Recaps

After the Celtics’ preseason exposed conflicts between Rick Pitino and his veteran players, Lin Qi urged Gary Payton and Kevin Garnett to avoid public confrontations and focus on winning. In the season opener, Payton and Garnett ignited the crowd with a steal and dunk while Pitino’s call went unheard.

• The Celtics finished the preseason 6-2, but Pitino’s rules and full-court press fueled locker-room divisions between the Kentucky Gang and players led by Gary Payton.
• Lin Qi told Pitino that NBA stars could not be managed like college players and urged him to give Payton freedom on the court.
• Lin Qi warned Payton not to undermine Pitino publicly and told him to use his play to challenge the coach’s system.
• Lin Qi advised Kevin Garnett to stay out of the dispute, focus on winning, and trust that the team would re-sign him.
• In the season opener against the Washington Bullets, Payton stole the ball from Rod Strickland and passed ahead for Garnett to dunk.
• As the crowd roared, Payton celebrated with Garnett and Pitino lowered his hand without calling a play.

The Boston Celtics surged to the top of the league as Gary Payton’s on-court authority eclipsed Rick Pitino’s system and Kevin Garnett emerged as the team’s future centerpiece. Lin Qi urged owner Paul Gaston to approve Garnett’s massive contract extension, leaving Boston facing a decision it could no longer avoid.

• Gary Payton ignored Rick Pitino’s instructions in the season opener, teamed with Kevin Garnett for a dunk, and took control of the Celtics’ offense.
• Trailing the Indiana Pacers, Payton challenged Pitino and proposed a defensive adjustment that helped Boston rally for a road win.
• Kevin Garnett blocked Tim Duncan and finished a Payton alley-oop to lead Boston to another victory.
• Lin Qi presented Paul Gaston with a contract estimate of $110 million for Garnett and warned that refusing to pay could damage the team and its championship ambitions.
• Gaston asked what Garnett was worth, and Lin Qi admitted he did not know as the television replayed Garnett’s game-winning celebration.

Lin Qi scouted college prospects Vince Carter, Antawn Jamison, and Paul Pierce, deciding Pierce could become the ideal partner for Garnett. In New York, he asked Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Mark Wahlberg if they wanted to become owners of the Boston Celtics.

• Lin Qi watched North Carolina defeat Princeton and judged Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison talented but unsuitable as franchise cornerstones.
• Lin Qi watched Paul Pierce play for Kansas and assessed him as a rare, physically tough scorer who could thrive in clutch moments.
• Lin Qi concluded that Boston should acquire a draft pick to select Pierce as a partner for Garnett.
• Lin Qi met Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Mark Wahlberg in Manhattan and asked whether they wanted to own the Boston Celtics.
• Ben Affleck reacted with shock, Mark Wahlberg stared at Lin Qi, and Matt Damon laughed as Lin Qi said they could discuss it over drinks.

As the Celtics’ internal conflict grew, Lin Qi had Gary Payton teach rookie Chauncey Billups how to defend shooters before their game against Charlotte. After Pitino’s rigid tactics let the Hornets build a twelve-point lead, he put Payton back in and ordered him to run “the right” plays.

• Lin Qi skipped the front-office meeting and brought Payton and Billups into the video room to study Glen Rice and Anthony Mason.
• Payton taught Billups to disrupt Rice’s route before he reached a screen, then warned him about losing his man.
• The Hornets used Mason’s post play and Rice’s open threes to take a seven-point lead over Boston by the end of the third quarter.
• Payton objected to Pitino’s defensive plan, so Pitino benched him and sent Tony Delk in to follow the second game plan.
• The Hornets read Boston’s rigid offense and stretched their lead to twelve, prompting Garnett to urge Pitino to restore Payton.
• Pitino put Payton back into the game and ordered him to run the plays, and Payton asked which ones before heading to the scorer’s table.

Gary Payton led the Celtics to a 98-95 comeback win over the Hornets, then clashed with Rick Pitino over whether players should follow plays or improvise. Pitino ordered absolute execution in practice, and Payton walked out after refusing to comply, while Lin Qi watched without taking sides.

• Gary Payton helped Kevin Garnett disrupt the Hornets' offense and set up a fast-break dunk, then improvised a pass that led to Eddie Jones scoring and cutting the deficit to four.
• The Celtics rallied to beat the Hornets 98-95, but Pitino criticized the team's reliance on improvisation and insisted that winning had to come through the right way.
• Payton mocked Pitino's comments the next morning, while Tony Delk defended the need to follow plays and Walter McCarty noted that the NBA was not college.
• Pitino ordered the starters and reserves to scrimmage under a rule that anyone who changed a play would be removed, but Payton improvised a pass that led to a Garnett dunk.
• Pitino confronted Payton and threatened to bench anyone who failed to execute the plays, and Payton responded by walking out of practice.
• Lin Qi watched the confrontation from the observation platform without intervening.

