O'Neal was becoming more and more mature and difficult to defend. Especially when his shooting touch was good, he was basically invincible except for intentional fouls.
But in the All-Star game, it was all about flashy plays.
O'Neal's utilitarian back-to-the-basket power moves were not very popular on the All-Star stage. One or two showcases were fine, but too many and the fans would start booing.
After a steady start, these All-Stars began to unleash their signature moves!
Fancy passes, alley-oops, and thunderous dunks came one after another, leaving the fans in a frenzy and thoroughly entertained!
Of course, there were also some players who were just going through the motions.
While Kobe was in full swing, with dunks, layups, and fadeaway jumpers, having a great time, He Ximeng diligently played the role of an outside passer, keeping a low profile. He didn't show any arrogance despite being selected as a starting All-Star…
In North American culture, while strength is respected and capable individuals are encouraged to showcase their talents, seniority still matters, and it's not non-existent.
In fact, there are plenty of jealous individuals who are talented and resort to backstabbing.
In his previous life, as a head coach, He Ximeng had seen his fair share of locker room politics.
The so-called "unfettered display of individual ability," like "freedom and equality," were just slogans with little practical meaning. Unless one's talent was truly extraordinary and could overwhelm the veterans, others had to humbly start by fetching water, coming off the bench, entering the rotation, and then fighting for a starting spot…
At the All-Star level, the players' skills were infinitely close.
Among the long-established veterans, they held privileges and resources that younger players couldn't even imagine…
It might be a little difficult for these old guys to promote someone, but to ruin someone, perhaps with a few phone calls and some coordination, could turn an All-Star into a wandering player, which didn't seem too difficult…
There's nothing new under the sun. Basketball is a pure sport, but the people who play it, like everyone else in the world, might fight fiercely for "fame and fortune"…
He Ximeng was only a second-year rookie, and because of the strong support from Chinese fans, he became the starting point guard for the Western All-Stars!
This season, there were a total of 435 players under contract and on the roster. Frankly speaking, if not 430, then at least 420 people must have been unhappy with He Ximeng becoming an All-Star starter, right?
Even within the Lakers, perhaps besides O'Neal and Kobe, even Eddie Jones would have been resentful. Why was he, the team's second-in-command, only an All-Star reserve, while you, He Ximeng, a second-year rookie, could be a starting All-Star?
Among other teams in the league, like Marbury, Ray Allen, Camby, and Rasheed Wallace from the same draft class, honestly, who would have been satisfied with He Ximeng?
Thinking about Kobe's future Eagle County incident, do you really think it was just a simple female fan plotting against the then-soaring Kobe?
Including the later Rose drugging incident, it was far from that simple.
If other forces were not involved, or at least played a role in fanning the flames, would Rose have suffered so severely from just the actions of a female fan?
Kobe and Rose had countless ways to silence them.
Countless players in the league played this game. If not 80%, then surely 70%?
Why did only Kobe and Rose get into trouble?
If you delve into it, it all comes down to "youthful success."
Youthful success is a double-edged sword; it can elevate one's ceiling but also expose one's flaws.
If not managed properly, and if one's own past is not clean, it becomes easy to be completely destroyed when caught with a handle…
Kobe's later return to glory was a stroke of luck in misfortune. One can only imagine the price he paid behind the scenes.
Rose, on the other hand, saw his commercial value plummet due to those incidents, whether true or false. The more he tried to prove himself later, the more severe his injuries became, leading to a vicious cycle, and he could never return to his former peak…
Of course, there were a small number of players in the league who upheld traditional values, stayed true to themselves, and stayed away from the vortex, not getting lost in sudden wealth and extravagance.
Grant Hill, for example, was a player with almost impeccable personal character. He was highly promoted by the league early on, hailed as the next Jordan, but later suffered from endless major injuries…
While physique was a factor, what about stepping on feet? Were Hill's ankle injuries solely due to himself, or bad luck?
In his previous life, He Ximeng was a head coach, and most of his wealth was acquired through channels outside the league, involving less of the power struggles among league players.
In this life, as a player, He Ximeng couldn't entirely escape certain conflicts, but he still adhered to the principle of "safety first," minimizing conflicts and confrontations with other players.
Especially on a stage like the All-Star Game, dominated by veterans, unless the old guys were lazy and didn't want to play, He Ximeng would reluctantly help out with the show. Otherwise, whoever wanted to perform could perform; He Ximeng didn't lack exposure…
His Airness, Michael Jordan, had always wanted He Ximeng to play with him, but He Ximeng didn't take the bait.
Kobe stepped forward to challenge Jordan, and He Ximeng took the opportunity to slip away from Jordan's attention.
In the end, in his first career All-Star Game, He Ximeng took 6 shots, all three-pointers, making 4 of them, scoring a respectable 12 points. His scoring wasn't high, but his assist numbers were eye-catching, dishing out a game-high 13 assists!
12 points and 13 assists! More assists than points, these stats were truly something…
Besides He Ximeng, two other rookie All-Stars also had peculiar stats.
Duncan shot 1 of 4 from the field, scoring 2 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. "Mr. Fundamental" began his All-Star "slacking journey" from his very first season…
Kidd shot 0 of 1, scoring no points but dishing out 9 assists! The moniker "Kidd the Passer" was gradually gaining traction in the league…
Kobe scored a team-high 18 points and 6 rebounds for the Western All-Stars. Besides Kobe, O'Neal, Eddie Jones, Garnett, David Robinson, and others all scored in double figures, but none of their scores were particularly high.
This year's Western All-Star team was generally harmonious, with no standout superstar dominating the game.
On the Eastern All-Star team, Michael Jordan, playing point guard as a guest appearance, took command and once again put up an all-around stat line of 23 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals, leading the East to victory over the West and reclaiming the All-Star title.