While Lin Yi led the New York Mob into Los Angeles, two of the NBA's most influential executives were having a private conversation.
Mark Tatum, the league's Executive Vice President and one of David Stern's most trusted lieutenants, sat across from his colleague, Jalen Dis, a Senior Vice President of Strategy.
They were not merely colleagues. As longtime assistants to David Stern, they had fought countless battles together behind the scenes. Their friendship was forged through years of pressure, negotiations, and league politics.
After taking a slow sip of red wine, Tatum looked at his old friend.
"Jalen, Adam's succession is already decided. You and I both know that. No one can change David's mind."
Dis lowered his glass and let out a long sigh.
"Mark, I understand what you mean. Adam has the ability, connections, and David's full trust. He is the best candidate to succeed him."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"But... I just can't shake the feeling that once Adam takes over, there won't be a place for me anymore."
Dis knew Silver too well.
Once Silver became commissioner, his position as Senior Vice President would likely become nothing more than a title. He would slowly be pushed aside until the day he quietly retired.
As for Tatum, Silver would never touch him.
The reason was simple.
When it came to expanding the NBA's influence in the Asia-Pacific region, especially China, nobody in the league had more experience or achievements than Mark Tatum.
Tatum swirled the wine in his glass and smiled faintly.
"Jalen, are you still talking about that argument you had with Adam last year?"
He looked at Dis.
"The one about whether Lin Yi should win three straight MVP awards?"
Dis nodded.
"Exactly."
He leaned back in his chair.
"Mark, Adam, and David are completely different people."
"You and I have disagreed with David countless times. We have argued with him, challenged his decisions, and even told him when we thought he was wrong."
"But David never took those disagreements personally."
Dis narrowed his eyes.
"Adam appears more polite and reasonable, but people like that are sometimes harder to deal with. They smile while listening, but they remember every disagreement."
Tatum burst out laughing.
"Jalen, do you realize what you're saying right now?"
He raised his glass.
"You're criticizing the character of the future NBA commissioner. Aren't you worried I'll secretly record this?"
Dis spread his hands.
"You know I'm telling the truth."
Tatum shook his head with a smile and poured his friend another glass.
"If you ask me, you should be the one handling Asia-Pacific affairs instead of me."
He chuckled.
"You know, the Chinese have a saying for this. They call it 'reading faces.'"
Dis smiled bitterly.
The truth was, he did not hate Adam Silver.
He acknowledged Silver's intelligence, his business ability, and his understanding of the modern sports industry.
But Dis had always felt that Silver was missing something.
Something essential. He feared Silver understood how to grow the NBA as a business, but not necessarily how to preserve the NBA as a sport.
Tatum understood exactly what his friend was worried about. I was because, as a league executive, emotions were supposed to be avoided, but ironically, running the NBA had never been purely about numbers.
Sometimes, emotion was part of the equation.
David Stern's decision to support Lin Yi was the perfect example.
Whether it was allowing Lin Yi to win three consecutive MVP awards or creating endless promotional campaigns around him, everyone inside the league knew one thing.
Stern genuinely liked Lin Yi.
But could anyone say Stern was wrong?
Absolutely not.
The NBA's explosive growth in China over the past few years was inseparable from Lin Yi's influence. The league gained billions of dollars in commercial value, millions of new fans, and an unprecedented foothold in Asia.
From a business perspective, Stern's gamble had paid off. However, Dis and Tatum both understood the other side of the problem.
The NBA could not revolve around one player forever.
Sooner or later, the league would have to balance its resources again.
The NBA had always survived through competitive balance. It created stars, but it never allowed one team or one player to completely dominate the league's entire ecosystem.
The Knicks and Lin Yi had received unprecedented attention.
But could Adam Silver understand when to slow down?
Could he maintain the delicate balance between promoting a superstar and protecting the league's long-term health?
That was the question.
Their conversation with Silver last year had revealed something important.
Adam Silver was a pure businessman. In his eyes, the NBA was like a massive entertainment product. If the product sold well, if ratings increased, if revenue continued climbing, then the product was successful.
Whether traditional basketball fans considered it beautiful or not was secondary.
But Dis believed the NBA was different from an ordinary entertainment company. The reason the league became successful was that it had spent decades building a carefully designed system.
The salary cap.
The draft system.
Revenue sharing.
Competitive balance.