As the Celtics’ strong season raised Garnett’s value, his agent demanded a six-year, $126 million extension, leaving owner Paul Gaston reluctant to commit. Conflict between Pitino and the players erupted during practice, and Gaston summoned Lin Qi to discuss how to deal with Pitino.

• Eric Fleisher presented Lin Qi with Garnett’s demand for a six-year, $126 million extension and warned that Garnett wanted a clear team position before April.
• Lin Qi urged Paul Gaston to pay Garnett, but Gaston balked at the price and delayed his decision.
• During practice, Pitino berated Payton for ignoring set plays, and Payton challenged the coach’s rigid approach.
• Pitino criticized Garnett’s decisions, and Garnett defended his choices before walking away from the confrontation.
• Lin Qi saw that Pitino had lost the starters’ support and received notice that Fleisher had publicized the contract dispute.
• Paul Gaston called Lin Qi and asked him to meet the next morning to discuss how to deal with Pitino.

The Celtics’ preparation for their first-round series against the Knicks turned into an open feud between Gary Payton and Rick Pitino. Pitino planned to start Tony Delk instead of Payton, and Lin Qi questioned whether he was certain.

• Boston celebrated the Celtics’ 60-win season, while Lin Qi studied the playoff matchup against the bruising Knicks.
• Payton and rookie Chauncey Billups reviewed Knicks footage with Lin Qi, and Payton told Billups to stay overnight for more film study.
• At the strategy meeting, Payton challenged Pitino’s authority, and Pitino canceled the players’ rest day and ordered an early scrimmage.
• During the punishing practice, Payton mocked Pitino for lacking playoff experience, then tore a towel and dared him to bench him against New York.
• Lin Qi asked Pitino about the starting lineup for the first game, and Pitino said Delk would start at point guard while Payton would join the second unit.

Before Game 1 against the Knicks, the Celtics’ starting lineup put Tony Delk at point guard and Gary Payton on the bench, deepening the team’s internal conflict. As Rick Pitino approached the locker room, general manager Lin Qi knew the Celtics’ greatest challenge was the division within their own team.

• Reporters pressed Lin Qi with questions and rumors about the Celtics, but he refused to comment.
• An assistant coach posted the starting lineup, naming Tony Delk at point guard and leaving Gary Payton out of the starters.
• The lineup announcement silenced the locker room as the players reacted with unease and tension.
• Payton accepted his bench role with a bitter remark and told Kevin Garnett to focus on playing, then sat down to tie his shoes.
• Lin Qi watched Rick Pitino approach the locker room as the first-round playoff game neared, aware that the team’s internal problems threatened to overshadow the matchup.

The Celtics lost the first game of their playoff series against the Knicks after Rick Pitino repeatedly benched Gary Payton and forced the team to follow a failing game plan. The loss left Boston down 0–1 and deepened the rift between Pitino and his players.

• The Knicks' physical defense disrupted Tony Delk and Kevin Garnett, giving New York a 26–19 first-quarter lead.
• John Starks taunted Gary Payton, who nearly fought him before Pitino sent him into the game; Payton sparked a Celtics run with a pass to Garnett for a dunk and a steal that led to an Eddie Jones dunk.
• Pitino benched Payton again to start the third quarter, and the Knicks rebuilt a twelve-point lead despite Garnett's scoring and rebounding.
• With Payton back on the floor, the Celtics mounted a comeback, but Pitino called for a slow, prescribed offense that led to turnovers and missed chances.
• The Knicks beat the Celtics 94–86 as Payton recorded 14 points, seven assists, and three steals in 21 minutes, while Delk had six points and five turnovers.
• Pitino blamed the loss on poor execution, and Boston's media criticized his decisions as the Celtics' locker room divided further.

The Boston Celtics lost Game 3 to the New York Knicks, falling behind 0-3 after Gary Payton’s return to the starting lineup and Rick Pitino’s timeout disrupted a late scoring chance. Kevin Garnett embraced Payton after the sweep, while Lin Qi watched from the VIP suite and closed his eyes.

