Boston at the end of July, in the CEO's office.
Lin Qi sat alone in a leather swivel chair, holding a cup of black coffee that had gone cold.
Several documents were neatly arranged in front of him.
Lin Qi put down his coffee cup and opened the first document.
This is the Boston Celtics ' final 15-man roster for the 2001-2002 season.
[Starting Lineup]
Point Guard (PG) | Gary Payton, Height: 1.93 meters, Age: 33. Jersey Number: 20.
Shooting Chris Paul (SG/SF) | Paul Pierce, Height: 2.01 meters, Age: 24, Jersey Number: 34.
Small Forward (SF/SG) | Ron Artest, Height: 2.01 meters, Age: 21, Jersey Number: 37.
Power Forward (PF/C) | Kevin Garnett, Height: 2.11 meters, Age: 25, Jersey Number: 5.
Center (C/PF) | Ben Wallace, Height: 2.06 meters, Age: 27. Jersey: 13.
[Second lineup]
Point Guard (PG) | Chauncey Billups Billups, Height: 1.91 meters, Age: 25. Jersey: No. 4.
Swingman (SG/SF) | Stephen Jackson, Height: 2.03 meters, Age: 23, Jersey Number: 28.
Andrei /Power Forward (SF/PF) | Andrei Kirilenko, Height: 2.06 meters, Age: 20, Jersey Number: 47.
Power Forward (PF/C) | Rasheed Wallace, Height: 2.11 meters, Age: 27, Jersey Number: 30.
Wang Zhizhi (C/PF) | Wang Zhizhi, Height: 2.16 meters, Age: 24, Jersey Number: 51.
[Functional rotation]
Swingman (SG/SF) | Raja Bell, Height: 1.96 meters, Age: 25, Jersey Number: 26.
Forward/Power Forward (SF/PF) | Gerald Wallace, Height: 2.01 meters, Age: 19, Jersey Number: 45.
Power Forward (PF/C) | Brian Scalabrine, Height: 2.06 meters, Age: 23, Jersey Number: 44.
Center (C/PF) | Tyson Chandler Chandler, Height: 2.16 meters, Age: 19. Jersey: 11.
[Injury List]
Small Forward (SF) | Grant Hill, Height: 2.03 meters, Age: 29. Jersey Number: 8.
[Overseas training (contractual rights reserved)]
Center (C/PF) | Mehmet Okur, Height: 2.11 meters, Age: 22 years old.
(Age is calculated based on the start date of the regular season, October 30, 2001.)
Lin Qi looked at the pile of draft picks, picked up the pen on the table, and gently drew a circle next to the "2003" column.
All eyes are now on Michael Jordan's comeback in Los Angeles and the star-studded roster of veterans aiming for the championship.
All the media outlets are hyping up the " Los Angeles vs. Boston " matchup for the new season.
Just as Lin Qi was about to lock the file in the drawer, the encrypted private line on the table suddenly rang.
"Good evening, boss." On the other end of the phone, Maurizio Gherardini's voice was brimming with barely suppressed excitement. "The EBA ( Europe Basketball Union ) year-end report is out."
Lin Qi leaned back in his chair. "So, how's the deal with Sky Sports for the broadcasting rights going?"
"Boss, Sky Sports and eight major pay-TV networks across Europe have just finalized contract renewal negotiations with us," Gherardini reported excitedly. "For the new season, EBA has signed a three-year exclusive broadcasting deal worth a whopping €120 million! That's an average of €40 million per year!"
Lin Qi tapped his fingers lightly on the table. This number was perfectly reasonable. Back then, ULEB ( Europe Basketball Union ) painstakingly recruited 24 teams and only managed to get a little over 30 million US dollars a year from Spain Telecommunications. EBA, on the other hand, achieved a crushing defeat in broadcasting fees with just 13 of the top teams.
By extracting the most commercially valuable powerhouses and eliminating the mediocre teams that are just going through the motions, the high density of intense matchups will inevitably lead to a surge in viewership.
"Because of the skyrocketing broadcasting fees, we passed a resolution last week," Gherardini continued. "In the new season, the EBA Division I league will expand to 30 teams. As long as they pass the review and are selected, even the bottom-ranked team that doesn't win a single game will receive a guaranteed share of one million euros from the broadcasting pool every year. In comparison, the prize money for FIBA's official events is practically handouts."
"While expanding the military, we must establish a replacement mechanism," Lin Qi calmly reminded.
"Understood. The promotion and relegation system for the second-tier leagues has already begun to be implemented. We are completely monopolizing the pinnacle of Europe basketball." Gherardini paused, his tone becoming extremely sharp. "And boss, as per your instructions, our lobbying agency has pushed for a relaxation of restrictions on foreign players. Because we can offer salaries far exceeding those of South America and Asia leagues, there is now an extremely strong 'siphon effect' in the Europe transfer market."
"Those fringe players who didn't make the NBA draft, or those struggling at the bottom of United States who can't get guaranteed contracts, no longer consider other overseas leagues as their first choice. They see the EBA as their destination for making money besides the NBA."
Any undrafted player or any overseas talent overlooked will be naturally drawn into the EBA's big net with high salaries.
"I'll leave the daily operations in Europe to you. You don't need to report to me on everything." Lin Qi hung up the phone.
Lin Qi stood up, threw the document into the drawer, and locked it.
"It's time to rest."
Lin Qi glanced at his watch, picked up his suit jacket draped over the back of his chair, and walked out of the office.