Kobe's season averages were 25.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.4 blocks. His scoring was top-tier, his rebounding was nearly top-tier for a guard, as were his assists and steals.
This season, Kobe's biggest improvements were in his all-around game and consistency.
After all, Kobe only missed 2 games this season, playing 80 regular-season games.
O'Neal, on the other hand, played only 67 games this season, averaging 27.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2 blocks.
O'Neal's scoring was still the highest among the four, but only by a small margin.
Players averaging over 25 points a game are generally considered the league's top scorers.
Both Duncan and Kobe achieved this.
However, O'Neal's average of 10.7 rebounds, while good, wasn't top-tier for a center. At least, Duncan's average rebounds this season was an astonishing 12.9!
And in terms of blocks, O'Neal's average of 2 blocks per game this season was even lower than Duncan's 2.5! Overall, O'Neal's dominance in the paint was declining.
In the end, He Xi Meng and O'Neal were eliminated first from the four contenders.
In the showdown between Duncan and Kobe, Duncan received more votes and was successfully elected the 2001-2002 regular season MVP!
In the Rookie of the Year voting, Yao Ming and Pau Gasol of the Grizzlies were neck and neck!
Yao Ming played all 82 games this season, starting 20 and coming off the bench for 62, averaging 27 minutes per game, even one minute more than David Robinson. He averaged 16 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks!
However, due to a lack of depth on the Grizzlies, Gasol started after only 3 bench appearances, playing an average of 37 minutes per game and posting averages of 17.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.5 steals, and 2.1 blocks!
If we carefully analyze the scoring efficiency per unit of time, Yao Ming was even better than Gasol!
But, looking at raw individual statistics, Gasol was slightly higher than Yao Ming.
This was mainly because Yao Ming played on the Spurs, with scoring powerhouses Duncan and He Xi Meng, so averaging 16 points was quite an accomplishment. Meanwhile, on the Grizzlies, Gasol was the team's leading scorer this season!
Their roles within their respective teams were completely different.
Ultimately, Yao Ming narrowly lost to Gasol and did not secure the Rookie of the Year honor.
However, what was lost in one area was gained in another.
While Yao Ming didn't win Rookie of the Year, he won the Sixth Man of the Year award! This path of advancement seemed very similar to He Xi Meng's past journey!
The Most Improved Player award went to Jermaine O'Neal of the Pacers!
Jermaine O'Neal's averages improved from 13 points and 9.8 rebounds last season to 19 points and 10.5 rebounds this season, successfully reaching the threshold of an All-Star player. This Most Improved Player award was well-deserved for Jermaine O'Neal.
The Defensive Player of the Year award went to Ben Wallace of the Pistons!
Ben Wallace averaged only 7.6 points this season but grabbed 13 rebounds, with 1.7 steals and 3.5 blocks!
The Pistons' rise to second in the Eastern Conference this season was not due to Jerry Stackhouse's offensive prowess, but to Ben Wallace's defensive performance!
Of course, Tim Duncan of the Spurs also had very high defensive efficiency this season.
However, since Duncan had already been crowned MVP, the Defensive Player of the Year award was not considered for him.
This season's Coach of the Year award went to Carlisle!
However, Carlisle was not yet the head coach of the Mavericks, but of the Pistons!
Old Carlisle certainly had his own style and system for developing teams.
This season's statistical leaders included Iverson, who repeated as scoring and steals champion, averaging 31.4 points and 2.8 steals per game!
Ben Wallace was simultaneously crowned the rebounding and blocks champion, averaging 13 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game!
Duncan was just 0.1 rebounds behind Big Ben, placing him second in the league; his 2.5 blocks per game ranked him third in the league.
He Xi Meng repeated as the assist champion, averaging 11 assists per game! Second-place Andre Miller contributed 10.9 assists per game, and third-place Jason Kidd averaged 9.9 assists per game.
After all the individual awards were concluded, it was time for the All-NBA team selections.
All-NBA First Team: O'Neal, Duncan, McGrady, Kobe, He Xi Meng!
All-NBA Second Team: Nowitzki, Webber, Garnett, Iverson, Kidd.
All-NBA Third Team: Mutombo, Ben Wallace, Jermaine O'Neal, Pierce, Payton.
This season saw significant changes in the All-NBA teams.
Firstly, there was a new face on the First Team: McGrady!
Secondly, several long-standing top players from the older generation finally exited the All-NBA teams.
For example, David Robinson and Karl Malone.
Also, several young players missed out due to injuries.
For example, Vince Carter and Ray Allen.
Following the All-NBA teams came the All-Defensive teams.
The players named to the All-Defensive First Team this season were: Ben Wallace, Duncan, Garnett, Kidd, and Payton.
The players named to the All-Defensive Second Team were: Mutombo, Clifford Robinson, Christie, Kobe, and Bowen.
David Robinson and He Xi Meng were both left off, and it seemed it was their Spurs teammate Bowen who replaced He Xi Meng...
With all regular season awards finalized, the second round of the playoffs was about to begin!
The Spurs' semifinal opponent was their old nemesis from last year, their in-state rivals, the Mavericks!
Compared to last season, the Mavericks' core lineup remained unchanged. It was still Nowitzki, Finley, and Nash.
However, there were significant changes to the role players. Before the end of the regular season, they traded Juwan Howard in a seven-player multi-team deal with the Nuggets.
The Mavericks sent Juwan Howard as the centerpiece and Sixth Man Tim Hardaway, along with Donnell Harvey, a 2002 first-round draft pick, and $1 million cash, in exchange for the Nuggets' Nick Van Exel, Eduardo Nájera, Avery Johnson, and Howard.
Van Exel strongly suspected that he was traded because management discovered his private bet with He Xi Meng, leading to his expulsion from the team.
In the three games against the Spurs this season, Van Exel lost all three, failing to win a single dollar from He Xi Meng. Instead, he spent 60 games as a free babysitter for Bubba... This was old grudges not settled, and new resentments added!