Recaps

After Boston’s 58-point victory in Chicago, Kevin Garnett found $1,500 hidden in the United Center ceiling and recalled the 1996 Celtics’ vow to defeat Michael Jordan. He kept the money to return it to his former teammates, then treated the current Celtics to a celebration.

• Garnett climbed onto a table in the visitors’ locker room and pulled a dusty stack of bills from above the ceiling.
• Garnett explained that Lin and the 1996 Celtics had hidden the money after their playoff loss to Chicago, promising to retrieve it after defeating Jordan.
• Garnett recalled that Boston had finally beaten Jordan’s Lakers in the previous season’s NBA Finals, though his old teammates were no longer with him.
• Garnett refused Artest’s suggestion to spend the $1,500 and vowed to return each former teammate’s contribution, including Lin’s.
• Garnett offered to pay for the team’s celebration in Chicago, and the Celtics cheered for Boston.

Lin Qi reviewed the 2003 All-Star selections and considered how legends, established superstars, and rising challengers were converging amid shifting league rules. As the Celtics' stars traveled to Atlanta for All-Star Weekend, Stern's ban left Lin Qi watching from Boston.

• Lin Qi read the All-Star voting results, noting Michael Jordan led the West and Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady had formed a celebrated duo in Phoenix.
• Lin Qi noted Yao Ming had earned an Eastern Conference starting center spot and Kobe Bryant had made the starting lineup despite controversy over his play in Chicago.
• Lin Qi reviewed Boston's selections: Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce as starters and Ben Wallace as a reserve.
• Lin Qi reflected on the NBA's mix of generations and its uncertain officiating standards as the season approached the All-Star break.
• After Boston defeated the Pacers on February 6, Garnett, Pierce, and Wallace flew to Atlanta while Lin Qi stayed in Boston under Stern's ban.

At the Atlanta All-Star weekend, Shaquille O'Neal mocked Kobe Bryant's selfishness, and Kobe defended his belief that he had to take responsibility in clutch moments. After promising to take over if Sunday's game was close, Kobe kept practicing, while Lin Qi watched the interview from Boston.

• Shaquille O'Neal told reporters that Kobe had once replied, "there's a fucking M and E" in TEAM, and said Lin Qi was right to criticize Kobe's selfish play.
• Kobe Bryant listened to O'Neal's recording in an Atlanta gym and admitted that he had said the line.
• Kobe argued that he should take the shot when his teammates were afraid to miss, then made a fadeaway jumper during the interview.
• Kobe promised to destroy the All-Star game's lovefest if he had the ball in a close fourth quarter, then resumed practicing.
• Lin Qi watched Kobe's interview at his Boston villa and murmured, "That was definitely Kobe Bryant."

Michael Jordan announced that he would retire after the season, whether the Lakers won the championship or not. Watching from home during his suspension, Lin Qi recognized the announcement as a way to unite the Lakers for a final push against Boston, leaving the Celtics braced for a difficult second half and Finals.

• Jordan told reporters that the current season would be his last and ruled out returning even if the Lakers won the title.
• Jordan said Shaq, Jason Kidd, and the Lakers had one goal: to make a final run at the championship.
• Lin Qi watched the announcement and saw it as a move that would suppress the Lakers' internal conflicts and focus the team on Boston.
• Lin Qi anticipated that the league might favor Jordan's farewell tour and that the Celtics would face a tough challenge.

Kobe Bryant ignored the All-Star Game’s easygoing atmosphere and disrupted Michael Jordan’s apparent farewell victory by stealing the final possession and drawing a three-shot foul. He made all three free throws, won the game for the East, and accepted the MVP trophy as the arena booed.

• Kobe Bryant played selfishly in the first half while Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce treated the game casually, and Doc Rivers made little effort to intervene.
• With the game tied and 4.8 seconds left, Michael Jordan hit a turnaround fadeaway to put the West ahead.
• Kobe stole the East’s inbound pass and attempted a three-pointer, then argued until the referee called a foul.
• Kobe made all three free throws to give the East the win and received the MVP trophy amid boos.
• Lin Qi watched the game from home, laughed at the players’ antics, and turned off the television.

Lin Qi surveyed the league’s turmoil before the trade deadline, from the Lakers’ rising depth to conflicts in Chicago and Los Angeles, while Boston made no moves. Watching Boston’s offense, he concluded Rick Carlisle had smoothly handed playmaking duties to Chauncey Billups and that the team’s quiet stability was good news.

