Houston and Sprewell gradually found their roles as well, adapting to the new tactical rhythm.
The perimeter players focused on stretching the floor and receiving passes for shots, no longer blindly isolating with the ball.
The Knicks' training atmosphere lacked the Lakers' extreme, gunpowder-filled intensity.
Yet it possessed the composure, efficiency, and steady progression unique to a top-tier powerhouse.
Everyone outside the team was certain that the Knicks would claim their fourth straight championship in the new season.
But only those within the team knew that they were still refining, evolving, and breaking through.
Li Fei raised a hand to catch the basketball passed by a teammate, his gaze fixed on the distant hoop.
He knew the Lakers were quietly rising, and he knew of the purple-and-gold army's iron-blooded transformation.
The additions of Kerr and Kukoc had indeed given the Lakers the foundation to challenge for the summit.
But before absolute talent and dominance, every reinforcement was merely icing on the cake.
Five years of Dynasty foundations and an epic roster built around two kings were no empty reputation.
The journey of the new season had arrived. The challenge was already here, and powerful foes were already in place.
Los Angeles's black tide surged forth, seeking to overturn New York's Dynasty.
But the kings of Madison Square Garden had long been ready for battle.
Li Fei bent his knees slightly, rose, and released the ball. A precise mid-range jumper swished cleanly through the net.
The instant he landed, his eyes were resolute and his presence icy.
No matter how stunning the Lakers' transformation became, no matter how tenacious their opponents were.
His Dynasty's reign would not end so easily.
He was determined to seize the supremacy of a fourth consecutive championship.
In early autumn of 1999, the heat surrounding