January 2003, EBA headquarters building in Treviso, Italy.
The atmosphere in the spacious circular conference room was somewhat somber. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the gloomy winter rain fell over the Apennines, while at the head of the long conference table, Lin Qi was reviewing an urgent document that had just been faxed from Geneva, Switzerland.
Seated to Lin Qi's left and below was Maurizio Gherardini, the current president of the EBA and the legendary general manager of the former Benetton Treviso team in Italy. This shrewd Europe basketball strategist had his brows furrowed at that moment.
"Boss, Vassilakopoulos (FIBA Europe President) is serious this time." Gherardini rubbed his temples and sighed. "They officially issued a resolution yesterday afternoon: effective immediately, any player playing for any of the thirty teams under the EBA League will be banned indefinitely from participating in all international competitions organized by FIBA. This directly includes the 2003 EuroBasket and next year's Athens Olympic Games."
Lin Qi looked at the fax in his hand without saying a word.
This is not the first time FIBA ( International Basketball Federation ) has launched an attack. In fact, for the past six months or so, Gherardini has been at the forefront, engaging in a high-intensity behind-the-scenes battle with FIBA and ULEB ( Europe Basketball League Union ).
Originally, FIBA and ULEB were engaged in a fierce internal battle for control of Europe competitions and television broadcasting rights. The two sides even created two parallel Europe Champions League, poaching players from each other and fighting tooth and nail.
But the turning point came last summer.
After the NBA NBA Finals concluded, David Stern, in pursuit of a global strategy, agreed to a highly anticipated " World Series " between the NBA champions and the EBA champions. The broadcast ratings and commercial sponsorships of that game created a legend in Europe basketball history.
At that moment, FIBA and ULEB, who had been locked in a fierce battle, finally woke up to the reality of their predicament. They were horrified to find themselves fighting tooth and nail over trivial matters. Meanwhile, EBA, secretly controlled by Lin Qi and owning thirty elite teams, had quietly consolidated Europe's top arenas, the most lucrative broadcasting contracts, and even gained a degree of official endorsement from the NBA, becoming the de facto "second-best league in the world."
Faced with this massive, barbaric force operating under North America model, FIBA and ULEB, who were originally bitter enemies, surprisingly formed a sham alliance in the face of a survival crisis.
Starting last October, FIBA began engaging in underhanded tactics. First, they threatened to revoke the international licenses of all referees officiating EBA games, but this was thwarted by Gherardini bringing in NCAA referees from the United States at high salaries. Then, they attempted to create obstacles in the club admission system, but this too was dragged into a protracted legal battle by EBA's powerful legal team.
But this time, FIBA played its most shameless and deadliest trump card: national team qualification.
"They're very clever," Gherardini said, pointing to the clauses in the document. "For many Europe players, wearing the national team jersey to play in the Olympic Games is a belief ingrained in their bones. As soon as the ban came out yesterday, many team locker rooms were already starting to unsettle."
Sitting at the other end of the conference table, Miško nodded grimly. " Darko Miličić called me in the middle of the night last night. That kid is fearless on the court, he'll even take Radja's elbows head-on, but when he heard he might not be able to play in next year's Athens Olympic Games, his voice was trembling. It's not just about honor, it's also about their social standing and commercial endorsements back home."
"Can we file an antitrust lawsuit?" Lin Qi looked up at Gherardini.
"The legal department has assessed the situation. We can file a lawsuit, and we have a high probability of winning because FIBA cannot deprive players of their right to work." Gherardini shook his head, giving a hopeless timeline, "But this lawsuit, going through all the procedures at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, will take at least three years. Vassilakopoulos is gambling; our players simply can't wait those three years. For the sake of next year's Olympic Games, they will immediately compromise with FIBA and demand to terminate their contracts with the EBA."
This is a ruthless and destructive move. By exploiting the inefficiency of the bureaucratic system to waste the players' prime years, it aims to undermine the core assets of the EBA.
A brief silence fell over the meeting room.
Lin Qi leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the leather armrest. He looked out the window at the endless winter rain, his mind racing as he dissected the underlying logic of this crisis.
