Recaps

After Boston’s Game 5 win, Lin Qi publicly dismissed Kobe Bryant’s performance and mocked the idea that he could become a winner, hoping to provoke him into abandoning the Lakers’ team offense. Kobe read the coverage and left to practice for Game 6, determined to prove himself on Boston’s home court.

• At the postgame press conference, Lin Qi praised Phil Jackson and Shaquille O’Neal, then asked, “Who is Kobe?” when a reporter asked him to assess Kobe Bryant.
• Lin Qi criticized Kobe’s shooting and lack of assists, declaring that players who put individual heroics above the team had no place on his roster.
• In the locker room corridor, Lin Qi told Paul Pierce and Doc Rivers that he wanted to enrage Kobe so he would ignore Shaq and turn Game 6 into a personal contest.
• On the morning of June 18, sports outlets spread Lin Qi’s remarks, and TNT commentators predicted Kobe would take the bait.
• Kobe watched the interview, threw a newspaper against the wall, and left for the practice facility determined to prove himself in Game 6.

The Celtics used Ron Artest to guard Kobe Bryant one-on-one while denying the Lakers help defense, and their balanced offense overwhelmed Los Angeles in Game 6. Boston took a 68-40 halftime lead as Kobe kept forcing shots and Shaquille O'Neal received little of the ball.

• Kobe Bryant opened Game 6 by forcing shots against Eddie Jones while the Celtics built an early lead through efficient team offense.
• Doc Rivers replaced Eddie Jones with Ron Artest, and Boston ordered its defenders not to double-team Kobe or provide help.
• Artest's physical one-on-one defense stifled Kobe while Boston's frontcourt contained Shaquille O'Neal and the Celtics widened their lead to 31-15 by the end of the first quarter.
• Boston's second unit outplayed the Lakers' reserves, extending the lead to twenty-four and forcing Phil Jackson to bring his starters back early.
• Kobe continued missing forced shots as Boston scored in transition and through Pierce and Garnett, taking a 68-40 lead at halftime.
• Kobe entered the tunnel in silence while O'Neal followed behind him, having received only four shot attempts in the half.

The Celtics overwhelmed the Lakers 114-70 in Game 6, winning the series 4-2 and claiming the franchise’s 18th championship with the largest margin in NBA Finals history. As Boston celebrated, Lin Qi declared that the team’s era had only just begun.

• Kobe forced shots against Artest while O'Neal stopped fighting, and the Celtics extended their lead to 96-60 by the end of the third quarter.
• Phil Jackson removed the Lakers’ starters, but Kobe refused to leave the game and continued shooting against Boston’s reserves.
• Wang Zhizhi finished a team play with a finger roll, and Rasheed Wallace later dunked to put Boston ahead 108-68.
• The Celtics defeated the Lakers 114-70, set the Finals record for the largest winning margin, and won the series 4-2.
• Lin Qi watched Kobe leave the court alone, then told Doc Rivers that Boston’s era had only just begun.

At the Celtics’ championship ceremony, Kevin Garnett won the 2000 NBA Finals MVP award and credited his teammates and Lin Qi for Boston’s team-first success. The chapter ended with Lin Qi watching the celebration and believing he had laid the foundation for a future Celtics dynasty.

• David Stern announced the Celtics as champions and Lin Qi passed the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Doc Rivers, who shared it with the players.
• David Stern named Kevin Garnett the Finals MVP for his defense, playmaking, and all-around contribution.
• Paul Pierce pushed Garnett toward the stage as the Celtics celebrated the award.
• Garnett thanked Paul Pierce, Gary Payton, Dikembe Mutombo, and Ron Artest, and said the trophy represented the team’s unselfish play.
• Garnett credited Lin Qi with drafting and developing him, then raised the trophy toward Lin Qi.
• Lin Qi applauded as the Celtics embraced on the podium and considered the team’s future dynasty.

After Boston won the championship, the players celebrated their title while Lin Qi stayed outside the locker room. David Blatt asked whether the team could keep its roster together, and Lin Qi left that question for tomorrow.

• Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ron Artest drenched one another with champagne as Boston celebrated its championship.
• Dikembe Mutombo held the trophy and remembered how this full-season title silenced doubts about Boston’s previous championship.
• Gary Payton joined Mutombo, and they toasted the team before Payton shouted, “Fuck the asterisk!!”
• Kevin Garnett gave the Finals MVP trophy to Doc Rivers, who led the players in a Celtics chant.
• Lin Qi listened outside the locker room, then told David Blatt that they would discuss the roster’s future tomorrow.

