"Grant Hill's return, combined with Michael's disciple Chris Paul, David West, Tyson Chandler, and a whole crop of young players—the Hornets are about to rise again!"
"Rick Adelman has taken over the Suns. What kind of brilliance will the team's three young talents—Little Overlord Damon Stoudamire, the Matrix Shawn Marion, and isolation king Joe Johnson—display under the Princeton offense?"
"Larry Brown still hadn't found a team willing to take him. Even in the NCAA, only teams from third-rate conferences were willing to invite the former renowned coach."
"Alonzo Mourning had returned from kidney disease. How much of his peak form could he retain this season? And how much longer would his time in Philadelphia last?"
"Lenny Wilkens had returned to take charge of the Wizards. What kind of record would the three musketeers—Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, and Larry Hughes—produce under this legendary coach?"
"The championship favorites still came from the Lakers, Heat, Kings, and Celtics."
"Rumor had it that more than three superstars were considering changing teams."
"The Lakers, the greatest offensive team in history—how would they fare this season?"
The 2004–2005 season had begun, and undercurrents immediately surged beneath the surface.
In this era, the league had more superstars than at any other point in history.
Other than at center, where there were relatively few superstars, every other position was overflowing with them.
And seeing that the Lakers' run-and-gun dynasty showed no signs of collapsing, many players knew they would have to find another path if they wanted a championship.
The Lakers, meanwhile, had no such concerns.
This was the second year since this dynasty core had been assembled, and the players—especially the young rookies—were brimming with fighting spirit!
Right at the start of the season, they carved through their opponents and posted the league's best monthly record at