Great Western Forum, Los Angeles.
This is the Lakers ' last season in this old arena.
The ceiling was adorned with the championship banners from the "Showtime" era, and the pale yellow quartz lights cast a dull yellow hue on the waxed wooden floor.
The starting lineups for both teams were displayed on the big screen at the stadium.
Point Guard: Derrick Fisher (No. 2)
Shooting Guard: Kobe Brian (No. 8)
Small Forward: Peja Stojakovic (No. 16)
Power Forward: Jermaine O'Neal (No. 6)
Center: Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal (No. 34)
Lin Qi sat in the back row of the away team's bench, looking at the five names, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
Kobe, Peja, and O'Neal Jr. —all three were snatched up by Jerry West on draft night that year. Of course, Lin Qi himself now held a strong hand with Garnett, Pierce, and Gary Payton, so he didn't have any regrets. But seeing these three young men in their early twenties standing in the center circle in their purple and gold jerseys, he had to admit that West's eye for talent was indeed sharp.
However, shifting our gaze to the side, the Lakers ' bench presents a completely different picture.
Tyronn Lue sat in the front row, wearing a warm-up suit, looking as young as a greenhorn fresh into the league. Tony Smith was a former player the Lakers had painstakingly brought back on a ten-day contract; his abilities were limited. Tracy Murray was tying his shoelaces; he used to play in Boston and had always been a good shooter, but that was about it.
The backup center position still had the silent Ervin Johnson. He was a decent defender, willing to do the dirty work, and was also a former player Lin Qi had let go. But Lin Qi knew in his heart that if he wanted to win that trophy in June, he needed a tougher rotation in the paint, and Johnson wasn't enough.
Then there's Dennis Rodman. After the Chicago Bulls broke up, this rebounding monster with brightly colored hair actually came to Los Angeles and signed a short-term contract. Sitting on the Lakers' bench, chewing gum, he seemed out of place.
Finally, there's Eric Montross. He sat at the very back, wrapped in a thick coat, and didn't even warm up. This guy was the center Jerry West selected tenth overall after Lin Qi snatched Eddie Jones. He got a seven-year fully guaranteed contract with the Lakers and still hasn't been able to be traded.
Lin Qi suddenly remembered Tom Gugliotta, who played for the Lakers last season.
Jerry West acquired him to add a reliable weapon to the young Lakers ' frontcourt. In West's blueprint, Gugliotta was the perfect piece of the puzzle: a prime-age player who could run, stretch the floor, and easily capitalize on open looks alongside O'Neal. If he had played power forward, the Lakers ' starting lineup and rotation wouldn't be so disjointed.
But Gugliotta's agent happens to be the same person as Kevin Garnett's agent.
Lin Qi had dealt with that person too many times and knew him all too well. Every time he sat down at the negotiating table, his unyielding attitude made it seem like he wasn't calmly discussing a contract; he wouldn't give up until he had torn a piece of flesh from the deal.
West had his own plans for the future, Lakers ultimately failed to retain Gugliotta.
The dominoes began to fall. O'Neal Jr., who was supposed to be honing his skills and calming his temper on the bench, was forced into the starting lineup ahead of schedule. The cost of this chain reaction was that the Lakers ' entire bench had to settle for second best, relying on short-term contracts, fringe former players, and minimum-salary contracts to find some scraps from the market and barely manage to patch things up.
West has assembled the core of the future team, but the current bench depth is indeed as thin as a sheet of paper.
The referee blew the whistle and tossed the ball high into the air from center court. O'Neal used his explosiveness to tip the ball back to the backcourt first, and the game began.
From the very start of the first quarter, the Lakers ' physical gifts were on full display. O'Neal positioned himself on the left low post, calling for the ball. Fisher's lobbed pass was perfect, and O'Neal received it and used his back to force his way in. Mutombo, behind him, lowered his center of gravity and slammed the ball into the woodwork twice with his chest, the two giants making a dull thud. On the third slam, O'Neal suddenly faked a drop-shoulder move towards the middle, then turned in the opposite direction towards the baseline, using his size to force his way into the paint, and facing Garnett's help defense, slammed the ball into the basket with one arm.
The Great Western Forum erupted instantly, the loud thuds of defense hitting the basket even reaching the press box.
As Gary Payton retreated on defense, he nudged Mutombo with his elbow. " Dikembe, were you guarding him, or were you making way for him?"
Mutombo, his face grim, shoved him aside as he ran towards the front, replying in a hoarse voice, "If you're so good, you go play."
Gary Payton rolled his eyes and shrugged. "No way, I'm just a guard. Just kidding, don't take it seriously."
Turning back, Kobe started looking for Eddie Jones on the perimeter.
Eddie, who was supposed to be the Lakers ' core perimeter player, was now standing in front of Kobe wearing the green number 7. Kobe kept his back straight, holding the ball in his right hand at his waist, his eyes clearly filled with determination. He took two quick steps, and the moment Eddie shifted his weight slightly backward, he suddenly gathered the ball and jumped back. Eddie's defensive habits were excellent; his long arms were right under his nose, but Kobe withstood the defense and, with a noticeable fadeaway, made the shot.
As Kobe retreated on defense, he gave Eddie a cold look without saying a word. Eddie's expression remained unchanged, but Gary Payton next to him muttered under his breath, "This kid really thinks he's the lead in a Hollywood movie."
Next up was Peja's performance. In the first half of the quarter, Pierce left his man open on off-ball defense, O'Neal drew a double team inside, forcing Pierce to collapse inside. The ball was then passed to the outside, where Peja easily made an open three-pointer.
In the third possession, Peja again used an off-ball screen from O'Neal Jr. at the left 45-degree angle, circled out to receive the ball, and raised his hand. Pierce desperately rushed over this time, but the Serbia used his height advantage and, despite the defense, still managed to make the shot, forcing the Celtics to call a timeout.
As he walked back to the bench, before head coach Doc Rivers could even speak, Pierce tugged at his jersey, gritted his teeth, and said to Gary Payton, "Give me the ball. Next possession, spread out, I'll handle this Europe."
After the timeout, the Celtics' first possession.
Pierce called for the ball directly from the left low post. He tightly marked Peja, and after receiving the pass from Gary Payton, he didn't try any fancy moves. Instead, he lowered his center of gravity and used his thick buttocks and shoulders to bump Peja's chest twice.
This top-tier forward power immediately knocked the slender Peja back half a step, causing him to step onto the edge of the paint.
Pierce seized the half-step space, then smoothly stepped back and jumped on one foot on the left side of the free-throw line. Peja's long arms were already closing in, but Pierce, with a noticeable backward curve, steadily released the ball in mid-air.
"Whoosh."
A mid-range two-pointer went in, and the referee blew his whistle at the same time.
Defensive foul, one free throw.
Pierce didn't even glance at Peja was lying on the ground.
Pierce took the free throw and made it easily.
After the free throw, while retreating on defense, he patted his chest forcefully towards the Lakers ' bench.
At the end of the first quarter, the Lakers led 28-22.