Lin Qi reviewed the Celtics’ 1999-2000 season, in which the team went 65-17 and won its second consecutive championship after completing a full 82-game schedule. He closed the report with “Stay hungry” as the summer began.

• Lin Qi challenged the defending champions to silence doubts about their previous title by succeeding over a full season.
• The Celtics finished 65-17, led by Gary Payton, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and a strengthened supporting cast.
• The Celtics swept the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks, defeated the Indiana Pacers 4-1, and beat the Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 in the Finals.
• Kevin Garnett won Finals MVP, Doc Rivers won Coach of the Year, and Lin Qi won Executive of the Year.
• Lin Qi closed the season report and wrote, “Stay hungry.”

Dikembe Mutombo asked Lin Qi for a long-term extension, and Lin explained that Boston could not afford to pay him what he was worth. Mutombo chose financial security, so Lin put him on the trade market under terms requiring a new long-term deal, leaving the Celtics waiting for offers.

• Mutombo asked Lin Qi to extend his contract so he could finish his career in Boston.
• Lin told Mutombo that the Celtics could offer only a short mid-level deal, while other teams might give him a four-year contract worth more than $60 million.
• Mutombo chose to seek a major contract to support his family and his hospital project in Africa, and Lin promised to arrange a trade.
• Lin told Mutombo he hoped he would return to Boston and retire as a Celtics player after his next contract.
• The Celtics announced they were listening to offers for Mutombo, requiring any buyer to commit to an extension of at least four years and provide quality picks or young players.
• Lin watched calls from interested teams flood in, satisfied that he had maximized Mutombo's trade value.

Lin Qi negotiated Dikembe Mutombo’s trade from Boston to Dallas, securing Shawn Bradley’s contract and three 2000 first-round picks. The Celtics confirmed the deal, leaving Lin Qi with four first-round selections ahead of the draft.

• Mark Cuban called Lin Qi and agreed to give Mutombo a four-year, $65 million contract if Dallas acquired him.
• Lin Qi demanded Shawn Bradley’s contract and three 2000 first-round picks, and Cuban agreed to find the extra picks.
• Cuban and Don Nelson acquired the No. 12 pick from Orlando and the No. 21 pick from New York, adding them to Dallas’s No. 11 pick.
• Dallas sent Mutombo to Boston for Bradley and the three first-round picks, and Lin Qi confirmed the trade to the league office.
• Lin Qi held picks No. 11, No. 12, No. 21, and Boston’s No. 29 ahead of the draft.

After Doc Rivers left for Orlando, Lin Qi hired Rick Carlisle as Boston’s new head coach and began planning for Dikembe Mutombo’s trade to Dallas. Carlisle agreed to join Boston in a week, leaving the team’s interior defense to be rebuilt without Mutombo.

• Doc Rivers told Lin Qi he was leaving for Orlando with Tom Thibodeau, and Lin Qi secured a draft pick from the Magic as compensation.
• Lin Qi called Larry Bird, who gave him Rick Carlisle’s number after warning him about Carlisle’s forceful personality.
• Lin Qi offered Carlisle Boston’s head coaching job, substantial control over tactics and rotations, and an eighteen-million-dollar, four-year guaranteed contract; Carlisle accepted.
• Lin Qi told Carlisle that he might trade Dikembe Mutombo to Dallas for three first-round picks, and Carlisle agreed to come to Boston in a week to discuss rebuilding the defense.

Lin Qi recruited Tim Grgurich and Dwane Casey as assistant coaches to balance Rick Carlisle’s demanding style and support the locker room. Carlisle arrived in Boston, approved of Lin Qi’s choices, and went straight to the team film room to begin work.

• Lin Qi told Gary Payton about Rick Carlisle’s forceful coaching style, and Payton recommended Tim Grgurich and Dwane Casey as trusted player-relations assistants.
• Lin Qi offered Grgurich and Casey fully guaranteed four-year contracts, with roles focused on player development and locker-room communication.
• Two days later, Rick Carlisle arrived in Boston and read the newly signed assistant-coaching contracts during the drive from the airport.
• Carlisle thanked Lin Qi for the hires and asked to be taken directly to the New Garden film room.

Eddie Jones asked Lin Qi to trade him so he could become the offensive centerpiece of another team, and Lin Qi agreed to find a suitable destination. With Dikembe also being traded, Lin Qi viewed the departures as a chance to bring back valuable assets and keep Boston's championship window open.

