the New Garden, sunlight streams in through the blinds, and the only sounds in the air are the bitter aroma of black coffee and the rustling of papers turning.
Lin Qi sat behind his desk, casually tapping his pen against a thick stack of signed season summary reports.
2000-2001 season.
Regular season record: 69 wins and 13 losses (first in the Eastern Conference, first in the league)
Average points per game: 104.5
Defensive rating: 97.2 (best in the league)
Net point differential: +11.8 points (League-leading)
Before the trade deadline, Lin Qi made an exception and streamlined his roster, sending Doc Doug Christie to the Western Conference and officially promoting Bruce Bowen to the starting lineup.
The team once achieved a stunning 27-game winning streak, breaking the team's record and establishing its unshakeable dominance in the regular season.
Rick Carlisle pushed the core defensive and tactical system to its limits. With Ben Wallace and Bruce Bowen moving up to the starting lineup, the defense improved further.
Of course, the task of scoring also becomes more important for the others.
In addition, Rasheed Wallace provided tactical value to the second unit, making this lineup extremely forgiving throughout the long regular season.
Gary Payton (No. 20), PG, 32 years old
Averages: 23.1 points / 8.1 assists / 4.7 rebounds / 2.1 steals per game
Field goal percentage: 47.1% for field goals / 36.5% for three-pointers / 77.0% for free throws.
Appearances: 78
Honors: All-Star / All-NBA Second Team / NBA All-Defensive First Team
He remained steady.
Gary Payton has played with more determination this season than ever before. He is no longer the one who has to carry the team alone.
Garnett is developing, Pierce has completely taken over the game on the scoring end.
But every night he still tenaciously guarded the opponent's best defender, and he was still able to step up when the team needed him.
In Boston, fans have begun to compare his name with that of Dennis Johnson. Both moved from Seattle to Boston, and both are tenacious, tough, championship-winning point guards.
When the dust settled on the three-peat, everyone knew in their hearts that one day in the future, the number 20 jersey would definitely hang from the dome of the New Garden.
Discussions about Gary Payton's historical standing have naturally shifted. A few years ago with the Seattle SuperSonics, his reputation was tinged with regret for failing to reach the finish line. But his three years in Boston have brought about a significant turn in his career.
Sports media began to examine his name alongside those of all-time great point guards.
However, for Gary Payton at this time, external opinions were always just fleeting thoughts.
After everything settles down, all he needs is a short rest before facing the next season.
[ Bruce Bowen (No. 27), SG, 30 years old]
Averages: 3.8 points / 2.1 rebounds / 1.2 assists / 0.9 steals per game
Field goal percentage: 44.5% for field goals / 39.2% for three-pointers / 78.0% for free throws.
Appearances: 82
Honors: NBA All-Defensive Second Team
With Doc Doug Christie leaving the team mid-season, Bruce Bowen was naturally promoted to the starting shooting guard position.
After Bowen was promoted to the starting lineup, the whole team seemed stronger.
Bowen played very simply on offense, focusing most of his energy on defense.
Chris Paul Pierce (No. 34), SF, 23 years old
Averages: 25.4 points / 5.8 rebounds / 3.1 assists / 1.6 steals per game
Field goal percentage: 46.2% for field goals / 38.8% for three-pointers / 83.5% for free throws
Appearances: 78
Honors: All-Star / All-NBA Second Team / NBA Finals MVP
He averages over 25 points per game.
At just 23 years old and only three years into his career in the league, Pierce has already won three championship rings.
After surviving a near-death experience last fall, Pierce has transformed this season from an All-Star to a superstar scorer. He has become the team's undisputed primary offensive option.
His one-on-one skills and mid-range pull-up jump shot are already highly refined. Through almost brutal training on the court, his game performance has undergone a comprehensive upgrade.
Legendary player Dominique Wilkins meticulously honed every technical detail of his offense, while the relentless double-teaming and defensive training by Bruce Bowen and Ron Artest forced him to develop top-notch finishing ability and composed passing vision under intense pressure.
Today, Pierce can not only handle the game himself, but also calmly pass the ball to an open teammate the moment a double team is formed.
On the defensive end, their judgment and ability to sustain close combat under high pressure have also made substantial progress.
This season, he has officially joined the ranks of the league's top forwards.
[ Kevin Garnett (No. 5) PF, 25 years old]
Averages: 22.8 points / 11.8 rebounds / 5.3 assists / 1.7 steals / 1.8 blocks per game
Field goal percentage: 50.6% for field goals / 38.6% for three-pointers / 79.0% for free throws.
