February 14th, on the eve of the Los Angeles All-Star Weekend main game.
In the interview corridor on the second floor of the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, the long lenses and microphones set up by various media outlets almost crowded every corner of the passageway.
If the main theme of the 2003 Atlanta All-Star Game was Michael Jordan's tragic "Last Dance," then the atmosphere in Los Angeles in 2004 was thick with tension, with old grudges and new hatred practically overflowing from the screen.
The media hyped this match into a fierce, earth-shattering feud, the seeds of which had already been sown years ago.
After being defeated by the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, the Lakers management made a game-changing trade, sending the ambitious Kobe Brian to the Chicago Bulls. The following year, they lost to the Celtics again, and the Lakers went all out to bring back Jordan, pairing him with O'Neal and Kidd to form a super team. Although they failed in their first year, the Lakers finally snatched a championship trophy from the Celtics dynasty in their second year.
However, with Jordan's complete retirement last summer, the rifts within the Lakers quickly widened.
O'Neal's recurring big toe and knee injuries, his procrastination on offseason surgery, and his aggressive demand for a multi-million dollar max contract from Jerry Buss during contract negotiations exhausted the Lakers ' management's patience. Dr. Jerry Buss, who genuinely favored Kobe's obsessive and fanatical personality, saw O'Neal's weight spiraling out of control and his off-court issues piling up. So, last summer, the Lakers made a stunning trade with the Chicago Bulls: sending O'Neal away and bringing back Kobe.
This major swap did not quell the feud between the two; on the contrary, it fueled their growing animosity as they exchanged barbs across thousands of miles.
On the eve of All-Star Weekend, Kobe gave an interview to the Los Angeles Times, making extremely scathing remarks. "When I was in Chicago, our record wasn't nearly as bad as theirs is now. If I had teamed up with Michael and Jason, I could have won a championship, maybe even two or three. Basketball is ultimately a game of discipline and competitiveness. If someone spends the offseason just going on vacation and gaining dozens of pounds, they're bound to be purged wherever they go."
These barbed words traveled through the radio waves to Chicago, O'Neal immediately exploded.
Shaq, never one to back down, immediately called a local Chicago radio station's live broadcast hotline and launched a furious tirade, naming names. "Has that kid forgotten the humiliation of taking 46 shots and leading his team to a 58-point loss with the Chicago Bulls? If it weren't for Boston... I would have already built my own four-peat in Los Angeles! Does he think Jerry Buss really understands basketball that's why he brought him back? The old man is just blinded by his selfishness! Just wait and see, this year's All-Star MVP, even if I have to rip the Staples's backboard over, I will never let that guy who treats the All-Star Game like his personal bricklaying show succeed on his home turf!"
The two men's cross-border exchange of fire across the Western Conference put David Stern's meticulously planned Los Angeles extravaganza in the spotlight.
Saturday afternoon at 4 pm, the Eastern Conference star interview area on the second floor of the Four Seasons Hotel.
O'Neal's massive frame was sunken into the wide sofa chair, one thick leg dangling from the armrest, chewing bubble gum, and his chest was surrounded by four densely packed recording microphones.
" Shaq! Kobe mentioned in an interview yesterday that he'll be going all out for the All-Star MVP tonight, just like he has in the last two years. You're coming off the bench in the Eastern Conference, will you respond to him?" A Fox Sports reporter practically held the recorder to his chin.
O'Neal exaggeratedly raised his hand and picked at his ear, his eyes rolling back towards the ceiling.
"Competing for MVP? Ha! When hasn't he competed for it?"
O'Neal leaned forward abruptly, his smile full of mockery and sarcasm, "Everyone in the league knows that once they get to the All-Star Game, some guys just can't pass the ball anymore. Two years ago in Philadelphia, he took almost 30 shots, turning a party meant to entertain the fans into his personal one-on-one show. This year back in Los Angeles, he seems to want to spend the entire 48 minutes shooting from the perimeter. Fine, if you're so capable, don't just hide on the outside. Try charging into the paint and see if I don't smack you so badly you won't know where you are."
O'Neal raised his massive, fan-like hand and patted his broad chest with a thud. "Listen up, the All-Star Game is a celebration for the fans, but if anyone tries to use this place as a stage to clean up courtroom messes or promote their shoes, I'll personally rip their mask off. Tonight, if Rick lets me play, I'll swatt every ball flying into the paint out of bounds!"
A burst of laughter and whispers erupted from the back of the crowd.
Meanwhile, in Hall 1, twenty meters away, Kobe sat alone in front of the white sponsor backdrop.
In stark contrast to the boisterous laughter on O'Neal's side, the atmosphere on Kobe's side was extremely serious. He was wearing a black Converse All-Star custom hoodie, his arms crossed over his chest, his face devoid of any smile. When the reporter relayed O'Neal's comments, Kobe's expression remained unchanged, only a faint hint of sarcasm appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"What he said is completely irrelevant." Kobe's voice was low and his words were extremely clear. "I never tell jokes. If anyone thinks they can dominate Staples just because they're overweight and clowning around on the sidelines, then tonight's game is going to be very exciting."
Another Los Angeles reporter followed up with a question, " Kobe, this is your first All-Star Weekend since returning to Los Angeles. The home fans are chanting for MVP very loudly. Will you unleash your personal offensive mode in the fourth quarter?"
Kobe slightly raised his chin, his gaze sweeping steadily and confidently over the group of reporters in front of him, past the flashing camera flashes.
"When I step onto the field, my only goal is to win."
In the rooftop terrace suite of the hotel, sunlight streamed obliquely through the glass onto the carpet.
The LCD TV on the wall was silently replaying the heated exchange that had taken place in the two interview rooms. The screen was split in two: on the left, O'Neal was laughing and gesturing wildly at the camera, while on the right, there was a close-up of Kobe Bryant with a blank expression and sharp eyes.
At the bottom of the screen scrolled ESPN's eye-catching headline. "Former Partners, Now Rivals: Staples to Host the Greatest Rivalry in All-Star History?"