• After Boston lost Game 2, Lin Qi watched the stunned crowd as the Celtics fell behind 0-2 and headed to Madison Square Garden.
• Before Game 3, Rick Pitino restored Gary Payton to the starting lineup, and Payton took the opening possession against the Knicks.
• With Boston trailing late, Payton scored and created a Garnett dunk to bring the Celtics within one, but Allan Houston answered with a basket for New York.
• As Payton and Garnett prepared their pick-and-roll, Pitino called a timeout, drawing laughter from the Madison Square Garden crowd.
• The Celtics’ play after the timeout failed, and the Knicks won 88-82 to sweep Boston 3-0.
• Garnett walked past Pitino and embraced Payton, while Lin Qi watched from the VIP suite and closed his eyes.

After the Celtics were swept by the Knicks, Lin Qi reviewed the season and the players’ performances, while Paul Gaston ordered Rick Pitino’s departure. Lin Qi closed the review and turned his attention to preparing for the draft.

• The Celtics finished 60-22 but were swept 3-0 by the seventh-seeded Knicks in the first round.
• Paul Gaston told Lin Qi that Pitino had to leave, and ordered the coach to resign for health reasons.
• Lin Qi reviewed the team’s season statistics and assessed the performances of Gary Payton, Eddie Jones, Robert Horry, Kevin Garnett, Dikembe Mutombo, and Chauncey Billups.
• Lin Qi closed the review and began preparing for the upcoming draft.

After Matt Damon rallied Boston fans and filed for a temporary injunction, Gaston’s effort to buy back Celtics shares faced a court delay that threatened his June 30 tax and loan deadlines. His partners refused to sign the restructuring documents, leaving Gaston at risk of financial ruin.

• Gaston submitted a restructuring and buyback proposal after the Celtics’ playoff sweep, hoping to complete it before a June 30 deadline and avoid $28 million in back taxes.
• Matt Damon publicized Gaston’s plan and rallied protesters outside FleetCenter, then led minority shareholders in filing a petition for a temporary injunction.
• David Miller warned Gaston that the injunction could suspend the restructuring past June 30, triggering tax penalties and costly terms on a $40 million bridge loan.
• Paul Dupee refused to sign the restructuring documents after Damon’s lawyers named him and Alan Cohen as defendants.
• Alan Cohen also withheld his signature until a fairness opinion was issued, leaving Gaston without his partners’ support.

Lin Qi explained to Paul Gaston how Matt Damon's public campaign and the Celtics' financial troubles had undermined Gaston's restructuring deadline and reduced the team's realizable value. Gaston asked what Lin Qi intended to do, and Lin Qi produced another document.

• Gaston angrily watched Matt Damon accuse him on television of stripping the Celtics and its local minority shareholders of value, then demanded to know why Damon was targeting him.
• Lin Qi told Gaston that Damon had turned the complex restructuring into a story Boston residents could understand, and warned that public opposition could derail the deal before the June 30 deadline.
• Lin Qi listed the Celtics' debts, weak revenues, Rick Pitino's contract, Kevin Garnett's unresolved extension, IRS tax exposure, shareholder litigation, and the partners preparing to abandon Gaston.
• Lin Qi showed Gaston an estimate that the Celtics' liquidation value was only $70 million to $80 million, and the CFO's silence confirmed the financial assessment.
• Gaston asked whether Lin Qi had come only to deliver a bankruptcy notice, and Lin Qi took out a second document.

Lin Qi offered Gaston $120 million in cash for the Celtics, presenting the sale as a way to escape his financial and public-relations troubles. Gaston asked for the price and received Lin Qi’s offer, leaving the deal poised for negotiation.

• Lin Qi told Gaston that he could secure more than $100 million in cash before the June 30 deadline.
• Lin Qi laid out Gaston’s choice between risking further legal and financial trouble or selling the team to a Boston-backed consortium.
• Lin Qi explained that Auerbach, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg, and Celtics legends would lend the consortium public legitimacy while its financial backers stayed out of sight.
• Gaston asked who was funding the purchase, and Lin Qi said he had connected the money to the public-facing consortium.
• Gaston demanded the price, and Lin Qi offered $120 million in cash.

Lin Qi negotiated with Gaston to buy the Celtics as the team faced financial and legal crises. They reached a preliminary agreement for an all-cash purchase, with formal ownership-transfer procedures still to come.