Appearances: 81
Honors: All-Star / All-NBA First Team / NBA All-Defensive First Team
Within Rick Carlisle's tactical system, Garnett proactively streamlined his offensive approach this season. He significantly reduced inefficient isolation plays that purely consumed energy, instead focusing on connecting the entire team as a high-low post playmaker, using top-notch vision and handoff passing to revitalize the entire offense.
As for finishing plays, aside from the low-post isolation plays required by the team's tactics, he focused his shots heavily on efficient pop-up mid-range jumpers and three-pointers, with his three-point shooting percentage soaring to 38.6%. His offense showed little individual heroism but was completely integrated into the team's overall operation.
In contrast, he devoted more energy to the defensive end.
As the cornerstone of Boston's defense, Garnett used his terrifying lateral movement and coverage area to support the entire half-court help defense network. He not only had to complete the regular rim protection and rebounding, but also clean up after his teammates in countless possessions. His high-intensity delays, help defense, and uninterrupted defensive communication throughout the game made him the soul of this team's defense.
[Ben Wallace (No. 13) C, 26 years old]
Averages: 5.8 points / 11.5 rebounds / 0.8 assists / 0.8 steals / 2.4 blocks per game
Field goal percentage: 51.5% / Free throw percentage: 64.8%
Appearances: 78
Big Ben Wallace, who was promoted to the starting center position, has had a real breakout season in his career.
On offense, his primary responsibilities remain solid screen setting, finishing on the roll, and grabbing offensive rebounds. With continued support from shooting coaches Chip Engelland and Mark Price, his free throw percentage has quietly improved to 64.8%.
Although he is still far from being a qualified shooter, he has already prevented opponents from recklessly implementing the "hack-a-base" tactic against him. As for the three-point shooting tasks that Lin Qi and Rick Carlisle forced him to do in training, they have obviously not been very effective in actual games so far. Occasionally, when he catches the ball in the corner and forces a shot, it is often accompanied by a crisp sound of missing the target. Let's just consider it a long-term investment by the coaching staff that is far from being realized.
What truly suffocated the entire league was his dominance on the defensive end.
During this season, Big Ben and Garnett developed a defensive synergy in the paint. Through extremely seamless teamwork and switching, the two constructed a three-dimensional network of alternating delays and help defense sweeps.
In the weight room, his terrifying physical talent continues to push the limits. His bench press weight has gradually climbed to a terrifying level of 450 pounds.
[ Chauncey Billups Billups (No. 4), PG, 24 years old]
Averages: 7.9 points / 3.3 assists / 1.8 rebounds / 0.7 steals per game
Field goal percentage: 45.2% for field goals / 39.8% for three-pointers / 88.9% for free throws
Appearances: 82
Having been around Gary Payton for several seasons, Billups underwent a crucial mental transformation this season.
Outsiders may only see his lackluster stats of less than eight points per game, but Rick Carlisle and Lin Qi knew very well when they watched the tapes.
This young man has already developed the maturity to manage a team. The impetuousness of his early years has completely faded away, replaced by a maturity beyond his years.
When Billups came on in the second unit, he would slowly dribble the ball across half-court, using his strong body to steadily protect it. He would first observe the opponent's defensive formation before deciding whether to use a screen to punish his own retreat or to accurately pass the ball to Rasheed Wallace cutting to the basket.
His shooting efficiency is terrifying, with a three-point shooting percentage soaring to 39.8% and a free throw percentage approaching 90%. On the defensive end, although he doesn't have the aggressive close-marking style of Gary Payton, his solid lower body strength allows him to withstand the attacks of most guards in the league.
What the coaching staff values most about him is his emerging "clutch" mentality. Whenever the game is deadlocked and the starters need a break, Billups can always hit those calming shots from the outside.
Lin Qi wrote a brief comment on this page of the expedition report.
"Mature, resilient under pressure, and possessing a strong sense of the big picture. He's no longer just an ordinary backup point guard; he's the future of this team."
[ Michael Redd (No. 26) SG, 21 years old]
Averages: 2.1 points / 0.8 rebounds / 0.4 assists per game
Field goal percentage: 43.5% for field goals / 38.5% for three-pointers / 80.0% for free throws.
Appearances: 22
As a late first-round pick, Redd spent most of his rookie season sitting at the end of Boston's star-studded bench. Ahead of players like Gary Payton, Bowen, Billups, his playing time was extremely fragmented, mostly appearing in garbage time when the outcome was already decided, so his stats naturally couldn't be high.
But as long as he has the ball, his incredibly soft left-handed shooting becomes purely lethal. His off-ball movement and catch-and-shoot jumpers are extremely threatening, and in intra-squad scrimmages, he often causes considerable trouble for the starting lineup with his accurate outside shots.
His weaknesses in defense and physicality limit his regular rotation status at this stage, but the coaching staff has clearly seen his high potential offensive value that he can develop.
