Purple and gold confetti rained down from the dome.
Some time had passed since the final whistle blew, but the 20,000 fans in attendance remained in their seats. On the makeshift podium, Lakers owner Jerry Buss received the championship trophy from David Stern.
Stern then took the microphone back. The noise gradually subsided, and everyone waited for the announcement of the most prestigious individual honor.
The winner of the 2003 NBA NBA Finals MVP (Most Valuable Player) award was...
Stern paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the entire room.
Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal.
When the name echoed throughout the arena, a cheer erupted at Staples Center. But this was quickly followed by obvious astonishment and murmurs of disbelief.
A few scattered boos could even be heard from the higher stands. Many fans wearing number 23 jerseys looked puzzled. They whispered among themselves, their eyes involuntarily drawn to Michael Jordan, who stood on the edge of the podium with a towel around his neck.
This huge uproar was playing out equally fiercely in the broadcast booths.
On the ABC Sports commentary desk, Mike Breen looked at the voting results that had just been handed to him, his tone clearly surprised. " Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal has been selected as Finals MVP. This is a great achievement. But listen to the sounds from the crowd, Doc, the fans seem quite surprised by this result."
"I must be frank, Mike, I have a problem with this vote." Former Chicago Bulls head coach and guest commentator Doc Collins made no secret of his stance.
"I respect Shaq; he's the strongest interior monster in the league. But if you ask me who the true MVP was in tonight's decisive Game 7, the Answer is undoubtedly Michael Jordan."
"The media is focusing on overall performance throughout the series," Breen explained, flipping through the statistics sheet. "In those seven games, O'Neal averaged 27.8 points and 13.5 rebounds. Whenever he was in the paint, Boston had to collapse their defense. That presence was irreplaceable."
"Data can be deceiving, Mike." Collins tapped the table with the tip of his pen. "The average stats are masking the true course of tonight's game. Did the reporters who voted turn off their TVs at the end of the third quarter?"
"Let's review the fourth quarter and those two overtime periods. Ben Wallace used incredible toughness to force Shaq out of the easiest scoring position under the basket."
Another commentator chimed in, " Collins is right. In overtime, Boston capitalized on Shaq's poor free-throw shooting. Whenever he got the ball, Boston would foul him early, sending him straight to the free-throw line."
" Shaq made only one of four free throws at a crucial moment. This completely shut down the Lakers ' inside offense. Boston no longer needed to worry about interior defense; they spread their defensive formation outwards, effectively locking down the Lakers ' space for outside shots."
"With the Lakers on the verge of collapse and their tactics completely thwarted, who saved Lakers?" Collins ' voice rose a few decibels, his emotions running high. "It was Michael Jordan."
"A 39-year-old veteran who played over 50 minutes. He looked too tired to jump anymore, but he still managed to hit those pull-up jumpers that relied entirely on his individual skill in overtime, despite Chris Paul Pierce's tight defense and Garnett's help defense."
"It was these absolutely absurd goals that saved the Lakers!"
"We just received the detailed voting results," Breen interrupted Collins, watching the camera cut in. "Eleven votes from various media reporters. Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal received six votes, Michael Jordan received five."
"By a single vote, this is the most contentious FMVP selection in recent years."
"Those six reporters cast their votes based on the post-game statistics," Collins shook his head, giving his final conclusion. "The five reporters who voted for Michael were the ones who truly understood the game."
While the debate raged on the broadcast set, the protagonists on the podium were equally aware of the delicate atmosphere.
O'Neal accepted the golden trophy from Stern. His face showed the joy of winning the championship, but his gesture of raising the trophy was not as flamboyant as usual.
He glanced down at the trophy. Then, O'Neal strode over to Jordan, put his arm around Jordan's shoulder, and pulled him in front of the microphone.
"I know there are a lot of people talking about it right now, and some are even booing," O'Neal said to the 20,000 people in the arena, his voice carried through the loudspeakers to every corner of the stadium.
"I had some good stats, and I was the starting point of the team's offense. But in the final moments tonight, it was this old guy who carried us to the finish line."
O'Neal looked at Jordan with a serious expression. "During overtime, Michael told me to just focus on rebounding and let him score. Half of this trophy should belong to him."
Jordan held a towel in his hand, wiping the sweat from his bald head. Facing the microphone that O'Neal handed him, he smiled and shook his head, then patted O'Neal's broad chest twice.
"I came to Los Angeles not to win another individual trophy. I already have six, and my showroom can't hold any more." Jordan picked up the microphone, his tone calm, his voice hoarse from exhaustion.
"I just want this ring to mark a true end to my career."
The arena gradually quieted down. Jordan paused for a moment, glanced at O'Neal beside him, and then turned his gaze to the far end of the court, in the direction of the tunnel where the Boston players had just left.
" Shaq is the cornerstone of our entire season; he's the true ruler of this league right now. On the other side, we have amazing young talent like Dwyane ( Wade ). Just like Larry Bird ( Larry Bird ) and Magic entrusted the game to me back then..."
Jordan let out a long breath, a completely relieved smile spreading across his tired face.
"Now, I'm handing this sport over to reliable people. My era can end, and I can finally go home in peace."
This composed handover of the scepter completely quelled the controversy, transforming it into unified cheers and applause. Jordan used the most dignified method to resolve the differences between the media and fans, and also completed the most perfect curtain call for his career.
At the subsequent post-match press conference, the controversy surrounding the FMVP remained the focus of questions from the front-row reporters.
Phil Jackson, dressed in a suit soaked in champagne, sat in the head coach's seat. Faced with a barrage of questions from reporters, he gave a typical " Zen Master " style response.
"Basketball is a systemic sport. Shaq is like the Suns in our tactical system, a star." Jackson spread his hands and gestured. "As long as he's under the basket, he draws all the defensive attention, allowing the outside shooters to run according to the tactics and score easily. The media's choice to award the prize to a star is logically sound."
Jackson paused for a moment, then smiled slightly.
"But Michael is a comet."
"When Boston's fouling tactics ruined the game, when all their plays fell apart and the stars' brilliance was obscured, only Michael could step up and pierce the darkness."
"He has the ability to put the ball in the basket even in the most desperate moments. Tonight's two overtime games were entirely miracles orchestrated by Michael himself."