Chapter 18: A Chaotic Pre-Draft Combine

On May 14, at the United Center, Li You witnessed the Chicago Bulls advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Chicago fans in the arena were cheering wildly. This was Michael Jordan—he would never let his fans down.

In Li You's view, the New York Knicks' offense lacked any coherent system. Since Jeff Van Gundy had taken over, most of their victories had been grinded out through "blood and iron" defense.

Playing 43 minutes, Jordan went 13-of-29 from the field, 1-of-2 from beyond the arc, and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line, finishing with 35 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 turnovers. Once again, he led all scorers.

Knicks "madman" John Starks faltered once more. Perhaps Michael Jordan hadn't forgotten the humiliation of being dunked on; he spared no effort on the defensive end, completely locking down the perimeter for the Knicks.

"Li, what are your thoughts on this game? The Bulls have a high probability of winning the title this year; they are clearly the strongest team in the NBA right now."

Priority Sports had its headquarters in Chicago, and Mark Bartelstein had brought Li You here for the upcoming pre-draft combine, using the playoff game as a way to unwind.

"The game pace is very slow. The Knicks didn't even reach 70 offensive possessions, yet they committed nearly 20 turnovers."

"This is exactly the tempo the Bulls love. Clearly, the Knicks have significant issues in their backcourt."

Lounging on a sofa in a private box, dressed in a gray hoodie and athletic gear, Li You offered a casual critique of the game.

Mark Bartelstein was delighted by Li You's words; he appreciated this confident attitude. One of the reasons for attending tonight's game was to let Li You get a firsthand look at the Knicks' perimeter situation.

"We will succeed! Don't worry, Li. The Bulls have a late first-round pick this year; even in the worst-case scenario, we won't go undrafted!"

Giving Li You another reassurance, Mark Bartelstein showcased his connections, offering a double layer of insurance.

Li You nodded with a smile, though he felt somewhat skeptical. While latching onto the Bulls would be beneficial, he would likely get no playing time. If he had a choice, the ideal scenario would be to enter a starting lineup in his rookie season, and the Bulls were far from that situation.

...

On May 19, the NBA Draft Lottery was held in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The lottery was David Stern's pride and joy.

Since 1985, teams that missed the playoffs had an equal chance of winning the top pick. Later, Stern improved the system, giving teams with worse records a higher probability of securing the first overall selection. By 1996, the lottery format had stabilized: each team held a specific number of lottery balls based on their record, with poorer teams receiving more balls, naturally increasing their odds of landing the first pick.

The most nervous person on site was 76ers President Pat Croce. Despite a successful tanking campaign that gave them a 30 percent chance at the top pick, he couldn't shake his anxiety until the pick was officially in hand.

The lottery was televised, and facing the cameras, Croce cursed under his breath. The team's new general manager had skipped the event to attend his son's birthday, leaving Croce to face the cameras alone.

The hall was bustling. Though the front office staff from various teams knew the lottery process was opaque, the atmosphere created a palpable sense of tension.

David Stern walked onto the stage in high spirits. With Michael Jordan, the NBA was back on track, and the current situation was excellent. Even more exciting for Stern was that he had already begun to open doors across the ocean; a vast, untapped market was beckoning.

Although everyone knew the 76ers were the favorites, once David Stern announced the results, President Croce hugged the staff beside him in pure ecstasy. They had found the hope for their franchise's revival—Allen Iverson belonged to Philadelphia.

Mark Bartelstein was also following the lottery. As he had anticipated, the Celtics landed the 6th pick, while the Knicks held three first-round selections.

"Just as we expected, Li. Don't worry about the combine; it's just a formality to show our commitment."

Li You nodded. Over the past few days, he had noticed that the players arriving at the local hotels were not particularly well-known. Unlike the combine in his memory, the event was largely for show; teams would send invitations for private workouts if they were interested, while most opportunities were brokered by agents.

This was why players couldn't function without agents—many workout opportunities were effectively pre-arranged. Aside from absolute geniuses, the competition among ordinary players was cutthroat.

On May 27, the Bulls completed their revenge. After defeating the Magic 106-101 on the road, they swept the series 4-0 and advanced to the Finals once again.

Playing 44 minutes, Michael Jordan was in full force, shooting 16-of-23 from the field, 3-of-4 from three, and 10-of-14 from the line, racking up 45 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and 4 turnovers. Anfernee Hardaway and Shaquille O'Neal had been swept out of the playoffs; this was the perfect revenge for Michael Jordan.

...

On June 2, the Western Conference Finals Game 7 concluded, with the Seattle SuperSonics narrowly defeating the Utah Jazz to punch their ticket to the Finals.

Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp combined for 47 points, while Stockton and Malone tallied 44. To the casual observer, it didn't matter who made the Finals—the Bulls would win the championship regardless. Everyone was waiting for Michael Jordan to secure his fourth career title.

On June 4, with no NBA games scheduled, Li You, accompanied by Mark Bartelstein, visited the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago to witness the era's unique pre-draft combine.

Initially, the combine had been organized by scouts and agents. In the early days, only a few players participated. By the 1990s, the event gained league support, and with the influx of international players, it had grown into a two-part process.

Having received word beforehand, Mark Bartelstein made sure Li You's weaknesses wouldn't be exposed. After completing the physical measurements, the two stood on the sidelines, opting out of the 5-on-5 drills.

"The purpose of the combine is to show off raw athleticism; these guys don't even know how to pass the ball!" Mark Bartelstein whispered to Li You. As more players arrived, scouts were busy chatting with the prospects they were interested in.

Li You nodded silently. Overall, the scene was a sea of bodies, and even the physical testing felt rather perfunctory.

"Hey! Man, don't overdo it. Take off a few layers of socks—you're going to burst your shoes!"

"We're brothers, we help each other out! Black men have to look out for black men!"

Such conversations occurred periodically near Li You. The staff member in charge of measuring height was also black, and every black player who came through demanded an extra few centimeters on their official listing.

Li You glanced over and saw a black player, nearly 2 meters tall, asking the staff to add 5 centimeters to his height. Watching the chaotic scene, he felt a sense of disappointment.

"Everyone is looking for a shortcut. No wonder there are more and more busts."