At the end of October, as the autumn wind turned New York's plane tree leaves a sea of gold, the 1999–2000 NBA regular season finally opened to great anticipation.
The choice of opening matchup was filled with the carefully crafted drama of NBA Commissioner David Stern.
The defending champion New York Knicks hosted their longtime rivals—the Chicago Bulls, whom they had defeated in last season's Eastern Conference Finals—at Madison Square Garden.
This was no ordinary regular-season game, but a marquee showdown entwined with glory, revenge, commercial maneuvering, and the changing of an era.
An hour before tipoff, Madison Square Garden was already packed to capacity.
Camera flashes flickered across every corner of the stands like stars in broad daylight.
The air was thick with an almost boiling anticipation. Every fan in attendance knew they were about to witness history.
At center court, a huge velvet curtain covered last season's championship banner, while a red-carpeted platform stood beside it.
On the platform, the Larry O'Brien Trophy shone brilliantly beneath the spotlights, as though silently recounting the splendor and glory of the previous season.
At the visitors' tunnel, the Chicago Bulls players stood quietly in the shadows in their red road warmups, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Their expressions varied, complicated emotions interweaving across every face.
Michael Jordan stood with his arms folded, his expression dark as still water.
His eagle-sharp gaze was fixed tightly on the glittering championship trophy at center court.
That should have been his fifth title, the ultimate honor he would have used to cement his godhood and surpass every legend before him.
Yet now, it had become nothing more than the backdrop for his opponents' coronation.
Jealousy, resentment, anger—emotions churned like molten lava, burning fiercely in his heart.
He could clearly feel his heart pounding heavily