Chapter 343: The Stairway to Heaven (1)
“Here he comes, here he comes! Hey, hey—congratulations to everyone!”
Inside Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center, Chen Yilun strolled through the stands as if taking a leisurely walk in the garden.
Those greeting him were mostly local Sacramento tycoons, politicians, and other prominent social figures.
The Finals had reached Game 5, with the Kings holding a 3–1 series lead.
Now that the series had returned to Sacramento, these upper-crust locals had all come out to watch the game.
Many of them didn’t usually follow basketball, but something as big as a potential repeat championship—and the massive exposure that came with it—was enough to make anyone take notice.
As a result, the front-row seats for today’s game were almost completely monopolized by this group, turning the arena into one of Sacramento’s largest social gatherings.
Faced with these influential figures, Chen Yilun didn’t dare underestimate them. Even in the scorching California summer, he still ran around in a full suit.
And this was only part of the crowd. People like the mayor of Sacramento and city council members were mostly being entertained by Ranadivé in the VIP suites.
One major reason the NBA has stood firm in North America for decades is that, during the Stern era, basketball was deeply integrated with the community.
If a team wanted promotion, growth, and exposure, these people were exactly the ones Chen Yilun had to win over.
“Tired already?”
Prince, who had been closely watching Chen Yilun’s condition, seized the moment when he finally had a break and quickly handed him an ice-cold drink.
“These people can really talk your ear off.”
Chen Yilun took the drink and finished it in one gulp.
“This heat is brutal.”
As he spoke, he unbuttoned his suit jacket and fanned himself vigorously.
“Everything ready?”
“All set. Just waiting to win the game.”
Prince replied quietly.
The Finals weren’t just pressure-packed for the players—the front office was stretched just as tight.
The championship parade, title apparel, and countless follow-up arrangements all had to be prepared in advance.
Once match point appeared, everything had to be ready to launch immediately.
After chatting with Prince for a bit, Chen Yilun spotted a white-haired elderly man being carefully supported by staff as he slowly made his way toward the stands.
“Get things ready over here. The Ring King is here—I’ll go greet him.”
With that, Chen Yilun shoved the cup into Prince’s hands and quickly walked over.
“Let me.”
When he reached him, Chen Yilun spoke up and unceremoniously took hold of the Ring King’s arm.
“Sir, you can sit over here in a moment.”
The elderly Ring King, Bill Russell—so old he could barely walk—smiled warmly at Chen Yilun.
“Yilun, you’d better make sure those kids of yours pull through. I don’t want to keep flying back and forth.”
As a legendary figure in the league, Russell naturally leaned toward his old team, the Celtics.
But he was also well aware of the current gap in strength between the two teams, so he had already made peace with it.
“Of course. We won’t let you suffer through that again.”
After Chen Yilun said this, the two exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.
What Chen Yilun had just said was a subtle jab at the 2015 Finals, when a 3–1 comeback forced Russell to fly back and forth between Cleveland and Oakland—only for him to miss out on the awards ceremony in the end.
That memory still left Russell fuming.
“That damn bald guy showed up again this year, didn’t he?”
“He did.”
Hearing Russell’s jab at Adam Silver, Chen Yilun simply smiled without responding.
“He’s probably sitting in the VIP lounge right now.”
“Boring squid man.”
Russell snorted coldly.
“He’s made the league more and more dull. It was better back when David was around. Those were truly lively days.”
You’re being a bit hypocritical there, old man, Chen Yilun couldn’t help thinking.
If I remember correctly, David Stern was also a ‘squid,’ wasn’t he?
“Don’t worry.”
Chen Yilun helped Russell sit down slowly.
“This year, I’ll stand right next to him during the ceremony. I won’t let him steal your spot.”
A few simple words were enough to leave Russell grinning from ear to ear.
“Good, good.”
Russell’s withered hands tightly clasped Chen Yilun’s.
“The league needs young people like you to take charge. We old guys will be relying on you.”
Just as Chen Yilun was about to continue chatting, Prince came jogging over.
“Mr. Bill.”
Prince greeted Russell first, then said,
“The boss wants you over there.”
“Sir, I’ll head over first.”
Chen Yilun stood up and walked toward the VIP suites.
...
“You’re here?”
Inside the VIP room, Ranadivé looked at Chen Yilun jogging in and gestured for him to sit.
“Must be tired.”
“Not at all. It’s part of the job.”
After sitting down, Chen Yilun glanced around. To his surprise, the large private suite contained only him and Ranadivé.
VIP suites in the arena were extremely limited, and with the series at match point, every seat was priceless.
Especially with this year’s massive hype—this single game alone had brought the Kings at least a hundred million dollars in revenue.
“I saved this spot specifically.”
Ranadivé muttered as he watched the court below, where the game was about to begin.
“You’ve worked hard these past two years.”
“Not at all, not at all.”
The sudden concern caught Chen Yilun off guard. He waved his hands repeatedly.
“It’s all thanks to your leadership.”
“I won’t flatter myself.”
Ranadivé said calmly.
“You know the rumors floating around the league better than I do. This summer won’t be easy.”
“That’s normal.”
Chen Yilun didn’t seem particularly concerned.
“Even an idiot can tell—we’re aiming for a dynasty. And if it’s a dynasty, there can be no allies. The other 29 teams are all our enemies.”
“Well said!”
Ranadivé suddenly raised his voice.
“That’s exactly the kind of drive you need when doing things on this scale.”
Then his tone shifted.
“Someone’s got their eye on your front office. You know that, right?”
“Of course I know.”
Chen Yilun glanced around, picked up a glass of soda, and took a sip.
“Let them try. As long as Malone and I don’t move, the front office won’t fall apart.”
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