• Lin Qi offered Gaston $120 million in cash and promised the consortium would handle shareholder settlements, legal costs, and his exit from the restructuring plan.
• After Gaston rejected the offer, Lin Qi raised it to $150 million and used the team’s public scandals and financial troubles to counter Gaston’s demands for $220 million and then $200 million.
• Gaston agreed to sell for $180 million in cash before June 30, provided the consortium took over shareholder claims and helped quiet Matt Damon and Auerbach.
• Lin Qi and Gaston signed a binding exclusive framework negotiation agreement, and agreed to notify the NBA of their intent to transfer ownership the following morning.

Lin Qi planned to win Boston’s support for the Celtics takeover by offering small stakes to the team’s legends and reserving one percent for Auerbach the Cardinal. After Lin Qi promised the new owner would restore the Celtics’ dignity, Auerbach agreed to publicly support the deal.

• Leaving Gaston’s office after drafting the takeover agreement, Lin Qi planned to give tiny shares to Celtics legends and a larger stake to Auerbach the Cardinal.
• Lin Qi met Auerbach the Cardinal at a private club and presented his business plan and strategy for shaping public opinion.
• Auerbach questioned whose money backed Lin Qi and refused to support a buyer who might treat the Celtics as a financial toy.
• Lin Qi said the backer would respect the team and warned that Matt Damon and other Hollywood actors might otherwise dominate the takeover story.
• Lin Qi promised the Celtics would regain their backbone, and Auerbach agreed to carry the banner for the deal.

Lin Qi celebrated with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Mark Wahlberg after buying the Celtics for $180 million and giving each of them a symbolic stake with special privileges. With Auerbach’s approval secured, the group prepared to announce the takeover and planned to remove Rick Pitino before the next season.

• Lin Qi told Damon, Affleck, and Wahlberg that he had bought the Celtics for $180 million in cash.
• Lin Qi gave each actor a 0.01 percent stake and outlined the VIP privileges attached to their ownership.
• Damon asked whether Auerbach had approved the deal, and Lin Qi confirmed that Auerbach had signed.
• Damon said he would have his lawyer attend the joint announcement and present it as Boston fans taking back their team.
• Lin Qi told Affleck that he would fire Rick Pitino before the new season and direct the Celtics’ decisions himself.

Lin Qi orchestrated the Celtics' ownership transfer through a discreet consortium while public figures rallied support and the NBA accelerated its approval. The league signed off, and Lin Qi officially became the Celtics' owner without the public learning his identity.

• Lawyers, banks, and NBA examiners rushed to complete the acquisition while Paul Gaston withdrew his restructuring proposals and Matt Damon dropped his injunction request.
• Dupee and Cohen signed letters supporting the deal after receiving their exit payments.
• Auerbach, Damon, and other Boston figures presented a united front at a press conference, where Auerbach said the new owners had promised not to let the Celtics disgrace themselves again.
• The NBA expedited its reviews and unanimously approved the ownership transfer in less than two months.
• Lin Qi received David Stern's final approval notice and became the Celtics' owner, while the public continued to believe an unnamed financier stood behind the deal.

Lin Qi exploited Jerry Krause’s resentment and desire to rebuild the Bulls to negotiate a major trade. Boston acquired Ron Harper and four unprotected Bulls first-round picks, while sending Chicago Tracy McGrady, Ron Mercer, and Tony Delk.

• Lin Qi reviewed the Bulls’ impending breakup after their third straight championship and recognized Jerry Krause’s frustration at being overlooked.
• Lin Qi called Jerry Krause and persuaded him that trading away pieces of the old team would let him build a new Bulls dynasty.
• Lin Qi demanded Ron Harper and Chicago’s unprotected first-round picks in 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2005 in exchange for Tracy McGrady and Ron Mercer.
• Lin Qi and Jerry Krause agreed to include Tony Delk to balance salaries.
• Boston sent Tracy McGrady, Ron Mercer, and Tony Delk to Chicago for Ron Harper and the four unprotected first-round picks.

Lin Qi secretly traded for Boston’s tenth pick to draft Paul Pierce while making the Celtics appear focused on Dirk Nowitzki. The deal was filed, and Lin Qi waited to see whether Pierce would fall to Boston on draft night.

• Boston and Detroit agreed to trade the tenth pick for Derek Anderson, Boston’s twenty-fifth pick, two future second-round picks, and cash.
• Lin Qi kept Boston’s interest in Paul Pierce secret and avoided inviting him for a workout.
• Lin Qi publicly staged a high-profile workout for Dirk Nowitzki and let reports suggest Boston planned to draft him.
• Detroit’s executives believed Boston was targeting Nowitzki, and the Pistons finalized the trade framework with Lin Qi.
• Lin Qi checked the trade terms, secured Boston’s tenth pick, and hoped Paul Pierce would fall to him.