It is extremely foolish to argue with bureaucrats in court. Bureaucrats' power derives from the system, and the best way to destroy that system is...
It's like directly draining the lifeblood that supports this system.
" Maurizio," Lin Qi stopped tapping and turned to the Europe president, "Where does FIBA get the money to fund the EuroBasket and Olympic Games qualifiers?"
Gherardini paused for a moment, then instinctively replied, "Television broadcasting rights, sponsorships from telecommunications operators across Europe, naming rights fees from major sponsors like Siemens, and ticket revenue from the matches."
"So, do broadcasters and sponsors spend money to see Vassilakopoulos's old face, or to see the star players on the field?" Lin Qi asked rhetorically.
Upon hearing this, Gherardini and Miško both paused for half a second, seemingly realizing what Lin Qi was about to do.
"They use qualification to hold players hostage, so we'll use the players to hold their wallets hostage in return."
Lin Qi's tone was completely calm. " Miško, you hold 80% of the talent in the Balkan Peninsula in your hands. Maurizio, you know all the key players from Spain, Italy, and France in the EBA. I need you to do something as soon as possible."
"Establish an ' EBA Players Association '," Lin Qi said, looking at the two men. "Tell all the players not to appeal to FIBA, and not to complain in the media. Just sign a unified joint protest statement."
"The protest letter is simple: if FIBA insists on enforcing this ban and does not recognize the EBA's legal status, then all players under the EBA Players Association will stage an indefinite 'joint strike,' not only boycotting this EuroBasket but also withdrawing from all FIBA-affiliated competitions."
Gherardini gasped, stunned by this near-nuclear-terrorist gamble. "Lin... this is tantamount to forcing national Chinese Basketball Association to rebel. If Darko, Krstić, and all the key players from Spain and France boycott, next year's Athens Olympic Games basketball tournament will be reduced to a second-rate amateur championship."
"That depends on whether the broadcasters and sponsors will agree." Lin Qi picked up his black coffee and took a sip. "When Siemens and Europe Television Network discover that they spent hundreds of millions of dollars to buy a match and can't even find a decent star player, do you think they'll blame the players, or will they just take the breach of contract and smash up Vassilakopoulos's office?"
Strike the snake at its vital point.
Vassilakopoulos thought he had the players' weakness in his grasp, but he forgot that FIBA's scepter is made from the euros of its sponsors.
"I understand." As an agent, Miško's forte was networking and using coercion and inducement. "Within forty-eight hours, I will have the signatures of 150 key national team players from various countries displayed at the Zurich press conference."
Gherardini let out a long sigh of relief, his previously weary eyes regaining their sharpness. "I'll contact the heads of the major Europe broadcasters immediately. As soon as the Players Association issues its statement, I'll have them send a withdrawal warning letter to FIBA headquarters."
"Go do it." Lin Qi put down his coffee cup and stood up.
Forty-eight hours later, in Zurich.
When Miško slammed a "joint strike statement" signed by 150 top Europe football stars onto the table at a press conference, an earthquake began throughout Europe sports.
Sponsors' calls nearly overwhelmed the FIBA headquarters in Geneva. The presidents of the Chinese Basketball Association from Spain, Serbia and Montenegro and Italy, and Italy even flew directly to Switzerland, where they confronted Vassilakopoulos in a meeting room, demanding he immediately stop this "suicidal power game."
The FIBA's aggressive Olympic ban, which lasted less than three days, vanished under the dual pressure of broadcasters cutting off supplies and star players striking.
On Friday afternoon, FIBA quietly removed the sanctions document from its official website and released a lackluster statement, indicating its "willingness to establish a cooperation framework with the EBA to jointly promote the prosperity of Europe basketball."
The surrender document has been issued.
At Treviso airport, Lin Qi watched the reconciliation news rolling on television and boarded his Gulfstream private jet with a blank expression.
The blockade in Europe has been completely broken. After this farce, the EBA is no longer a challenger, but the undisputed new king of Europe basketball.