• Eddie Jones asked Lin Qi for a trade after hearing that Dikembe was being sent to Dallas.
• Jones explained that he wanted more offensive responsibility and a chance to discover his limits while still in his prime.
• Lin Qi acknowledged Jones's years of service, accepted his decision, and promised to find a team that would use him as its centerpiece.
• Lin Qi asked Jones to return to Boston to retire when he was ready, and Jones promised that Boston would always be his home.
• After Jones left, Lin Qi considered how the Mutombo and Jones trades could reshape Boston's lineup and preserve its championship strength.

Lin Qi arranged trades sending Eddie Jones and Rashard Lewis to Sacramento for Corliss Williamson and two first-round picks, then moved Williamson to Toronto for Doug Christie. He also urged Rick Adelman to trade Jason Williams for Mike Bibby, leaving the suggestion for Adelman to consider.

• Lin Qi met Rick Adelman in Chicago and offered Eddie Jones and Rashard Lewis to the Kings for Corliss Williamson, the fifteenth pick in the 2000 draft, and Sacramento's unprotected 2001 first-round pick.
• Adelman accepted the trade, believing Jones and Lewis could strengthen the Kings' championship chances.
• Lin Qi advised Adelman to trade Jason Williams and pursue Mike Bibby as a steadier point guard against the Lakers.
• Lin Qi returned to Boston and traded Corliss Williamson to the Raptors for Doug Christie.
• Boston completed the trades with championship-caliber perimeter defense and two additional first-round picks.

On June 25, 2000, Lin Qi reviewed Boston's draft assets, including an unprotected 2001 first-round pick from Orlando for Doc Rivers. With six picks in the weak 2000 draft and too few roster spots, he considered trading the collection for a proven star and settled on Grant Hill as a risky target he might save with elite medical care.

• Lin Qi received confirmation that Orlando had hired Doc Rivers and owed Boston an unprotected 2001 first-round pick.
• Lin Qi listed Boston's six picks in the 2000 draft and seven future first-round picks acquired through trades.
• Lin Qi judged the weak draft class and Boston's limited roster space made using all six picks impractical.
• Lin Qi considered Grant Hill as a trade target despite knowing Hill faced severe ankle injuries, and planned to pursue advanced medical treatment for him.

On the eve of the 2000 draft, Lin Qi negotiated with Joe Dumars to acquire Grant Hill from the Detroit Pistons before Hill could leave in free agency. The deal left Lin Qi betting that Hill's ankle could heal, despite surrendering four first-round picks and Shawn Bradley.

• Lin Qi called Joe Dumars and pointed out that the Pistons risked losing Grant Hill for nothing when free agency began.
• Lin Qi offered the eleventh and twelfth picks in the draft and Shawn Bradley for Hill.
• After Dumars sought more compensation, Lin Qi added the twenty-first pick and then the twenty-eighth pick.
• Dumars accepted the trade, sending Grant Hill to the Celtics for four first-round picks and Shawn Bradley.

Before the 2000 NBA draft, Lin Qi traded four first-round picks and Shawn Bradley to Detroit for Grant Hill, then used Boston’s remaining first-round selections on Hedo Türkoğlu and Michael Redd. The Celtics finished the night with their second-round pick converted into cash compensation, while Lin Qi’s bold choices drew skepticism from commentators and scouts.

• Lin Qi sent four first-round picks and Shawn Bradley to Detroit for Grant Hill, whose ankle injury he knew carried serious long-term risks.
• After the draft began, Lin Qi dismissed the scouts’ safer options and selected Hedo Türkoğlu with Boston’s fifteenth pick.
• Lin Qi chose Michael Redd with the twenty-ninth pick and explained that a first-round contract would help Boston retain him through his future rise.
• Lin Qi ended Boston’s draft work by converting the team’s remaining second-round pick into cash compensation.

After Grant Hill signed a seven-year, $93 million contract with Boston, Lin Qi's independent medical examination revealed that Hill's ankle was in far worse shape than Detroit had admitted. Lin Qi persuaded Hill to undergo a lengthy experimental rehabilitation plan and then prepared to challenge Detroit and push the NBA to strengthen injury disclosure rules.