• Lin Qi read reports on the Lakers’ winning streak and their deep second unit, while the Spurs strengthened their defense around David Robinson and Kwame Brown.
• The Chicago Tribune reported that Kobe injured Jalen Rose in a scrimmage, worsening the Bulls’ locker-room tensions and fueling trade rumors.
• The Clippers struggled with a reported locker-room fight and failed to find a team willing to take Vin Baker’s contract, while Lin Qi noted Miami’s promising young roster.
• Boston received inquiries from the Nets, Magic, and Kings but made no trades before the deadline.
• Lin Qi watched Billups, Garnett, and Pierce execute a high-post play and reflected on how Carlisle had shifted Boston’s playmaking responsibilities to Billups.

Lin Qi planned to use his newly settled $500 million to acquire Converse after its IPO was postponed, then rebuild its basketball line around custom performance footwear. His discussion with Beth ended when their one-year-old twins started crying, and they went upstairs to care for them.

• Beth delivered the tax settlement documents showing that $500 million had reached Lin Qi’s account and described plans to close on a secure Brookline estate.
• Lin Qi set aside $100 million for David Fincher’s Kingmaker and told Beth about Fincher’s demanding filming methods.
• Lin Qi proposed buying Converse after its IPO was postponed amid fears of war, and Beth planned to pursue an exclusive deal with its controlling private equity fund.
• Lin Qi outlined a plan to keep Converse’s canvas sneakers while developing custom basketball shoes with specialists in biomechanics, medicine, and materials.
• Beth and Lin Qi were interrupted by their crying twins, so they went upstairs to help care for them.

Lin Qi considered using the EBA to recruit top international prospects and develop them outside the NBA, then examined evidence that David Stern was manipulating officiating and playoff rules to favor certain teams. He left the story resting after recognizing the likely advantage to the Los Angeles Lakers.

• Lin Qi read about LeBron James's Hummergate scandal and considered signing American prospects to EBA contracts, but decided against provoking the American sports industry.
• Lin Qi identified international prospects including Michael Pietrus, Carlos Delfino, Boris Diaw, and Luis Scola as targets for EBA recruitment and development.
• Lin Qi planned to use the EBA's competitive contracts and training systems to raise international players' abilities and challenge the NBA in a future EBA-NBA contest.
• Lin Qi reviewed a report showing that foul calls on defensive hand contact had increased since March and suspected Stern was deliberately disrupting game momentum.
• Lin Qi connected the tighter officiating to Stern's move to make first-round playoff series best-of-seven and concluded the changes could benefit the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Celtics struggled with the league’s tighter officiating as Ron Artest’s outbursts brought him into conflict with Rick Carlisle and the team. Despite the chaos, Kevin Garnett and Ben Wallace anchored a suffocating defense, and Boston kept winning until New Garden became known as a brutal road venue.

• As stricter foul calls frustrated Boston, Rasheed Wallace collected technicals and Ron Artest was suspended after smashing a broadcaster’s monitor and later clashing with Miami’s coaching staff.
• After Boston’s loss to the Wizards, Artest tore down and smashed the Celtics legends’ group photograph in the locker room.
• Rick Carlisle threatened Artest with an indefinite team suspension, but Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett defended him and rejected the coach’s ultimatum.
• Throughout March, Boston’s players and coaches repeatedly argued with officials and each other, yet the team continued to win.
• Garnett and Ben Wallace averaged 13.1 and 13.5 rebounds per game, helping Boston hold opponents below eighty-six points and make New Garden a feared road arena.

Lin Qi attended the 2003 NCAA championship as NBA executives speculated about Boston’s draft plans, while he evaluated the players and sensed turmoil within Kansas. Syracuse defeated Kansas 81-78, and the story left Lin Qi departing as the executives still wondered what Boston would do.

• Lin Qi sat courtside at the championship despite his NBA suspension, prompting Kiki Vandeweghe and Joe Dumars to speculate about Boston’s four first-round picks.
• Lin Qi watched Syracuse freshman Carmelo Anthony excel and judged that Anthony did not fit Boston, while Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison interested him.
• Lin Qi noticed that rumors about Roy Williams leaving for North Carolina had weakened Kansas’s team cohesion.
• Kansas missed free throws and a final three-pointer as Syracuse won 81-78, leaving Kansas’s players and fans devastated.
• Lin Qi left the Superdome while NBA general managers tried to guess which Boston players he would trade and which rookies he would pursue.

