Chapter Summaries

The Celtics used Kevin Garnett’s defense and their many scoring threats to lead the Bulls through three quarters of Game Six, but Michael Jordan calmly orchestrated Chicago’s offense and kept the game close. After Boston extended its lead to seven, Jordan’s look made Lin Qi realize he was about to get serious.

• Garnett entered Game Six in a protective mask to a roaring FleetCenter crowd as the Celtics faced elimination against the Bulls.
• The Celtics raced to a 28-21 first-quarter lead, with Garnett assisting Mutombo and Cassell and Chris Mullin adding scores.
• Jordan drew Boston’s defense and passed to open teammates, helping the Bulls cut the Celtics’ lead to 49-48 by halftime.
• Thibodeau urged the Celtics to keep pressuring Jordan, while Garnett asked what they could do if Jordan made the right pass every time.
• Garnett led Boston’s defensive effort in the third quarter and scored as the Celtics rebuilt a seven-point lead at 67-60.
• After the Bulls called timeout, Lin Qi recognized Jordan’s focused expression as a sign that he was about to get serious.

Michael Jordan led the Bulls past the Celtics 100-95 in Game 6, winning their Eastern Conference series 4-2 and advancing to the NBA Finals. After the loss, Lin Qi told Rick Adelman to make the young Celtics train hard over the summer if they wanted another chance against Jordan.

• Jordan helped the Bulls take the lead with a fadeaway and a pass to Scottie Pippen, while Boston answered to keep the game close.
• With the score 94-93, Jordan grabbed the rebound from Chris Mullin’s missed three and later scored over the Celtics’ defense to put Chicago ahead 96-93.
• Kevin Garnett made a jumper to bring Boston within one, but Jordan drew the defenders with a fake and passed to Steve Kerr, who hit a three to make it 99-95.
• Sam Cassell missed a late three, and Dennis Rodman grabbed the rebound as the Bulls won 100-95 and advanced to the NBA Finals.
• Jordan praised Garnett after the game and left, while Lin Qi told Rick Adelman that the Celtics had to train hard over the summer.

After the Celtics lost to the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals, Paul Gaston announced that Rick Pitino would become head coach and take over basketball operations in a year, forcing Lin Qi to defend his authority. Lin accepted the one-year challenge while secretly deciding to use the coming offseason to settle accounts.

• Paul Gaston announced that Rick Pitino had signed a ten-year contract and would become the Celtics' president of basketball operations in one year.
• Lin Qi confronted Gaston, who defended hiring Pitino by citing the Celtics' losses, financial risks, and Kevin Garnett's looming contract demands.
• Gaston gave Lin one year to prove his value and demanded a championship-caliber roster capable of challenging the Bulls.
• Gaston showed Lin a list of former Kentucky players—Tony Delk, Walter McCarty, Ron Mercer, and Derek Anderson—that Pitino wanted brought to Boston.
• Lin left with the list, resolved to play along for the year before settling accounts when the takeover deadline arrived.

After Rick Pitino’s arrival threatened to displace Lin Qi’s staff and veterans, Lin arranged respectful departures and future opportunities for those being pushed out. As the office fell quiet, Larry Bird called from Indiana.

• Lin Qi called a meeting and told the listed staff that Pitino would bring his own support team, then offered recommendations and help finding new jobs.
• Rick Adelman thanked Lin Qi for their two years together and warned that Pitino would not tolerate Lin’s control over tactics.
• Lin Qi offered Mark Price a trade to a contender and invited him to return to Boston later as a coach or player-development specialist.
• Sam Mitchell asked Lin Qi to warn Kevin Garnett about the veterans’ departures and keep him from reacting violently at the hospital.
• Chris Mullin accepted Lin Qi’s promise to find him a suitable contender after reflecting on his games against Michael Jordan.
• Lin Qi’s secretary told him that Larry Bird had called from Indiana on the private priority line.

Lin Qi negotiated a trade with Larry Bird, the newly appointed Pacers head coach, sending Chris Mullin to Indiana for the ninth overall pick, Derrick McKey, and a future second-round pick. Bird also warned Lin Qi not to expect loyalty or reward from the Celtics’ front office.

• Larry Bird told Lin Qi he had accepted the Pacers head coaching job and wanted Chris Mullin.
• Lin Qi argued that Mullin could help Indiana contend immediately, and Bird agreed to make the ninth overall pick the centerpiece of a deal.
• Bird asked Lin Qi to take Derrick McKey’s contract so Indiana could make room for Reggie Miller’s extension.
• Lin Qi negotiated an additional future second-round pick, and Bird accepted the terms.
• Bird warned Lin Qi that the Celtics might not reward his efforts, and Lin Qi agreed to remember the advice.
• The trade sent Chris Mullin to Indiana and brought Derrick McKey, the Pacers’ ninth pick in the 1997 draft, and Indiana’s 1999 second-round pick to Boston.