On draft night, Lin Qi watched Boston’s plan to trade up for the tenth pick unfold as Dirk Nowitzki went to Milwaukee, leaving Paul Pierce available. The Celtics selected Pierce tenth, and he left the stage furious at the teams that had passed on him.

• Boston traded Derek Anderson, the twenty-fifth pick, two future second-round picks, and cash to Detroit for the tenth pick.
• The first eight teams selected Michael Olowokandi, Mike Bibby, Raef LaFrentz, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Robert Traylor, Jason Williams, and Larry Hughes, while Pierce remained unselected.
• Dallas chose Robert Traylor sixth, and Milwaukee selected Dirk Nowitzki ninth after a swap with Dallas.
• Lin Qi submitted Paul Pierce’s name for Boston’s tenth pick without considering a backup.
• Paul Pierce joined the Celtics, remembered the teams that passed on him, and stepped onto the stage with a burning desire for revenge.

Lin Qi offered Dominique Wilkins a veteran-minimum contract to join the Celtics after the lockout and help lead their young players toward a championship. Wilkins agreed to consider it and prepared to fly with Lin Qi to Atlanta to meet his former teammate Doc Rivers, Boston’s planned rookie head coach.

• The Celtics traded Walter McCarty, a second-round pick, and cash for the 31st pick, then selected Rashard Lewis.
• Lin Qi met Wilkins near Logan Airport and offered him a veteran-minimum contract to join Boston after the lockout.
• Wilkins objected to the low salary, but Lin Qi persuaded him by emphasizing Boston’s championship goal and showing him the projected roster.
• Lin Qi revealed that Doc Rivers would be the Celtics’ head coach and explained that he wanted Wilkins to help Rivers command the team.
• Wilkins accepted Lin Qi’s invitation to fly to Atlanta and meet Rivers, asking when their flight left.

Lin Qi offered Doc Rivers the Boston Celtics head coaching job, arguing that the team needed a coach its players could trust after losing confidence in Pitino. Rivers took the contract for his lawyer to review and planned to address the team’s need to listen to one another at the next day’s press conference.

• Doc Rivers met Lin Qi and Dominique Wilkins at an Atlanta steakhouse and learned that Lin wanted him to coach the Boston Celtics.
• Rivers objected that he had no NBA coaching experience and would be blamed if the sixty-win team failed.
• Lin showed Rivers a tape from the Celtics’ playoff loss and explained that the players no longer trusted Pitino or his control of the team.
• Wilkins promised to join the Celtics and support Rivers in the locker room, while Lin pledged to take responsibility if the plan failed.
• Rivers took the contract for his lawyer to review, said he would terminate his Turner Sports contract, and outlined his message for the press conference.
• Rivers asked Lin not to reveal his name before the next day, and Wilkins said he was tempted by the offer.

Lin Qi introduced Doc Rivers as Boston’s new coach, and Rivers addressed doubts about his inexperience by promising to rebuild the Celtics’ trust and team culture. The players then traveled to a private Cape Cod gathering, where Gary Payton spotted Rivers waiting on the pier and reacted with anger.

• Lin Qi heard Doc Rivers agree to attend the ten o’clock press conference at FleetCenter.
• Doc Rivers told reporters that he would rebuild the Celtics’ culture of trust rather than teach star players basic skills.
• Lin Qi arranged a private players’ gathering at an aging seaside motel on Cape Cod to avoid tampering and training-camp investigations.
• Gary Payton stepped off the bus, saw Doc Rivers leaning against the pier railing, and muttered, “Fuck.”

The Celtics’ new players and staff gathered for dinner, where Doc Rivers faced Gary Payton’s challenge and Dominique Wilkins advised rookie Paul Pierce to earn respect through his play. As an August storm trapped the group at the coastal motel, Ben Wallace urged the nervous Rashard Lewis to eat, and the rival players relaxed together.

• Gary Payton challenged Doc Rivers, who warned him he would expose his mistakes during film sessions if he freelanced or lost his man.
• Kevin Garnett arrived noisily, while Paul Pierce brooded over being picked tenth and Rashard Lewis felt out of place among the established players.
• Ron Harper and Gary Payton exchanged insults and laughed after recognizing their old rivalry.
• Dominique Wilkins told Paul Pierce that draft position would not matter in the playoffs and that he had to earn respect on the court.
• Ben Wallace set a plate of meat and water in front of the nervous Rashard Lewis and told him to eat.
• An August storm battered the motel as the players joked, shared food, and settled into the gathering.