Every rule existed for a reason.
But the league was about to enter a new era.
The next television contract would bring unimaginable amounts of money. Salaries would explode, player power would increase, and the entire structure of the NBA would change.
Dis had warned Stern before.
If the salary cap could not prevent inflation, then the league needed a backup plan.
Because once the game itself changed, outdated rules would eventually cause the entire system to collapse.
Unfortunately, the David Stern who once obsessed over every detail of the league was no longer the same man. The old commissioner was enjoying his retirement by being a basketball fan rather than a commissioner.
Whenever someone brought up league problems, Stern would simply wave them away.
"Don't bother me. That's Silver's problem when I retire."
Dis had even approached Silver privately.
But after several conversations, he understood.
Silver was not someone who welcomed opposition.
He wanted growth.
He wanted revenue.
He wanted to transform the NBA into the biggest sports entertainment company in the world, but whether he could preserve the soul of the league while doing so remained unknown.
After the upcoming leadership transition, the NBA would enter an era completely unfamiliar to fans.
Tatum looked at his old friend and knew there was little he could do.
Perhaps the only thing he could offer was another drink.
At least tonight.
At least before the storm arrived.
Although Tatum quickly realized one problem. Red wine was terrible for drowning one's sorrows. It was far too difficult to get drunk on.
. . .
On the evening of the 18th, the Knicks arrived in Los Angeles. Before the team even had time to settle in, Lin Yi received a special dinner invitation.
Looking at the name on the invitation, Lin Yi narrowed his eyes.
"Interesting."
The name written there was:
Jim Buss.
Normally, players having dinner with executives or owners from other teams was not unusual in the NBA.
The league was a business. Behind every game were countless negotiations, friendships, and potential opportunities.
Besides, the Knicks were not even scheduled to play the Lakers next.
But Lin Yi knew something very clearly. There was no such thing as a meaningless invitation from the Buss family, especially at this point.
The Lakers were in the middle of a transition period. Kobe Bryant was approaching the end of his career, and the franchise urgently needed to find the next face of the organization.
And judging from the name on the invitation...
Lin Yi already knew the answer.
They were interested in him.
. . .
. .
.
His guess was correct.
"Lin, it's a pleasure to finally have dinner with you."
Jim Buss looked genuinely excited when Lin Yi arrived.
"You know, I've been following you for a long time. I'm a huge fan."
Lin Yi smiled politely.
At the dinner, he also met Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers' legendary general manager. Compared with Jim Buss' obvious enthusiasm, Kupchak was much calmer.
He was a former NBA player himself, someone who understood how to communicate with stars.
During the meal, Kupchak did not immediately mention basketball.
Instead, he talked about the Lakers' history.
The championships.
The legends.
The countless superstars who had worn the purple and gold jersey. From Magic Johnson to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, from Shaquille O'Neal to Kobe Bryant.
The Lakers were a basketball empire.
"Lin, you know something?"
Kupchak placed his glass down.
"Kobe is getting older."
It was a direct statement.
Lin Yi continued cutting his steak calmly.
He understood what Kupchak meant.
The Lakers were telling him:
We want you.
But Lin Yi had no intention of responding immediately.
Since you want to play the long game, I'll play along. After all, he had spent years dealing with businessmen. A little patience was nothing.
Seeing that Lin Yi remained completely unmoved despite all the hints, Jim Buss finally lost his patience. Compared with his father, Jerry Buss, Jim was still too inexperienced.
If it were the old Buss, Lin Yi believed he would have hidden his intentions until the final moment.
But Jim Buss was different.
He was too eager.
"Lin."
Jim Buss looked directly at him.
"Would you consider joining the Lakers?"
The atmosphere instantly changed.
"I can promise that after your playing career ends, the Lakers organization would be willing to discuss giving you a future role within the franchise."
Jim Buss spoke with increasing confidence.
It seemed that as long as Lin Yi wanted something, the Lakers would find a way to provide it.
At that moment, Lin Yi finally confirmed it. The Lakers were serious. This was completely different from his usual jokes with Kobe.
This was not friendly teasing.
This was recruitment.
The Lakers actually wanted him. After countless discussions between Jim Buss and Kupchak, they had reached the same conclusion. Lin Yi was the perfect successor to Kobe Bryant.
Three-time MVP.
Two-time champion.
The best player in the league.
A global superstar.
