June 26, 1996, Continental Airlines Arena, New Jersey.
The basketball eyes of the entire United States and even the world are now focused on this arena, which is about to be overwhelmed by the roar of the crowd.
Countless cameras and microphones were pointed at the green room where the nationally renowned college geniuses sat upright in oversized suits.
But the president's office at the Boston Celtics headquarters felt like another parallel universe.
The blinds were drawn, letting in no sunlight. In the center of the room, an old television set flickered with a cold white light, emitting the deafening roar of a live broadcast from New Jersey. In this oppressive shadow, Lin Qi leaned back leisurely in his office chair.
On the table in front of him lay a draft list almost entirely covered in drawings. Some names were circled, some were marked with long red lines, and others had Chinese symbols next to them that only Lin Qi could understand.
call...
suck...
Heavy breathing came from the sofa. Celtics head coach Rick Adelman and his core management team were all crammed into the narrow sofa. Although the room was air-conditioned, everyone's palms were sweaty. Adelman gripped a Parker pen tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force.
"Lin, are you really not going to the game?" The scouting director finally couldn't hold back any longer. He clasped his hands together and rubbed them vigorously, as if trying to wash away all the anxiety in his palms. "I've been a scout for almost twenty years, and I've never seen a draft class this bizarre. Before the game, we went to various universities to try out those kids, and the management's opinions changed almost every hour. Today they think this one is an All-Star, tomorrow they think that one is a bust. Nobody dares to make a guarantee! Tonight, this place is a high-risk gambling pool!"
Listening to his subordinate's anxiety, Lin Qi raised the corners of his mouth noncommittally, picked up his coffee, and took a sip.
How could he not know how bizarre this year's class was?
In the original historical timeline, 1996 was hailed as the undisputed " Golden Generation," producing countless superstars who dominated the league for two decades. But in 1996, every general manager, pundit, and even David Stern himself was apprehensive. In this brutal era that believed "whoever controls the paint controls the game," every top lottery pick in that draft class was labeled with tags like "insufficient height," "personality flaws," and "unconventional playing style."
They're trying to make a fortune in blind boxes.
For Lin Qi, it was an open-book exam.
At 7:30 p. m., all the lights in the venue suddenly went out.
David Stern strode onto the stage with his signature steady, slightly arrogant gait. He adjusted his glasses and slowly opened the envelope in his hand. His magnetic, undeniable voice resonated clearly through the loudspeakers in the closed Boston office.
Welcome to the 1996 NBA Draft.
The giant ship of the talent show started roaring at this moment.
" The Philadelphia 76ers," David Stern announced the first name, "Have chosen Allen Iverson from Georgetown University."
The television screen instantly switched to the audience. The black boy with cornrows and a height that barely reached 1.8 meters raised an eyebrow. He stood up and put on a Philadelphia 76ers cap that seemed too exaggerated for his small head. Instead of being dressed in a suit and tie and walking with a steady gait like traditional college players, he swayed onto the stage with a street-style rhythm, extended his tattooed arm, and shook hands with David Stern.
A huge round of applause erupted at the scene, but amidst the applause, commentators in various live broadcast rooms across the United States began to openly predict the worst.
"The number one draft pick, Allen Iverson?"
In the New York sports broadcast studio, the veteran national commentator, sitting in the middle, raised his eyebrows, his tone undisguisedly sarcastic and reserved. "His speed is indeed lightning fast, and his scoring talent is undeniable. But the problem is, he's too short! A number one draft pick who's just over 1.80 meters tall? Gentlemen, open your eyes and look at the league today! This is an era that glorifies toughness and physicality! With his small frame, are you sure he can withstand an elbow from Malone or Mourning? Not to mention his strong street rebellious vibe. Won't the old-fashioned, conservative management in Philadelphia have a heart attack from him after half a season?"
"I think Philadelphia is making a huge gamble," the young commentator immediately retorted, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "This kid has a ruthless streak that'll tear his opponents apart. The Philadelphia 76ers have been stagnant for too long; they need this kind of heroism!"
"Heroism? No, this is suicidal lone-wolf behavior." The first commentator scoffed, shaking his head as he asserted, "In the NBA, a lone wolf won't go far. I bet he and the Philadelphia coaching staff will be locked in a locker room with guns drawn sooner or later. This is just a huge bubble blown up by the media."
Listening to the heated argument between the two men on television, Lin Qi chuckled to himself at his desk in Boston.
This is the limitation of our times. Traditional sports commentators are always used to measuring new talents with outdated standards. They focus on Iverson's height and personality flaws, but they can't imagine that this short guy, whom they regard as an "outlier" and a "ball-dominating black hole," will become a cultural icon worshipped by an entire generation of young people in the future with his groundbreaking change-of-direction technique.
The draft then proceeded.
With the second overall pick, the Toronto Raptors selected Marcus Camby from the University of Massachusetts.
" Camby!" The commentator's voice instantly rose, "At 2.11 meters tall, he possesses the lateral speed of a guard! His shot-blocking ability on the college court was simply unstoppable. For the Raptors, a newly formed team, acquiring him is like securing a defensive bulwark for the next decade—an absolute steal!"
"Top-tier talent, but the problem is he's too skinny." His partner continued to pour cold water on his enthusiasm, flipping through the scouting report. "This kid can block shots in college with his jumping ability, but in the professional arena, against a big man like Antonio Davis or Carl Malone, a gust of wind could blow him into the stands. Whether his small frame can withstand the physical battles in the NBA paint is a big question mark. He might just be another fragile player."