Lin Qi reviewed the 2002-2003 NBA standings, noting how his changes had reshaped the playoff contenders in both conferences. The season ended with Boston facing Miami in the first round, while struggling teams jockeyed for position in a draft led by LeBron James.

• Lin Qi examined the Western standings, where the Lakers finished first, followed by the Spurs, Kings, and SuperSonics.
• Lin Qi noted that Dallas faced an uncertain future and that the Clippers had endured a season of conflict and poor play.
• Lin Qi reviewed the Eastern standings, where Boston led the conference and Yao Ming, Wang Zhizhi, and Andrei Kirilenko had helped the Nets reach third place.
• Lin Qi observed that Yao Ming and Amar'e Stoudamire were competing for Rookie of the Year while Boston prepared to play Miami in the first round.
• Lin Qi noted that the Cavaliers, Nuggets, and Raptors had tanked for a chance to draft prospects including LeBron James.

Lin Qi reflected on how the NBA’s commercialization had shaped Jordan’s, Kobe’s, and LeBron James’s generations, then considered how his Celtics remained rooted in the older culture of territorial loyalty and physical play. As the playoffs approached, Boston prepared to face Miami.

• Lin Qi contrasted Jordan as a pioneer of NBA commercialization, Kobe as a controversial transitional figure, and James as the product of a fully commercialized era.
• Lin Qi imagined the Bulls drafting LeBron James and pairing him with Kobe, but suspected David Stern would prevent that scenario.
• Lin Qi observed that his Celtics combined progressive tactics with the old era’s loyalty to defense and physical combat.
• Lin Qi anticipated the first-round playoff matchup, in which the Celtics were about to face the young Miami Heat.

The Celtics’ top players continued training after an 82-win? regular season that had ended with Ben Wallace and Kevin Garnett tied atop the team’s conditioning leaderboard. As ESPN debated whether Garnett or Tim Duncan would win MVP, Garnett asked how much longer Lin’s suspension would last.

• Ben Wallace and Kevin Garnett finished tied for first on the Celtics’ self-torture index, while Dwyane Wade placed third and Tyson Chandler fourth.
• Tyson Chandler practiced yoga and back-strengthening work as he built his core and developed a consistent fifteen-foot jumper.
• Dwyane Wade completed knee-stability and landing drills under Mike Boyle’s supervision, after a season of limited minutes and focused skill development.
• ESPN’s commentators framed the MVP race as a contest between Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, noting Garnett’s 25.2 points, 13.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and Boston’s 62 wins.
• Paul Pierce told Garnett he had a strong chance at MVP, and Garnett asked how much longer Lin’s suspension would last; Pierce said it would end in August.

Lin Qi and Maurizio Gherardini met with Chinese basketball officials in Beijing to negotiate a youth development partnership between China and the EBA. They agreed on a framework for sending young players overseas while preserving domestic authorities’ interests, leaving the initiative ready to develop over time.

• Lin Qi flew to Beijing and met secretly with EBA president Maurizio Gherardini and Chinese basketball decision-makers.
• Lin Qi introduced Gherardini’s proposal to select promising teenagers for basketball schools in the United States and youth systems in Europe.
• Chinese officials worried that local sports bureaus would resist releasing players and risk losing registration rights, National Games results, and credit.
• Gherardini promised to preserve domestic registration and National Games participation, share credit for players’ achievements, and cover overseas development risks.
• Gherardini requested priority for the EBA when players pursued professional careers overseas, agency rights, official youth selection camps, and access to Chinese EBA broadcasting rights.
• Lin Qi offered overseas training for Chinese grassroots coaches and Celtics instruction in rehabilitation and strength work, and the officials accepted the partnership framework.

The Celtics swept Miami to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals while Lin Qi expanded his plans to build a global basketball and sneaker empire. After demanding better conditions for factory workers in China, he directed EBA president Maurizio Gherardini to develop talent networks across Africa and India and use British clubs as training grounds, leaving Lin Qi intent on challenging the NBA’s dominance.

• The Boston Celtics dominated the Miami Heat and completed a four-game sweep to reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
• Lin Qi inspected a sneaker factory in Fujian and made future orders conditional on improved workplace safety and full benefits for production-line workers.
• Lin Qi told Maurizio Gherardini to establish youth scouting networks and training camps in Africa and India and to recruit prospects for European second-tier leagues.
• Lin Qi directed Gherardini to buy inexpensive British basketball clubs and turn them into affiliated development teams for EBA prospects.
• Lin Qi envisioned the EBA offering global reach and major salaries to keep future European stars from leaving for the NBA.

