"The people's choice." When Stern announced that Kobe Bryant had won the MVP, all of Los Angeles erupted into a sea of celebration.
Old Buss raised his glass of red wine in tribute to West.
This season, the Lakers, West, and Kobe had all endured far too much pressure.
Yet when the regular season ended, people discovered that the invincible Lakers dynasty still stood second in the Western Conference.
Kobe had won MVP again, putting up the best regular season of his career to date.
West's various moves and decisions were also hailed as strokes of genius!
The Lakers had undoubtedly enjoyed another highly successful season.
And after being tempered by this season, the Lakers still had enormous room to improve next year.
Once Yao Ming gradually matured and they found another All-Star-caliber helper, the Lakers would once again become the greatest team in the league.
It hadn't been easy.
It truly hadn't been easy for this turbulent season to reach this point.
If not for Kobe, the Lakers would have collapsed long ago.
Kobe had played all 82 games without missing one, averaging a career-high 41.2 minutes per game.
That was why Old Buss had agreed so decisively to trade away O'Neal.
O'Neal had left the Lakers and was no longer the dominant tyrant who ruled the league.
But without O'Neal, the Lakers were still the greatest team!
With Kobe, the Lakers would never be a weak team.
Kobe was the Lakers' emblem. Watching Kobe play second fiddle to O'Neal last season had been like twisting a knife in Old Buss's heart.
Kobe's maturity and O'Neal's childishness had filled him with mixed emotions.
And now, with O'Neal truly gone, Kobe had finally become the best version of himself!
Old Buss could not help but laugh when he imagined O'Neal's