In the third overall pick, the Vancouver Grizzlies played it safe, taking no risks, and selected Shareef Abdul- Rahim, a versatile forward from the University of California.
When it came to the fourth pick, David Stern then called out Stephen Marbury's name.
"Stephen Marbury! That lone wolf guard who emerged from the Coney Island streetball mecca in New York!" the commentator practically roared into the microphone. "Listen, if you just give him all the damn ball possession, he can break your opponent's legs on the court and, incidentally, sell out the entire arena!"
Fifth overall pick: Ray Allen, the college-style shooter from the University of Connecticut!
"Ray Allen plays very steadily, his shooting form is textbook perfect, like a perfect role model." The commentator remarked on the trade. "He could contribute immediately to any team, but in terms of leading a team, he probably doesn't have the explosiveness of Marbury or Iverson. He's too well-behaved, lacking the domineering presence of a superstar."
Upon hearing this, Lin Qi picked up his coffee cup, his smile widening.
Limited potential? Lack of domineering presence?
This gentle young man, described as "gentle and refined" by veteran basketball commentators at this moment, will not only become the Heat's clutch straw in their championship run, but will also etch his name at the top of the NBA's all-time three-point list with a series of cold-blooded, deadly three-pointers.
The draft has moved to the sixth pick.
" The Dallas Mavericks," David Stern stepped onto the stage again, his voice coming through the microphone, "Have chosen Antawn Kemba Walker from the University of Kentucky."
" Kemba Walker!" the commentator immediately followed up, " The University of Kentucky all-around forward, who just won the NCAA national championship a few months ago under Coach Pitino. He's tall and strong yet technically refined, able to drive, shoot, and even deliver exquisite passes like a point guard. He plays with extraordinary agility, but sometimes he's too showy on the court; his exaggerated swinging celebrations and poor shot selection always make you worry for him. However, the Dallas Mavericks are currently facing a complete rebuild, and they desperately need a young core like him."
On the television screen, a chubby little boy with a childish face and a plump body was excitedly shouting and yelling, waving his fists.
Lin Qi looked at the young, chubby man, took a small sip of coffee, and a very faint, strange feeling flashed through his mind for a moment.
Because in the original "true history" that only he knew, this all-around Kentucky fat man should have been selected sixth overall by " The Cardinal Auerbach," donned the green Boston jersey symbolizing glory, and become one of the cornerstones of Boston's revival.
The world has completely deviated from its original course. He has skewed the trajectory of history by a huge angle. However, this is precisely the charm of competitive sports. If everything followed the expected path, it would be far too boring.
The seventh pick then went to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers selected, somewhat predictably and somewhat uneventfully, Loren Wright, a blue-collar center from the University of Memphis.
"A reliable, unassuming interior role player." The commentator flipped through a couple of pages of information, offering a somewhat monotonous assessment. "His physical attributes are decent, and he was willing to do the dirty work in college. The Clippers ' interior defense and rebounding are currently extremely weak, so this is a reasonable, safe, but definitely not a spectacular choice."
With the draft now complete, the top seven have all been decided.
As established NCAA college stars were successively claimed, the atmosphere in the studio inevitably began to become calm and relaxed.
"Alright, the top seven have all found their teams." The commentator on the left unscrewed his thermos, took a sip of water, leaned back in his chair, and said slowly, "Based on our joint predictions from various media outlets before the season, the next few picks are likely to be in the range where teams are making roster changes, selecting immediate rotation players, or role players. To be fair, while this year's draft class is decent, there aren't any truly eye-catching, dominant super-fish in the latter half of the lottery..."
However, before he could finish speaking, David Stern on the television screen quickly stepped onto the stage again.
In his hand was a red note that had just been urgently delivered.
" The Los Angeles Lakers," David Stern's voice suddenly rose a few decibels, tinged with a hint of dramatic excitement, "Acquired the eighth overall pick in the NBA draft from the Nets through a just-concluded trade."
The previously noisy studio instantly fell into dead silence.
" Lakers? How did the Lakers suddenly get an eighth pick?"
The commentator, who had just been drinking water, froze, nearly choking on a mouthful. He awkwardly adjusted his wireless earpiece, straining to hear the urgent news from the director behind him, his face growing paler. "Wait... we've received a confirmed trade report. The Los Angeles Lakers have traded their Derrick Ceballos for the Nets ' eighth overall pick!"
" Ceballos?!"
His partner, sitting next to him, screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice distorted with utter shock, almost losing control. "That Ceballos who averaged 21.1 points and 6.9 rebounds last season and just made the All-Star team?! He's the Los Angeles Lakers' undisputed leading scorer! It's understandable that the Nets want stars to boost ticket sales, but have the Lakers gone mad?! They actually traded a 27-year-old forward in his prime, playing like an All-Star, for an eighth overall pick with an uncertain future?!"
The entire national broadcast studio erupted into chaos. The director backstage frantically shouted into his headset, trying to find the logic behind the Los Angeles Lakers ' trade. Phone lines across the country were practically overwhelmed by angry Lakers fans.
Meanwhile, in his Boston office, thousands of miles away, Lin Qi leisurely placed his coffee cup back on the desk with a crisp "click."
He thought to himself: Here they come.
On the television screen, David Stern calmly opened the envelope and loudly read out the name that the Lakers had selected.
" The Los Angeles Lakers selected Kobe Brian from Lower Merion High School."