[ Ron Artest (No. 37) SF/SG, 21 years old]
Averages: 4.5 points / 2.1 rebounds / 0.8 assists / 0.9 steals per game
Field goal percentage: 41.2% for field goals / 33.5% for three-pointers / 70.0% for free throws.
Appearances: 61
As a young wing player, Artest's stats weren't particularly impressive, but his explosive energy and ruthless defense made him one of the most aggressive players on Boston's second unit. In practice, he put Pierce under immense pressure with his near-suffocating physical play, and his unreasonable physicality made Rick Carlisle laugh on the sidelines.
However, for Artest, the most profound memories and growth of this season did not all happen on the basketball court.
He witnessed firsthand the bloody scene of Chris Paul Pierce's assassination on that autumn night that nearly changed the team's fate.
That sudden life-or-death ordeal left a deep psychological scar on the young Artest. For a long time, the violence and anxiety that had been suppressed in his heart were completely brought to the surface, and his emotions were almost out of control. The management and medical team keenly noticed this and decisively intervened in psychological intervention.
It was during those darkest days that Artest accompanied Pierce to the psychologist's office. They sat side by side in the consulting chair, listening to Pierce dissect his fear and struggle of surviving a near-death experience. This shared experience of confronting trauma and resolving inner conflicts in the consulting room created a strange resonance. Through professional guidance and communication with Pierce, Artest's long-standing psychological problems, which had almost consumed him, subtly improved. He began to learn to confront the black hole within himself instead of letting his temper burn away his reason.
Back on the court, he remained the same vicious, dog-like defender, but in the locker room, he and Pierce forged a bond forged through life-or-death experiences.
[ Rasheed Wallace (No. 30) PF/C, 26 years old]
Averages: 15.8 points / 6.8 rebounds / 2.4 assists / 1.2 blocks per game
Field goal percentage: 51.5% for field goals / 37.5% for three-pointers / 76.0% for free throws.
Appearances: 78
After arriving in Boston, Rasheed Wallace enjoyed the most comfortable and efficient season of his career.
Compared to his past struggles and anxieties with the Trail Blazers, Rasheed has found the perfect balance between tactical freedom and a winning culture in this disciplined and spacious Boston Celtics system. He doesn't need to play every night, yet he enjoys seamless tactical support during every moment he's on the court.
On offense, his efficiency is astonishing. His field goal percentage exceeds 50%, and he maintains a consistent 37.5% three-point production. Whether it's his solid footwork in the low post, his turnaround jumper, or his long-range three-pointers to punish opposing centers, his offensive choices are extremely reasonable and lethal. As the absolute offensive pillar of the second unit, his high-low post coordination with Billups and Miller often allows him to quickly go on a run and take the game away.
More importantly, Rasheed enjoyed playing in this winning-oriented team. Rick Carlisle's strict demands suited his temperament, inspiring his pure enjoyment of basketball. The tough style of his teammates also completely smoothed out his occasional outbursts of temper on the court in the past.
In the Boston training facility and locker room, he always wore his signature smile, enjoying the honor and team atmosphere brought by the three-peat.
He was everyone's favorite teammate.
[ Brad Miller (No. 52) C, 25 years old]
Averages: 5.1 points / 4.1 rebounds / 1.8 assists / 0.5 blocks per game
Field goal percentage: 50.2% for field goals / 35.0% for three-pointers / 78.0% for free throws.
Appearances: 72
As the tactical lubricant in the second unit, Brad Miller has demonstrated exceptional interior playmaking talent this season.
While he lacked Ben Wallace's explosive rim protection and Rasheed's scoring ability, Miller secured a solid place on the bench thanks to his exceptional basketball IQ and solid screen setting. His soft high-post passing vision and handoff screens were crucial to the smooth operation of the team's second unit. Whenever he received the ball high at the free-throw line, whether it was a teammate cutting to the basket or a shooter cutting to the perimeter using a screen, he always received a timely and excellent pass.
As instructed by the coaching staff, Miller consciously extended his shooting range to beyond the three-point line this season. Although he didn't attempt many shots per game, his 35% shooting percentage was enough to punish opponents who dared to retreat into the paint.
This type of white center, who combines the ability to create space and facilitate from the high post, provides Boston's tactical system with indispensable depth and versatility.
[ Wang Zhizhi (No. 51) Center/PF, 23 years old]
Averages: 2.8 points / 1.1 rebounds / 0.3 assists per game
Field goal percentage: 46.0% for field goals / 35.5% for three-pointers / 75.0% for free throws.
Appearances: 22
Wang Zhizhi's biggest breakthrough this season is not in terms of statistics, but in completing the crucial leap from integrating into the team to physical adaptation.
