The photo shoot at New York's Madison Square Garden had finally wrapped up.
The entire Knicks roster finished its offseason preparations with a renewed sense of purpose and energy.
The New York Dynasty's quiet period of preparation and refinement had come to a successful close.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, the lights at Staples Center also stayed on all night.
Compared with the Knicks' steady, restrained training rhythm, the Lakers' camp brimmed with raw intensity and fire.
The Lakers coaching staff, led by Phil Jackson, had already finished building a system around the new roster.
Throughout the offseason, the Zen Master had wasted no time on fruitless tactical experiments.
He understood the essence of the Triangle Offense, addressed the team's weaknesses, and seamlessly integrated the new arrivals into the system.
On the practice court at Staples Center, purple and gold jerseys surged back and forth as the intensity of the scrimmages reached full throttle.
Shaquille O'Neal anchored the interior, still the most unstoppable beast in the paint in the league.
At his peak, he combined immense size with nimble movement. No one could stop his crushing post play or his finishing around the rim.
After several seasons of honing his game, Kobe Bryant had shed his youthful rawness.
His game was now ruthless and relentless, aggressive at both ends of the floor, with a complete arsenal of scoring moves.
The OK Duo's chemistry had long since reached perfection. One inside and one outside, they formed the undisputed heart of the Lakers' offense and defense.
Glen Rice, their blockbuster offseason signing, had finally filled the last hole in the Lakers' perimeter game.
One of the league's elite shooters, he possessed textbook shooting form and was rock-solid on catch-and-shoot threes and spot-up midrange jumpers.
His presence eased Kobe's scoring