• Lin Qi arranged an independent examination, and Dr. Thomas Clanton found delayed bone healing and signs of damage around the screws in Grant Hill's ankle.
• Dr. Clanton warned that playing the next season could cause another fracture and end Hill's career, while Lin Qi explained that Detroit's doctors had underestimated the danger.
• Lin Qi proposed replacing Hill's hardware and following an experimental treatment and an eighteen-month rehabilitation plan, candidly explaining its risks and potential benefits.
• Hill agreed to cooperate unconditionally with Boston's medical team, trusting Lin Qi to protect his future career.
• Lin Qi instructed his assistant to file a complaint with David Stern and the NBA League Medical Committee, demand Hill's full medical records from Detroit, and seek changes to the league's injury disclosure rules.

Lin Qi secured a Celtics ownership stake and a seat on the NBA Board of Governors, then persuaded David Stern to compensate Boston for Detroit's concealment of Grant Hill's injury. The league approved two unprotected Pistons first-round picks, a disabled player exception, and a proposed medical review committee, while Boston agreed to keep the fraud allegations private.

• The NBA formally approved Lin Qi's 5 percent ownership stake in the Celtics and appointed him Boston's representative on the Board of Governors.
• Lin Qi told David Stern that Detroit had misdiagnosed and concealed the severity of Grant Hill's ankle injury, presenting specialist reports as evidence.
• Lin Qi demanded two unprotected Pistons first-round picks, a disabled player exception for Hill, and a league-run independent medical review committee.
• Lin Qi offered to frame Hill as a tragic hero and keep Detroit's fraud allegations out of the press if the league granted Boston compensation.
• Stern signed a memorandum approving the two picks and the exception, and asked Lin Qi to prepare a proposal for the medical committee.

Jerry West resigned from the Lakers after Jerry Buss refused to give him an ownership stake, and Lin Qi called to offer him a place in Boston. West said he planned to rebuild the Grizzlies, while the Lakers’ post-Finals turmoil set the stage for a major announcement about Kobe and O'Neal.

• Jerry West asked Jerry Buss for a minority stake in the Lakers, but Buss refused, and West resigned.
• Lin Qi called West to express respect and invite him to Boston, but West declined and said he would join the Grizzlies.
• Lin Qi concluded that West’s departure would worsen the Lakers’ internal conflict and leave Kobe vulnerable beside O'Neal.
• The Lakers held a four-hour internal meeting, after which Los Angeles media reported that the team had issued a major signal.

After the Lakers’ Finals defeat, Phil Jackson argued that Kobe Bryant was too inexperienced and arrogant to understand teamwork, and that only failure could teach him to change. Jerry Buss decided Los Angeles would put Kobe on the trading block, leaving the Lakers’ future in the hands of other teams.

• Boston newspapers highlighted Lin Qi’s question, “Who is Kobe?”, as a rebuke of the Lakers’ team-building and Kobe’s role in their defeat.
• Mitch Kupchak reported that Kobe was training obsessively and that his conflict with Shaq had become impossible to ignore.
• Phil Jackson compared Kobe’s sheltered rise with Michael Jordan’s painful early defeats and concluded that Kobe was currently uncoachable.
• Jackson told Buss that Kobe needed to experience failure, but the Lakers and Shaq could not wait for him to mature.
• Buss agreed to offer Kobe to every team in the league and ordered Kupchak to send a fax announcing that Los Angeles was open to trade offers.

Lin Qi learned that the Lakers had put Kobe Bryant on the trade market after a bitter feud with Shaquille O'Neal and pressure from Phil Jackson. He traced the breakup to the Lakers' Finals loss, Kobe's ultimatum, and the team's decision to prioritize O'Neal, leaving Kobe's future in Los Angeles uncertain.

• Lin Qi received a league bulletin announcing that the Lakers would listen to trade offers for Kobe Bryant.
• Lin Qi ordered Los Angeles newspapers and scouting reports, then read accounts of Kobe and Shaquille O'Neal's explosive argument after the season.
• A newspaper argued that the Finals had exposed O'Neal's unmatched value and Kobe's vulnerability against Boston's perimeter defenders.
• Lin Qi read that Phil Jackson had sided with O'Neal and urged Jerry Buss to make him the team's sole tactical centerpiece.
• Lin Qi concluded that the lost championship, Jerry West's departure, Kobe's ultimatum, and pressure from Jackson and O'Neal had pushed the Lakers to put Kobe on the trade market.

Lin Qi analyzed the Lakers, Bulls, and Suns’ three-team trade, which sent Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion to Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant to Chicago, and Tracy McGrady to Phoenix. He expected Kobe to become a major individual star in Chicago but predicted Boston’s cohesive team would stand in his way.

