Chapter Summaries

In Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal played in isolation from each other as the Celtics built a halftime lead. Lin Qi told Boston to let Kobe keep forcing difficult shots, hoping the rift would decide the game in the fourth quarter.

• Kobe repeatedly ignored O'Neal in the paint and missed five shots in the first quarter as Boston took a 15-12 lead.
• O'Neal passed out of double-teams to set up Lakers teammates, while he and Kobe continued to avoid acknowledging each other.
• Kobe scored his first points in the second quarter, but O'Neal answered with a dunk and the pair remained estranged.
• Kobe forced a layup against Mutombo, who blocked it before Garnett launched a fast break that ended in an Eddie Jones dunk.
• Boston went into halftime ahead 46-41, with O'Neal recording 14 points and five assists while Kobe had four points and no assists.
• Lin Qi ordered Boston to defend Kobe one-on-one, avoid doubling him, and keep the game close so Kobe would continue taking over possessions late.

Kobe Bryant’s late scoring surge lifted the Lakers to a 94-91 win over the Celtics, tying the Finals at 2-2. Shaquille O’Neal left the court furious, while Lin Qi believed the growing rift between the Lakers’ stars could shape Game 5.

• Garnett and Mutombo’s defense helped Boston shut down O’Neal as Kobe’s isolation shooting dragged the Lakers’ offense into a slump.
• The Celtics led 68-62 after three quarters, with O’Neal scoring only two points in the period and Kobe making two of nine shots.
• Kobe overcame his poor shooting with crucial baskets in the final minutes, including a go-ahead three-pointer, and the Lakers won 94-91 after Pierce missed Boston’s final attempt.
• Kobe celebrated the win while O’Neal walked to the tunnel without joining the celebrations.
• Lin Qi told Doc Rivers that Kobe’s inefficient scoring had not erased the damage to the Lakers’ relationship and said Shaq’s anger could be more dangerous than a loss.

After Kobe’s late-game heroics secured a Lakers win, his public criticism of Shaq intensified their feud and fueled a national debate over whether Kobe was a lone hero or a team cancer. As the Lakers remained divided before Game 5, Lin Qi prepared the Celtics to exploit their fractured offense.

• Shaq left the Lakers’ locker room without speaking to reporters, while Phil Jackson defended Kobe’s clutch play despite his poor shooting and zero assists.
• Kobe said his job was to score and mocked teammates who could not establish position, prompting reporters to question him about Shaq’s limited second-half touches.
• Lin Qi praised the Celtics’ defense and assigned Gary Payton to guard Kobe, Eddie Jones to provide occasional help, and Kevin Garnett to roam between Kobe and Shaq.
• On June 15, media and fans argued over Kobe’s selfishness and Shaq’s role as the Lakers’ internal conflict worsened during practice.
• The Celtics held a detailed film session in Beverly Hills before traveling to Staples Center for the pivotal Game 5 on June 16.

The Celtics dominated the first half of Game 5 as Paul Pierce outplayed Kobe Bryant and Boston’s defense limited Shaquille O'Neal’s touches. At halftime, Boston led the Lakers by 19 points, and Lin Qi told Artest to warm up for the expected comeback.

• Phil Jackson replaced O'Neal Jr. with A.C. Green in the Lakers' starting lineup, while Lin Qi instructed the Celtics to guard Kobe one-on-one and front and double Shaq.
• Pierce attacked Peja and scored efficiently as the Celtics opened a commanding lead; Kobe struggled against Boston’s perimeter defense and missed forced shots.
• Kobe switched onto Pierce, but Pierce beat him with a crossover and scored at the rim, helping Boston finish the first quarter ahead 25-10.
• Kobe continued to shoot rather than pass to O'Neal, and the Lakers' stars remained disconnected as Boston extended its halftime lead to 49-30.
• At halftime, Lin Qi warned the Celtics that the Lakers would fight back and told Artest to warm up.

The Celtics beat the Lakers 95-81 in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead, as Kobe Bryant’s refusal to pass and Shaquille O'Neal’s refusal to get back on defense exposed the stars’ growing conflict. Lin Qi warned the Celtics not to underestimate a talented team backed into a corner as they headed back to Boston for the next game.

• Kobe Bryant dominated the Lakers’ early third-quarter possessions, ignored Shaquille O'Neal’s calls for the ball, and helped the Celtics preserve a 71-55 lead by the end of the quarter.
• Lin Qi sent Ron Artest into the game, and Artest’s physical defense held Kobe scoreless on his first four fourth-quarter attempts.
• Kobe ignored O'Neal’s open position under the basket and missed a contested jumper, after which O'Neal refused to get back on defense and Paul Pierce scored an easy layup.
• The Celtics won 95-81, taking a 3-2 series lead as Pierce scored 32 points and Artest’s defense limited Kobe to 0-for-8 shooting in the fourth quarter.
• Kobe blamed the defense for his shot selection, while O'Neal blamed Kobe for forcing shots; Lin Qi then cautioned Doc Rivers against celebrating before the series was over.

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.