A player who could instantly become the new face of the Lakers. Kupchak believed that if they could acquire Lin Yi, rebuilding the roster would not be difficult.
The Lakers' brand, market, and resources would attract veterans and free agents.
As for Kobe?
Jim Buss believed he could convince Kobe to accept a supporting role and help Lin Yi chase more championships.
If everything went according to plan, he could rebuild the Lakers into a championship team before the deadline he had promised his sister Jeanie.
And when that happened...
He would become the true leader of the Buss family.
However, Jim Buss misunderstood one thing.
The key to acquiring Lin Yi was never the Lakers' offer.
It was whether Lin Yi wanted to leave.
Unfortunately for him...
Lin Yi had no such intention.
What a joke.
I'm the face of the Knicks, and you want me to join your team?
You want the king to leave his own kingdom and become someone else's successor?
New York was the biggest stage in America.
Los Angeles was great.
But Lin Yi was already standing at the top.
Why would he step down?
Besides, Lin Yi did not care much about future ownership promises.
After retirement, he could buy a team himself if he wanted.
And as for verbal promises from businessmen?
Lin Yi had already seen enough examples.
Even with Dolan, someone he worked with every day, he always maintained a certain level of caution.
So why would he blindly trust Jim Buss?
Of course, Lin Yi was still happy.
Not because of the offer.
Because being pursued by the Lakers was recognition.
Even one of the greatest franchises in NBA history wanted him.
That alone proved his value.
After finishing his steak, Lin Yi smiled.
"The food was excellent."
He stood up.
"But I think it's time for me to leave."
His rejection was polite but firm.
Lin Yi was never someone who deliberately played difficult. Some players enjoyed keeping teams waiting because it increased their value.
But he did not need those tricks.
His value was already obvious.
Watching Lin Yi leave, Jim Buss was confused.
"Why?"
He looked at Kupchak.
"We offered things that even LeBron couldn't easily get elsewhere. Why did he still refuse?"
Kupchak smiled and patted his shoulder.
"Maybe because we misunderstood something."
"What?"
"Loyalty."
Kupchak looked toward the door where Lin Yi had disappeared.
"Perhaps some players value the relationship they built with a team more than we expected."
Jim Buss sighed.
"Then it looks like we can only move to Plan B."
Kupchak nodded.
"Don't worry. I already spoke with Rich. His client is very interested in the Lakers."
Jim Buss' expression improved.
"Loyalty, huh?"
He shook his head.
"We underestimated him."
Kupchak smiled.
"Yes."
"He really is an admirable player."
And they were right.
The Knicks had already become something different to him.
Not just a team.
Not just a workplace.
It had become his home for his woman and child.
...
Meanwhile, James Dolan, who had once again escaped to Copenhagen for vacation, nearly dropped his phone when he heard that Lin Yi had dinner with Jim Buss.
The Knicks owner immediately changed his plans.
A flight back to New York was booked.
Before boarding the plane, Dolan called Lin Yi personally.
This made Lin Yi extremely confused.
"Lin, if anything happens that makes you unhappy, tell me immediately."
Dolan's voice was unusually serious.
"The Knicks are your team."
"Now and forever."
Lin Yi was speechless.
Wait.
Why does this sound like I'm the one threatening to leave?
"Also, I already contacted Donnie."
Dolan continued.
"When Wilson's contract extension comes up, we'll make sure he receives an offer he deserves."
Lin Yi was stunned.
Then Dolan suddenly added:
"Oh, and one more thing."
"I ordered a customized Bugatti for you as a wedding gift."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Lin Yi looked at his phone.
Am I really the kind of person who can be bought with money?
He wanted to refuse.
He really did.
But then...
A customized Bugatti sounded pretty nice.
Lin Yi rubbed his forehead.
This entire situation was ridiculous.
He had always considered himself a calm and reasonable person.
Why did everyone around him act like he was about to be stolen away?
Then Dolan delivered the final attack.
"Lin, I know this is early, but after you retire, I hope you will remain part of the Knicks organization."
"Maybe one day you can help run this team."
"Don't worry. I trust you completely.
Dolan sounded sincere.
Almost like he was afraid someone would steal Lin Yi away overnight.
Thankfully, this was not a romance novel.
Otherwise, Lin Yi would have wondered if he had accidentally become the main character of a completely different story.
. . .
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