• The Lakers, Bulls, and Suns agreed to trade Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion to the Lakers, Kobe Bryant to the Bulls, and Tracy McGrady to the Suns.
• Lin Qi explained that the Lakers gained a better fit beside Shaquille O'Neal, while Phoenix moved Kidd because of concerns about his conduct and chose McGrady as a new star.
• Lin Qi said Jerry Krause wanted Kobe to vindicate his own legacy, while Kobe saw Chicago as a chance to lead a team and challenge Michael Jordan’s legacy.
• Lin Qi told his assistant that Kobe would score heavily in Chicago but would struggle to reach the summit through individual heroics alone.
• Lin Qi predicted Boston would be the obstacle that could force Kobe to learn the value of teamwork.

Lin Qi analyzed the Lakers’ trade of Peja Stojaković and Jermaine O'Neal to the Clippers for Lamar Odom, Quentin Richardson, and a protected first-round pick. He concluded the deal strengthened Phil Jackson’s system and left the Lakers with a formidable new starting lineup that threatened Boston’s title defense.

• Lin Qi learned that the Lakers had traded Peja Stojaković and Jermaine O'Neal to the Clippers for Lamar Odom, Quentin Richardson, and a protected 2002 first-round pick.
• Lin Qi explained that Mitch Kupchak and Phil Jackson wanted to remove players associated with Jerry West and reshape the roster around their own vision.
• Lin Qi said Jermaine O'Neal and Peja Stojaković did not fit the Lakers’ roles or defensive needs, while Lamar Odom suited the Triangle Offense as a versatile facilitator.
• Lin Qi described Quentin Richardson as a tough, inexpensive spot-up shooter who could fill the Lakers’ need at shooting guard without demanding the ball.
• Lin Qi listed the Lakers’ new starting five as Jason Kidd, Quentin Richardson, Shawn Marion, Lamar Odom, and Shaquille O'Neal, and judged them Boston’s toughest title-defense obstacle.

Lin Qi reviewed the completed roster and coaching staff he had assembled for Boston, weighing how each hire would support the players and help Rick Carlisle grow as a coach. With the staff in place, Lin Qi decided it was time to begin preparations for the new season in Europe.

• Lin Qi reviewed the signed fifteen-man roster and the coaching and support staff he had assembled.
• Lin Qi planned for Tim Grgurich and Dwane Casey to temper Rick Carlisle’s demanding style and help him adapt to the roster.
• Lin Qi assigned David Blatt to introduce dynamic passing and cutting, while specialist coaches would develop players’ skills, conditioning, and health.
• Lin Qi relied on Daryl Morey, Masai Ujiri, Dominique Wilkins, and Robert Parish to strengthen scouting, player development, and team support.
• Lin Qi closed the file and decided preparations for the new season should begin in Europe.

Lin Qi reviewed Olympia Milan’s season and summer plans with Maurizio Gherardini, then set off for Rome to oversee the newly acquired club. Milan had strengthened its roster with Gianluca Basile and Fabricio Oberto, while Raja Bell and Stephen Jackson had developed under the team’s European system.

• Gherardini told Lin Qi that the offshore fund had outbid Claudio Totti and finalized the takeover of Virtus Rome through Giovanni Malagò’s transition committee.
• Gherardini reported that Raja Bell had improved his outside shooting and Stephen Jackson had learned to read defenses and play within a system under Sergio Scariolo and Igor Kokoškov.
• Lin Qi and Gherardini discussed Milan’s need to improve its roster while working within strict foreign-player limits.
• Gherardini presented five-year deals for free agents Gianluca Basile and Fabricio Oberto, who would not occupy foreign-player slots.
• Lin Qi approved the Milan plans and left with Gherardini for Rome to handle the acquisition and assemble a new group.

In Rome, Lin Qi planned Virtus Rome’s new arena and rebuilt the club around a modern coaching staff and a group of promising players. He left Gherardini to secure the contracts and local political support needed to carry out his plans.

• Lin Qi offered Claudio Totti the general contract for a new arena in exchange for help clearing city approvals, with construction payments tied to milestones.
• Lin Qi chose Marco Crespi as head coach and named Nick Nurse and Chris Finch as assistant coach candidates.
• Lin Qi ordered Virtus Rome to pursue Argentine players and use their ancestry to obtain European Union passports, asking Totti to help with the paperwork.
• Lin Qi assigned a non-EU roster slot to Chris Andersen and ordered the club to sign Anthony Parker and Kenny Atkinson despite Gherardini’s doubts.
• Gherardini agreed to arrange the coaching and player contracts for Virtus Rome.