January 15, New York, NBA Headquarters.
David Stern stood on the podium at the press conference, with the logo of the 2001 Washington All-Star Game on the backdrop behind him.
The audience was filled with the sounds of cameras clicking away.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Stern adjusted the microphone, smiling as he unfolded the envelope in his hand, "The fan voting results for the 2001 NBA All-Star Game are officially in. First, let's look at the Eastern Conference starting lineups."
The names and vote counts began scrolling on the large screen.
Eastern Conference Guard: Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers, 2,147,324 votes.
As expected, applause erupted from the audience.
Eastern Conference Guard: Kobe Brian, Chicago Bulls, 1,987,543 votes.
The applause instantly grew louder. After being traded to the Chicago Bulls, Kobe experienced a complete explosion of talent, averaging over 30 points per game at the United Center. He defied the shadow cast by Michael Jordan and became the most unstoppable perimeter killer in Eastern Conference.
Eastern Conference Forward: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat, 1,108,923 votes.
Stern paused, glanced at the next list, and his smile widened.
Eastern Conference Forward: Chris Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics, 1,892,156 votes.
The press section below the stage instantly erupted in commotion. A third-year student, without any earth-shattering, powerful dunks, had somehow managed to squeeze out Vince Carter and a host of other players to become an All-Star starter, all thanks to his record and his game-winning shot against the Lakers in the Christmas Day game!
Stern raised his voice and announced the last name from the Eastern Conference.
Eastern Conference Forward: Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics. Total votes: 2,389,067... This year's All-Star vote leader!
The flashbulbs went off completely.
The starting lineups for the Eastern Conference have been finalized. The Western Conference starting lineups, however, are equally dramatic.
" Western Conference Guard: Jason Kidd, Los Angeles Lakers, 1,987,543 votes."
" Western Conference Guard: Eddie Jones, Sacramento Kings, 1,432,098 votes."
A murmur rippled through the press box. Since Kidd joined the Lakers, Los Angeles fans have overwhelmingly won the vote.
Eddie Jones' move to the Sacramento Kings to partner with Webber not only filled the Sacramento Kings ' defensive gap on the wing but also ignited the Sacramento basketball market.
Stern continued reading.
" Western Conference Frontcourt: Chris Webber, Sacramento Kings, 1,543,876 votes."
Western Conference Frontcourt: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs, 1,678,234 votes.
Finally, Stern paused, smiled, and read out the name that received the most votes in the Western Conference.
Western Conference Frontcourt: Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers, 2,104,563 votes.
The release of this list excited reporters throughout the league.
With Kidd and O'Neal teaming up in Los Angeles, Webber and Jones joining forces in Sacramento, the arms race across the Western Conference has reached an appalling level.
The Lakers and Sacramento Kings alone have secured four of the starting lineups for the Western All-Stars Game!
But today, the biggest news still belongs to Boston.
On January 18, the NBA officially announced the All-Star reserves selected by head coaches across the league.
When the list was faxed to the editorial departments of major media outlets, it sparked a frenzy of discussion.
The Eastern Conference reserve roster prominently features three names from Boston: Gary Payton, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace.
ESPN's headline was updated quickly ten minutes later, with bold, bright red text taking up the entire page.
Five! Boston creates the ultimate monster!
Starting lineup: Garnett, Pierce. Bench: Gary Payton, Big Ben, Rasheed. The Boston Celtics have secured 5 of the 12 Eastern All-Stars! This is the most star-studded All-Star lineup in NBA history since the 1988 Lakers ( Magic, Worthy Jabbar ).
"But what's truly chilling isn't just these five All-Stars. Don't forget, in the Celtics ' physiotherapy room sits Grant Hill, who's out for the season. If Hill hadn't been injured, this team could have created an unprecedented and likely never-to-be-repeated 'single-team 6 All-Stars'!"
Boston, Celtics training facility.
The atmosphere in the locker room was exceptionally enthusiastic on the morning the All-Star roster was announced.
"Starting! Kid, you're already a starter in third grade!" Gary Payton vigorously rubbed Pierce's head.
Pierce gave a rare grin, but his gaze remained calm. " Gary, you're an All-Star too. We have five men going to Washington."
"And the vote leader!" Rasheed slapped Garnett on the shoulder forcefully. "KG, over 2.3 million votes! You've beaten Kobe and Shaq to a pulp!"
Garnett laughed and high-fived everyone, but then he turned and saw Grant Hill walking into the locker room on crutches.
The locker room fell silent for a moment.
Hill, dressed casually, smiled and raised his hand at them, "What are you looking at me for? Congratulations, guys. Five All-Stars, that's historic. Have fun in Washington, and bring back the All-Star MVP while you're at it."