Lin Qi exploited Wall Street's bearish turn against Amazon to acquire more shares, bringing his Seattle investment to $140 million. As the 1997 NBA draft approached, he held several high picks and faced decisions that could shape Boston's future.

• Lin Qi read a report on coordinated short selling and Amazon's falling share price, then continued buying shares through offshore companies and agreements with locked-up investors.
• Lin Qi's Amazon purchases brought his total investment in Seattle to $140 million.
• As the 1997 NBA draft neared, media and scouts focused on Tim Duncan and debated prospects including Keith Van Horn, Chauncey Billups, Tracy McGrady, and Ron Mercer.
• Lin Qi sat in Boston's front office with Vancouver's third pick, Denver's fourth pick, Indiana's ninth pick, and Boston's twenty-fifth pick as draft night approached.

Lin Qi controlled the Celtics’ 1997 draft night, trading picks to select Chauncey Billups, Ron Mercer, Tracy McGrady, and Derek Anderson while satisfying Rick Pitino’s requests. He also acquired Tony Delk and Walter McCarty, leaving Pitino with his Kentucky loyalists but aware that Lin Qi had dictated the night’s pace.

• The Spurs selected Tim Duncan first, and the 76ers selected Keith Van Horn second before Lin Qi submitted Boston’s pick.
• Boston selected Chauncey Billups third, then Lin Qi traded the fourth pick to New Jersey for later picks and selected Ron Mercer sixth.
• Lin Qi selected Tracy McGrady ninth despite Pitino’s objections, then traded picks and future second-rounders to Cleveland for the thirteenth pick and selected Derek Anderson.
• Lin Qi used later picks and cash to acquire Tony Delk and Walter McCarty, assembling most of Pitino’s Kentucky loyalists.
• Pitino recognized that Lin Qi had controlled the draft-night decisions even as the Celtics added the players he wanted.

Lin Qi used Seattle's turmoil over Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton to trade a package of Boston players and a protected first-round pick for Payton. The chapter ended with Lin Qi envisioning a Boston starting lineup built around Payton, Kevin Garnett, and Dikembe Mutombo, though Rick Pitino's final choices remained uncertain.

• Lin Qi questioned Derrick McKey about Seattle, and McKey revealed that Gary Payton was loyal to Kemp but hated wasting his prime.
• After Seattle put Kemp on the trading block, Payton demanded a trade, and his agent secretly contacted Lin Qi through McKey.
• Lin Qi negotiated with Wally Walker and offered Sam Cassell, Mark Price, Michael Finley, Steve Nash, and a protected 1999 first-round pick for Payton.
• Walker accepted the deal, giving Lin Qi the Hall of Fame-caliber star he wanted.
• Lin Qi mapped out a projected starting lineup of Gary Payton, Eddie Jones, Robert Horry, Kevin Garnett, and Dikembe Mutombo.

Lin Qi assembled a star-studded, defense-heavy Celtics roster by trading away much of the chemistry and depth he had built, including Steve Nash. He left Rick Pitino with a high-ceiling but volatile team and the burden of proving he could control it.

• Lin Qi finalized a 15-man roster led by Gary Payton, Eddie Jones, Robert Horry, Kevin Garnett, and Dikembe Mutombo.
• Lin Qi reflected on the role players and team chemistry he had sacrificed, including Mark Price, Chris Mullin, Michael Finley, Sam Cassell, and Steve Nash.
• Lin Qi traded Derrick McKey to the Los Angeles Clippers with two future second-round picks to clear cap space.
• Lin Qi recognized that the roster's talent came with risks: uneven play, clashing egos, and Gary Payton's defiance of coaches and management.
• Lin Qi left Rick Pitino to prove he could control the volatile team and lead Boston toward a championship.

Lin Qi publicly handed Rick Pitino control of the Celtics’ on-court decisions as Boston’s media hailed the new coach as a savior. In private, Lin Qi saw dangerous conflicts beneath the team’s talent, especially between Pitino and Gary Payton and the uncertainty over Kevin Garnett’s extension.

• Lin Qi greeted Rick Pitino before the press conference and sat at the edge of the spotlight beside owner Paul Gaston.
• Lin Qi told reporters he would stay out of daily basketball decisions and give Pitino full authority and support.
• Lin Qi read the glowing press coverage three days later and privately resented how readily the media praised Pitino.
• Lin Qi reviewed the roster and anticipated that Gary Payton would clash with Pitino, while Kevin Garnett’s unsigned extension added another concern.
• Lin Qi expected the team’s talent and regular-season wins to conceal its problems as Pitino and Payton took credit for the success.

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.