Overcoming the language barrier was his first step. Compared to when he first arrived and still needed to rely on gestures and translators, Wang Zhizhi can now communicate fluently with his teammates and coaching staff in English without any obstacles. Whether it's tactical calls and defensive instructions on the court, or daily conversations in the locker room, he has truly integrated into the collective context of Boston.
With the continuous guidance and training from the physical conditioning coaching team, his physical strength and ability to withstand physical contact have also steadily improved. When facing high-intensity confrontations, he no longer collapses at the first touch as he did when he first arrived. Instead, he has begun to learn to use his lower body strength and agile footwork to find space to survive on the edge of the penalty area.
Despite limited playing time in the highly competitive frontcourt rotation, his soft shooting touch, excellent tactical intelligence, and visibly toughening attitude have shown the coaching staff his clear potential to establish himself in the league and become a big man with unique tactical value.
[ Hedo Türkoğlu (No. 41) SF/PF, 22 years old]
Averages: 3.5 points / 1.5 rebounds / 0.8 assists per game
Field goal percentage: 41.5% for field goals / 34.0% for three-pointers / 75.0% for free throws.
Appearances: 18
Türkoğlu also didn't get much regular playing time this season. In Boston's high-intensity defense and extremely competitive wing lineup, his slightly slow defensive lateral movement and lack of physicality temporarily limited his role in the regular rotation.
However, in his limited playing time and team training sessions, this young Turkey player has demonstrated extremely rare tactical attributes. He possesses passing vision and high-post playmaking ability far exceeding that of players in his position, and his passing in pick-and-roll situations is highly inspired.
At this stage, the Türkoğlu is more like a semi-finished product that needs patient polishing.
[ Grant Hill (No. 8) SF, 28 years old]
Average: No appearances (out for the entire season)
Throughout the entire 2000-2001 season, Grant Hill's name did not appear on the stat sheet for any regular season or playoff game.
But for the Boston management and medical team, the entire year-long process of his rehabilitation was the biggest and most thrilling behind-the-scenes battle.
Rewind to July of last year. After the surgery led by Lin Qi, which used the latest Europe PLLA absorbable screws and biological agents, Hill faced an extremely long and tedious recovery period. From the initial eight weeks of absolutely non-weight-bearing and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, to six months of close monitoring of bone healing, and then to the almost ascetic water training and basic strength rebuilding of the past few months, he gritted his teeth and endured every near-extreme physiological test.
Now, it's June 2001, almost 11 months since that surgery.
Hill has finally crossed the threshold of the first two stages. On the court of his exclusive training facility in Boston, he has begun to shed the heavy protective gear and engage in non-contact shooting practice and light footwork. His ankle, which had been utterly destroyed in Detroit, is showing good signs of bone healing under the fixation of new absorbable screws and the catalysis of biological agents.
Although he may not be able to regain the explosiveness he once had to get past everyone, and there are still a few months before he truly enters the competitive adaptation period, everyone understands when they see him steadily putting the basketball into the basket again on the training court.
His return to the field is not far off.
[ Ron Harper (No. 9) SG/SF, 37 years old]
He hardly plays anymore, and after achieving the only six consecutive championships among active players, he is seriously considering retirement.
Players developed by overseas and satellite clubs, such as Andrei Kirilenko, Raja Bell, Stephen Jackson, and Chris Anderson, are continuously being evaluated in their respective leagues.
[Playoff Record]
First round: 3-0 sweep of the Orlando Magic
Second round: 4-0 sweep of the New York Knicks
Eastern Conference Finals: 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers
NBA Finals: 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers
[Annual Awards]
Regular season MVP: Allen Iverson ( Philadelphia 76ers )
NBA Finals MVP: Chris Paul Pierce ( Boston Celtics )
Defensive Player of the Year: Dikembe Mutombo ( Dallas Mavericks )
Coach of the Year: Larry Brown ( Philadelphia 76ers )
Best Manager: Geoff Pete ( Sacramento Kings )
Rookie of the Year: Mike Miller ( Orlando Magic )
All-NBA First Team: Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal
All-NBA Second Team: Gary Payton, Vince Carter, Chris Paul Pierce, Chris Webber, Dikembe Mutombo
All-NBA Team Third Team: Kobe Brian, Tracy McGrady, Dirk Nowitzki, Carl Malone, David Robinson
NBA All-Defensive First Team: Gary Payton, Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Dikembe Mutombo
NBA All-Defensive Second Team: Doc Doug Christie, Kobe Brian, Bruce Bowen, P.J. Brown, Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal
Lin Qi closed the thick stack of documents.
They've won three consecutive championships.
But he didn't feel the relief of things finally settling down.
On the contrary, a lingering unease crept into my heart.
He looked out the window, a vague intuition stirring within him...
Something is happening that could change the landscape of the league.