Big Ben walked over and gently tapped Hill's fist. "When you come back next season, we'll have six of us."
Lin Qi leaned against the locker room doorframe, watching the group of players whose talent practically overflowed the screen.
His expression didn't show much joy; instead, it conveyed a sense of solemnity.
Rick Carlisle walked up to him and lowered his voice. "Five All-Stars, that's a good thing, right?"
"It's good for the players' commercial value and confidence," Lin Qi said, glancing at the newspaper in his hand, "But not so good for our upcoming regular season games."
"What's the meaning?"
"Look at what people are saying, Rick." Lin Qi handed the newspaper to Rick Carlisle. "'The end of the league,' 'If we don't win the championship, it'll be the biggest failure in history.' From today onwards, the whole world will be watching us with a magnifying glass. If we lose even one game because of adjusting our rotation, the media will tear us apart. A team with five All-Stars isn't allowed to have a period of growing pains. We'll be a huge target."
Rick Carlisle looked at the headline in the newspaper, his brow furrowing deeply.
At the same time, in Chicago, at the United Center.
In the empty arena, only the crisp sound of the basketball swishing through the net could be heard.
Kobe Brian was covered in sweat, undergoing his signature grueling training. Even after being selected as Eastern All-Stars starter, there wasn't a trace of a smile on his face.
An assistant coach came over and handed him a towel. " Kobe, the roster is out. Boston has five players who made the All-Star team, and Pierce will start alongside you."
Kobe took the towel, wiped the sweat from his face, and a chilling murderous glint flashed in his eyes.
In Chicago, he faced the six championship banners atop the United Center every day, and the media constantly compared him to the man wearing number 23. He proved himself to be the strongest guard in the Eastern Conference with his terrifying scoring average of 30+ points per game, but the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics had vastly different records.
"Five All-Stars?" Kobe scoffed, tossing the towel on the chair and picking up the basketball again. "Very good."
He dribbled to the three-point line, pulled up, released the ball, and it swished through.
"I don't care if they have five or ten." Kobe stared at the basket like a Black Mamba locking onto its prey. "After the All-Star Weekend, we'll be playing Boston at home. We'll see who wins then."
Los Angeles, Lakers training facility.
Jason Kidd was practicing a pick-and-roll with Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal. Kidd a very subtle behind-the-back pass, O'Neal caught the ball, and then unleashed a powerful dunk.
"Boom!" The basketball hoop shook.
"Well done, Jason!" O'Neal laughed and high-fived Kidd. Kidd's arrival gave O'Neal an unprecedented and extremely comfortable ball-feeding experience in half-court sets.
Phil Jackson sat courtside, holding the All-Star roster in his hand.
" Shaq," the Zen Master began slowly, " Boston has five players who made the All-Star team."
O'Neal paused for a moment, then let out a loud sneer, "Five? That shrewd businessman Lin Qi really knows how to create hype."
Kidd walked over, wiping his sweat, his tone calm and rational. "Their roster depth is truly terrifying. Big Ben, Rasheed, and Kevin Garnett—their interior rotation is virtually unbreakable in the Eastern Conference."
"So what?" O'Neal scoffed. " Jason, you were there on Christmas Day too. You saw how I pounded that All-Star starter (KG) and All-Star reserve ( Big Ben ) in the paint. Five All-Stars, so what? In June, the competition will be about who has the best ability to break through defenses."
O'Neal patted his broad chest.
"And I am the strongest."
San Antonio, Spurs training facility.
Popovich stared blankly at the All-Star roster in his hand. Only Tim Duncan from the Spurs was selected as a starter.
He slammed the roster onto the whiteboard with a magnet, then turned to look at the Spurs players who were training.
"See that? This is your current situation." Popovich pointed to the long list of Boston's names. "Five All-Stars. The whole world thinks Boston or Los Angeles will win this year's championship."
Tim Duncan sat on the basketball, quietly watching the coach without saying a word.
" Boston is the darling of the entire league right now, the untouchable Goliath." Popovich's eyes were sharp as knives. "They have five stars, they're dazzling. But starlight can't kill."
Popovich tapped the whiteboard. "From today onwards, forget about the All-Stars, forget about all the hype. What we need to do is refine our tactics. If we make it to the NBA Finals, we'll drag them down into the mud and make sure their glittering star power is covered in mud!"
The clamor from the outside world, the hostility from opponents, and the media's excessive praise reached their peak the moment the All-Star roster was announced.
The title of " Five-Star Celtics " has become an extremely heavy crown. Wearing it, the Celtics will face the most brutal scrutiny and siege from the entire league in every rotation experiment and every regular season game.
The real test has only just begun.