February 9th, Philips Arena, Atlanta.
The opening ceremony of the 2003 NBA All-Star Game is underway. This is destined to be a historic game, not only because it brings together the most outstanding talents of this era, but also because Michael Jordan just yesterday announced his retirement at the end of the season, cutting off all his escape routes.
At his home in the suburbs of Boston, Lin Qi, dressed in a comfortable cashmere sweater, leaned back on the sofa, a glass of bourbon on the rocks on the coffee table. He watched the television screen with a sense of anticipation, as if waiting for a good show to unfold.
Lin Qi knew the nature of his core players well. For the Boston starters, who were used to bleeding their opponents dry in the playoffs, this kind of exhibition game, where they couldn't really play or engage in any physical contact, was simply a boring process that wasted their energy.
Sure enough, when the starting lineup for the Eastern Conference was announced, the atmosphere turned strange.
Kobe Brian was the first to run out of the player tunnel, his face contorted with rage. He neither high-fived nor smiled at the fans on either side; his taut jawline made it seem as if he had come to Atlanta for a do-or-die Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Kevin Garnett and Chris Paul Pierce, who followed closely behind, were in a completely different state of mind. Garnett didn't even zip up his jersey properly, chewing gum while waving to acquaintances in the front row. Pierce was even more casual; he even blatantly yawned when the spotlight shone on him during the entrance line.
The course of the game perfectly confirmed Lin Qi's predictions.
On the Western Conference side, Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal and Kidd were setting up Jordan with excellent teamwork. This was Jordan's "last dance," and almost everyone in the Western Conference was on the same page, aiming to help Jordan find his rhythm in the first half, even their defensive actions were very restrained.
Meanwhile, things in the Eastern Conference have come to a complete standstill.
Eastern Conference head coach Doc Rivers clearly didn't take this game seriously. He spent most of the game standing on the sidelines with his arms crossed, like a VIP spectator who had bought a ticket to watch the game, occasionally clapping his hands and shouting "Well done" or "Run!" He didn't even bother to call a timeout.
On the court, Kobe Brian completely disregarded any "retirement script." From the very first second of the jump ball, he unleashed a ferocious one-on-one attack.
Midway through the first quarter, Kobe dribbled past half-court, lowering his center of gravity to prepare for a drive against the Western Conference defense. Garnett, following his usual tactical approach, moved up to the top of the key to set a screen for Kobe. However, Kobe coldly waved his hand, directly signaling Garnett to pull away; he wanted a one-on-one situation.
Garnett raised an eyebrow and retreated to the weak-side corner.
In the next two minutes, a comical scene unfolded on the court. Kobe repeatedly dribbled between his legs, changed direction, and pulled up for a fadeaway jumper at the top of the key and on the wing. He treated the All-Star Game as an arena to prove his "one-on-one ability," completely ignoring his teammates.
The other four people from the Eastern Conference were completely relegated to being spectators.
After repeatedly reaching for the ball in the weak-side corner without success, Allen Iverson simply put his hands on his hips and rolled his eyes in frustration. Rookie Yao Ming, after running back and forth a few times in the paint, also stopped near the free-throw line, looking like a bewildered big man.
The television cameras keenly captured the moment when Kobe, gritting his teeth, forced a turnaround jump shot over two defenders on the strong side, while Garnett, whom Kobe had waved to the weak side, turned and spoke to Pierce, who was standing on the sidelines. The two exchanged a few words, covering their mouths, and Pierce even laughed so hard his shoulders shook.
The scene resembled two paid employees slacking off, coldly observing a workaholic boss frantically working overtime, trying to impress him.
"Bang!" Kobe's powerful shot missed.
Tim Duncan grabbed the rebound in the Western Conference and immediately launched a fast break. Pierce and Garnett didn't even bother to get back on defense; they just stood there, watching McGrady complete a fast break dunk.
In the second quarter, Big Ben came off the bench. Facing Steve Francis's drive, Big Ben instinctively reached out to block the shot. But halfway through his reach, he suddenly remembered Rick Carlisle's pre-game warning. "Getting injured on this pointless weekend is the stupidest thing in the entire league."
So, Big Ben abruptly pulled his arm back in mid-air, even turning his body slightly to the side, politely watching Steve Francis complete a spectacular dunk that hit the rim.
Lin Qi was so angry at the television that he laughed and popped a cashew into his mouth.
The three Boston players were completely unmotivated on the court, as if they were just going through the motions. They found the lack of intensity in this game uninteresting.
However, the tacitly relaxed atmosphere of the All-Star Game was completely shattered in the final ten seconds of the fourth quarter.
The game ended in a tie. Naturally, possession of the ball in the Western Conference fell into Jordan's hands.
Jordan received the ball in the right corner, faced Kobe's defense, used a classic jab step, then pulled up for his signature turnaround fadeaway jumper.
The basketball traced a perfect arc through the air.
"Whoosh."
A clean swish! Leaving the Eastern Conference only 4.8 seconds.
The entire Philips Arena erupted. Everyone stood up, cheering wildly for what should have been a perfect farewell goal. David Stern smiled and nodded in his box; the commentator had prepared all the praise he could.
This is a Hollywood- style perfect ending.
But the paranoid man who was isolated and ridiculed throughout the entire story didn't want to be a supporting character in this fairy tale.
The final possession for the Eastern Conference. As soon as the ball was inbounded, Kobe charged forward aggressively and stole it from his teammate. He ignored Doc Rivers, who stood motionless on the sidelines, and the fans who filled the arena hoping to see Jordan win.
Kobe pulled up beyond the three-point line, facing the surprised defense of two Western Conference players. He awkwardly twisted his body in mid-air to force the shot, and then made contact with the defender upon landing.
The basketball bounced off the rim.
The referee didn't blow the whistle. At this point, the referee clearly didn't want to ruin Jordan's game-winning shot with a controversial foul; this is an unspoken rule of the All-Star Game.
But as soon as Kobe landed, the veins on his forehead bulged instantly. He completely disregarded any semblance of teamwork in an exhibition game, rushed straight to the baseline referee, pointed at his wrist with bloodshot eyes, and argued vehemently, even swearing.
Faced with this aggressive pressure—threatening to flip the table on national television and refusing to back down until a call was made—the baseline referee ultimately gave in.
"Beep..."
The belated whistle blew, a three-point foul.
In that instant, the cheers in Philips Arena came to an abrupt halt, replaced by a deafening, unbelievable chorus of boos.
Fans were furious, and Western Conference stars made no attempt to hide their disgust. Kobe's ruthless pursuit of victory and complete lack of social skills had shattered Jordan's perfect retirement plan.
But amidst a chorus of boos, Kobe stepped to the free-throw line. His perpetually tense face showed no remorse, only an almost pathological arrogance.
He calmly sank all three free throws, turning the tide against the Western Conference and completely ruining all the joy of the weekend.
At the awards ceremony, the Eastern Conference emerged victorious. Kobe raised the All-Star Game MVP trophy amidst boos from the crowd. He didn't respond to the audience's smiles, but instead stared coldly at the trophy in his hand, as if it were his only trophy in his fight against the world.
Lin Qi yawned and pressed the power button on the remote control.