The referee tossed the ball into the air above Staples Center, officially kicking off the 2004 Los Angeles NBA All-Star Game.
Yao Ming overtook Brad Miller and tipped the ball back to the backcourt. For the first six minutes, the game followed All-Star rules. Steve Francis showed off his dribbling skills on the perimeter, Vince Carter received an alley-oop and slammed it home with one hand on the wing, and the defense on both sides was basically just going through the motions. The score went back and forth.
At 6 minutes and 15 seconds, the referee called an official timeout.
Rick Carlisle stood up from the Eastern Conference bench, picked up a clip, and pointed to O'Neal's name.
" Shaq, take off your coat and get ready to go."
Rick Carlisle spoke in a flat tone, glancing at Garnett and Pierce: "Once we get to half-court, the ball goes low. Kevin moves to the high post above the free-throw line, Chris Paul stays on the wing, and as long as Shaq is positioned in the paint, feed him the ball immediately."
O'Neal, who had been sitting on the bench, was simmering with resentment when he heard Rick Carlisle's words. He immediately perked up, ripped off the buttons on his pants, strode towards the scorer's table, turned to Garnett and grinned, " Kevin, you're in charge of dealing tonight. Watch me crush those Western Conference big men into meat patties."
Garnett grinned and slapped O'Neal on the back. "Don't worry, Shaq, as long as you hold your position, there'll be plenty of balls!"
Having just finished a tiring road trip in the regular season, Garnett and Pierce had their minds on the NBA Finals in June, and neither of them was interested in battling for 40 minutes in an exhibition game to compete for MVP. Since O'Neal was determined to establish his authority in front of his former team and steal the spotlight at Staples, Rick Carlisle and the Boston duo simply went along with it.
As soon as O'Neal stepped onto the court, a cacophony of boos and cheers erupted in the arena.
He swaggered into the paint, leaned against Kings center Brad Miller, and stretched out his hand for the ball.
Pierce received the ball at a 45-degree angle and, without hesitation, delivered a high lobbed pass deep into the penalty area.
O'Neal received the ball and leaned against Miller, slamming his back into him. Miller slipped and was pushed half a meter away. O'Neal grabbed the ball with both hands and leaped up, pulling the entire backboard downwards!
"Bang!"
The dunk made the backboard vibrate. After landing, O'Neal didn't even glance at the stumbling Miller, but strode over to the first row of the sidelines, held up three fingers towards Lakers owner Jerry Buss's seat, and shouted, "Did you see that, old man?! See what a superstar is?!"
Jack Kerr, standing on the sidelines, was laughing so hard he was doubled over, while Jerry Buss. Buss, sitting in his seat with a glass of champagne, shifted his position somewhat awkwardly.
Kobe, standing at the top of the Western Conference arc, had his jaw muscles visibly taut.
Turning around, Kobe took possession of the ball directly from Kidd. Facing Pierce, Kobe didn't even call for a screen, waving for everyone to spread out. He took two consecutive jab steps on the wing, then pulled up for a jump shot over Pierce's raised arm, a long two-pointer that brushed the net and went in.
As Kobe retreated on defense and passed by O'Neal, he chewed gum, didn't even lift his eyelids, and squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth. " Shaq, that's all you're good for. Wait until Tim and Amar'e come up, then you can try again."
O'Neal immediately exploded, yelling back, "Kid, if you've got the guts, try driving into the paint and see how I treat you!"
In the following two and a half quarters, the atmosphere on the court completely changed.
What was supposed to be a casual game with everyone rotating in and out turned into a high-scoring duel between O'Neal and Kobe.
In this contest, Boston's two stars became the most effective "fuel" for the rivalry.
Garnett completely took a backseat, positioning himself high above the free-throw line to receive and distribute passes. As long as O'Neal had his defender pinned behind him in the low post, Garnett's passes would immediately find their way into O'Neal's hands. Pierce was equally patient, using off-ball movement on the perimeter to draw double teams, stretching Stoudamire and Tim Duncan's defensive focus and creating huge space in the paint.
Even during defensive transitions, Pierce would sidle up to Kobe and casually chat for a bit. "You shot pretty well, Kobe. But Shaq just dunked again."
Kobe glared at Pierce: "Mind your own business, Chris Paul."
Pierce, with an innocent look on his face, said, "Don't be angry, it's just the All-Star Game."
Midway through the second quarter, a highly dramatic and unexpected incident occurred on the court.
During a fast break, O'Neal attempted to showcase his guard skills, dribbling the ball across the half-court line when his shoes suddenly slipped on the non-slip surface. O'Neal fell straight forward, and the basketball rolled out of bounds.
Sitting courtside, TNT commentator Charles Barkley, gripping the microphone, laughed so hard he slammed his hand on the table, "My God! Call emergency services! There's been a magnitude 5 earthquake in the Staples Center! It's Shaq's butt kissing the ground!"
O'Neal lay on the ground, unable to get up for a while. Gary Payton, watching from the sidelines, poked his head out from behind and yelled, " Shaq, get up! Jerry Buss is calling the arena staff to get a level to check if you've damaged the floor! He'll make you pay for it!"
O'Neal grumbled as he got up from the ground, dusted himself off, and turned to face Kobe's expressionless face.
Kobe picked up the basketball from the ground, threw it to the baseline referee, and coldly uttered four words: "A ridiculous clown."
These words ignited a fire in O'Neal's heart.
For the next three possessions, O'Neal went on a scoring spree in the paint, demanding the ball relentlessly. Tim Duncan set a screen, and Garnett delivered a pinpoint lob pass that pierced the Western Conference Conference's zone defense. O'Neal, powered through Amar'e Stoudamire in the paint, slammed the ball up for a dunk and converted it into a three-point play! After the dunk, O'Neal exaggeratedly shoved his belly in Kobe's direction, making a provocative gesture of waiting for applause with his right hand near his ear. "What did you just say? Louder! Did my championship ring mute your voice?!"
The boos and cheers from the more than 20,000 fans shook the stadium.
Kobe's face remained calm, but his offensive responses were even more ruthless.
Facing Pierce, Kobe used Stoudamire's high screen to instantly pull up and hit a three-pointer. On the other end of the court, Kobe even abandoned the All-Star Game's no-foul mentality on the defensive end. Taking advantage of O'Neal's turnaround to receive the ball in the low post, Kobe rushed out from the weak side and made a quick and accurate slap on the ball.
The ball was sliced off and sent flying to the baseline, Kobe's hand accidentally left a red mark on O'Neal's wrist.
The referee blew his whistle and called a foul on Kobe for hitting his hand.
O'Neal rubbed his wrist, looked down at Kobe, and roared, "So, if I can't guard you, I'm planning to become a butcher, Kobe?!"
Kobe didn't even look at the referee, turning around and coldly retorting, " Shaq, if you're so capable, make those two free throws. The whole of Los Angeles will know that your hands shake like you have Parkinson's when you shoot free throws."
Garnett quickly strode between the two to mediate. "Alright, alright, say less! It's being broadcast nationwide, give David Stern some face!"
O'Neal was speechless and his face turned ashen. As he stepped to the free-throw line, the Lakers fans in the stands surprisingly began to boo him in unison.
"Clang!" The first free throw slammed against the front rail and bounced away.
Pierce and Garnett exchanged a knowing glance on the bench. Pierce, biting his straw and drinking electrolyte water, almost couldn't hold back his laughter.