New York, in David Stern's home.
He sat on the sofa, looking over work documents while watching television.
When the game started, he saw Chen Yu sitting on the Phoenix Suns' bench through the live broadcast.
He didn't look pleased.
Stern could imagine just how angry Chen Yu was. He had called him several times in a row.
But there was nothing to be done.
As the league commissioner, he didn't actually care that much about who won the championship.
There was a champion every year, and every year had its own legend.
If the Phoenix Suns defended their title, or even won three in a row, it wouldn't be a problem.
Phoenix was the fifth-largest city in the country. It was a huge market that had never won a championship, and after their victory last year, the basketball market had clearly improved significantly.
But now, the other teams were dissatisfied, feeling the Phoenix Suns had destroyed the league's balance—that they were cheating.