In Hangzhou, Lin Qi watched Boston overwhelm Philadelphia in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals and concluded the series was already decided. He set the playoffs aside and chose to enjoy his extended vacation in East Asia while David Stern's suspension order remained in effect.

• After the first playoff round ended, Lin Qi watched a recording of Boston's Game 1 matchup against Philadelphia from a tearoom beside West Lake.
• Boston's defenders, led by Ron Artest and Chauncey Billups, relentlessly pressured Allen Iverson and drained his stamina.
• Kevin Garnett and Ben Wallace stopped Iverson at the rim, while Boston turned the block into a fast-break score.
• Boston held Philadelphia to 14 first-quarter points and led 54-31 at halftime as Iverson struggled under the defensive pressure.
• Lin Qi closed his laptop, judged that Philadelphia had no chance in the series, and returned his attention to enjoying his trip through East Asia.

Lin Qi watched the New Jersey Nets beat the Orlando Magic in Game 1, impressed by Yao Ming and Wang Zhizhi’s playoff performances. Their success strengthened his confidence in his youth development plan as he turned his attention to the Western Conference.

• Lin Qi watched Yao Ming help contain Jermaine O'Neal Jr. and collect rebounds against the Magic.
• Byron Scott assigned Andrei Kirilenko to guard Gilbert Arenas, and Kirilenko disrupted the Magic guard’s offense.
• Wang Zhizhi and Yao Ming connected repeatedly on offense, while Wang Zhizhi also showed stronger defense than he had in the past.
• The Nets beat the Magic 108-101 as Yao Ming recorded 22 points and 11 rebounds, Wang Zhizhi added 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, and Kirilenko scored 14 points with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks.
• Lin Qi regretted trading Wang Zhizhi and Kirilenko to New Jersey but concluded Boston had enough depth to compete with the Nets.
• Lin Qi took the players’ success as evidence that his youth development plan could succeed and prepared to watch the Western Conference playoffs.

Lin Qi watched the Lakers defeat the SuperSonics and assessed how Gary Payton’s style shaped rookie Amar'e Stoudamire’s development. He concluded Seattle needed a stronger interior defender and a reliable backup point guard to contend with the Lakers.

• Lin Qi watched the Western Conference semifinal game, in which Seattle kept pace with the Lakers for three quarters before Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, and Michael Jordan took over in the fourth.
• Lin Qi considered how Gary Payton’s strict half-court approach gave Amar'e Stoudamire a stronger defensive foundation but did not unleash his athleticism as Steve Nash might have.
• Lin Qi identified Seattle’s weak center rotation as a key playoff vulnerability against dominant big men such as O'Neal and Tim Duncan.
• Lin Qi decided Seattle needed a physical, defense-first center to protect Stoudamire and a dependable backup point guard to preserve Payton’s stamina.

Lin Qi watched the Spurs defeat the Mavericks in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal, with Kwame Brown emerging as an effective defender against Dirk Nowitzki. The chapter left Lin Qi wondering whether the Lakers or Spurs would reach the NBA Finals.

• Lin Qi watched a recording of Game 1 between the Spurs and Mavericks and studied Dallas's offense built around Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash.
• Gregg Popovich assigned Kwame Brown to guard Nowitzki, relying on the defensive fundamentals David Robinson had taught him.
• Kwame Brown stayed in front of Nowitzki and contested his shots without falling for fakes, allowing Tim Duncan to protect the paint.
• Tim Duncan led the Spurs' steady offense, and San Antonio comfortably won the opening game at home.
• Lin Qi predicted the Spurs would wear down the Mavericks over the series and considered a Lakers-Spurs Western Conference Finals matchup likely.

Lin Qi invested in a basketball-focused online forum to support his plans for the Celtics, Nets, EBA, and future sneaker business. After the conference semifinals ended, he reviewed the matchups and prepared to watch the conference finals from Asia while suspended from North American arenas.

• Lin Qi signed an angel investment agreement with young entrepreneurs to build a basketball BBS and add a video-clipping feature.
• Lin Qi planned to use the forum to promote the Celtics, Nets, overseas youth players, and affordable signature sneakers.
• Lin Qi received playoff reports showing that Boston had defeated Philadelphia 4-1 and New Jersey had beaten Orlando 4-2.
• Lin Qi learned that the Lakers had advanced past Seattle 4-2 and the Spurs had beaten Dallas 4-3.
• Lin Qi noted that the conference finals were set as the Lakers against the Spurs and the Celtics against the Nets.
• Lin Qi stayed in Asia during his suspension and settled in to watch the coming conference finals as a spectator.

The Boston Celtics used full-court pressure, interior defense, and unexpected outside shooting to beat the New Jersey Nets in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals. Boston left for New Jersey with a 2-0 series lead after dismantling the Nets’ height advantage in Game 2.

• Yao Ming scored over Ben Wallace early, but Rick Carlisle’s full-court pressure and defensive adjustments helped Boston rally to win Game 1, 89-85.
• Byron Scott increased Wang Zhizhi’s minutes in Game 2, and Yao Ming used the high post to set up Kirilenko and Joe Johnson.
• Ben Wallace forced a turnover from Yao Ming and made three consecutive midrange jumpers, pulling New Jersey’s big men away from the paint.
• Kevin Garnett hit a corner three, drawing Brand out of the paint and opening driving lanes for Boston’s guards.
• Boston controlled the second half and won Game 2, 95-86, taking a 2-0 lead in the series.

Lin Qi watched the New Jersey Nets use Wang Zhizhi’s floor spacing to break Boston’s defense and win Game 3, cutting Boston’s series lead to 2-1. The story left the teams facing a pivotal Game 4.

• Byron Scott placed Wang Zhizhi in the weak-side corner, forcing Kevin Garnett to choose between helping against Yao Ming and guarding Wang Zhizhi.
• Yao Ming scored repeatedly against Ben Wallace after Boston abandoned its fronting defense.
• Rick Carlisle assigned Garnett to front Yao Ming, disrupting his catches but draining Garnett’s stamina.
• With the score tied at 84 late in the game, Andre Miller found Wang Zhizhi open on the left wing after an Andrei Kirilenko screen.
• Wang Zhizhi made a three-pointer, and the Nets beat Boston 96-88 to make the series 2-1.

Dwyane Wade’s relentless drives changed Game 4, helping Boston overcome New Jersey’s early lead and win 105-93. Boston took a 3-1 series lead, leaving the Nets facing elimination.

• New Jersey opened with an 18-10 lead as Yao Ming scored over Ben Wallace and Andrei Kirilenko stifled Paul Pierce.
• Rick Carlisle sent Dwyane Wade in and told him to push the pace and attack the paint; Wade immediately scored on a fast-break dunk.
• Wade repeatedly drove through New Jersey’s defense, drawing fouls and forcing Yao Ming to the bench with his third foul in the second quarter.
• With Yao Ming sidelined, Wade dominated the paint and created opportunities for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
• Boston pulled away after halftime and won 105-93, taking a 3-1 series lead as Wade finished with 34 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
• Lin Qi watched Wade celebrate with Garnett and Ben Wallace on television and smiled with satisfaction.

Lin Qi watched the Celtics wear down Yao Ming and the Nets to win Game 5, close out the Eastern Conference Finals, and advance to the NBA Finals. He then waited to see whether the Lakers or Spurs would meet Boston.

• Yao Ming scored 20 first-half points as the Nets took a 48-42 lead over Boston, while Kirilenko blocked Wade at the rim.
• Rick Carlisle adjusted Boston's lineup and defense after halftime, using Artest, Billups, Garnett, and Ben Wallace to pressure New Jersey and exhaust Yao Ming.
• With the game tied at 82 in the fourth quarter, Billups hit a three to give Boston the lead, and Pierce later drew a foul on Kirilenko to complete an and-one.
• Boston defeated New Jersey 92-85, despite Yao Ming scoring 32 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, and won the series 4-1.
• Lin Qi turned off the television and waited for the Lakers-Spurs series to determine Boston's Finals opponent.

The Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs fought through a bruising Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. Michael Jordan hit the decisive late shot, and Charles Barkley secured the final rebound as the Lakers won 88-86 and eliminated the Spurs 4-3.

• The Spurs built an early lead with a layered defense against Shaquille O'Neal, but Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Jason Kidd helped the Lakers lead 45-42 at halftime.
• Bruce Bowen slid his foot into Michael Jordan's landing space, prompting Charles Oakley to seize Bowen until Jordan calmed him down and sank the free throw.
• With three minutes left and the score tied at 84, Tim Duncan scored for the Spurs, and Shaquille O'Neal answered with a dunk to tie the game again.
• Michael Jordan hit a step-back jumper with thirty seconds remaining to give the Lakers an 88-86 lead.
• Manu Ginobili missed the Spurs' final three-pointer, and Charles Barkley grabbed the rebound as the Lakers won Game 7 and the series 4-3.