The Rookie Challenge this year was marked by a rather uneven distribution of talent.
The freshman team comprised Yao Ming, Pau Gasol, Andrei Kirilenko, Joe Johnson, Tony Parker, Shane Battier, Jason Richardson, Jamal Tinsley, Brendan Haywood, and Rafer Alston.
Players like Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Richard Jefferson, Charlie Murphy, Zach Randolph, Gerald Wallace, Gilbert Arenas, and Mehmet Okur did not get the opportunity to participate due to team usage issues, thus missing out on selection for the Rookie Challenge.
The sophomore team, led by Kenyon Martin, featured other notable players such as Quentin Richardson and Jason Maxiell, followed by Hedo Turkoglu, Desmond Mason, and Mike Miller. As for players like Nene Hilario, Chris Mihm, and Marcus Fizer, they simply couldn't compare to the caliber of the freshmen.
Therefore, the outcome of this game was largely a foregone conclusion, and the main point of anticipation for fans was which freshman player would emerge as the Rookie Challenge MVP.
The media had speculated that the Grizzlies' interior phenom, the Celtics' backcourt star, and the Warriors' perimeter standout, Jason Richardson, were most likely to become the offensive core of the freshman team.
Originally, Yao Ming of the Spurs was also in the media's discussion range. Although Yao Ming had been repeatedly challenged by the league's starting centers recently, he had not faltered. Instead, he had grown stronger with each challenge, delivering increasingly outstanding performances.
If Yao Ming had given his all, with the assistance of his teammate Parker, the Spurs' dynamic duo could have easily dominated the Rookie Challenge, and Yao Ming would have had a strong chance of winning the MVP award.
However, since Yao Ming was unexpectedly selected for the main All-Star Game, he was certainly not going to exert himself in the Rookie Challenge. He would likely just make a token appearance to fulfill his obligation, thus ruling him out of contention for the MVP title against other rookies.
Parker, due to his position, was not expected to score a high number of points, making his chances of winning the award slim.
Ultimately, Jason Richardson, with his exceptional performance, secured the highest number of shot attempts, scoring 31 points, tying the Rookie Challenge scoring record, and becoming the MVP of this year's event.
Following the Rookie Challenge was the Three-Point Contest!
Over the past three years, He Xi Meng had consecutively won the three-point crown three times, establishing himself as an undisputed king on the Three-Point Contest stage!
Therefore, this year, he decisively declined the organizing committee's invitation, leaving the opportunity for other three-point sharpshooters in the league.
He Xi Meng's absence from the Three-Point Contest brought a collective sigh of relief to the eight participants.
These included Ray Allen, Peja Stojakovic, Steve Nash, Paul Pierce, Mike Miller, Jason Richardson, Wesley Person, and Manu Ginobili of the Spurs!
However, in pre-game interviews, Ray Allen, Peja, Nash, and Pierce all expressed strong regret over He Xi Meng's withdrawal.
"Simon is the strongest three-point shooter in the league over the past few seasons. Not being able to defeat him on the Three-Point Contest stage is my biggest regret this year..."
The meddlesome media, upon hearing these "regretful words" from the defeated contenders, relayed them to He Xi Meng and asked for his thoughts.
He Xi Meng shrugged and said, "I haven't reached retirement age yet! When I want to return to the Three-Point Contest stage, I can still submit an application, and I believe the organizing committee will seriously consider it... No organizing committee would refuse the return of a three-time champion, would they?
"Whoever wants to challenge me, please write your name on the Three-Point Contest stage. I'll be waiting!"
He Xi Meng's declaration, a mixture of softness and firmness, immediately silenced the room.
The participating players collectively chose to remain silent. It was better to say less, do more, and focus on securing this year's three-point title.
The final Three-Point Contest was indeed quite thrilling.
Ray Allen, who should have won last year, finally broke free from He Xi Meng's shadow. In the finals, with a narrow one-point lead, he defeated the strong contenders Peja Stojakovic and Wesley Person, clinching the 2002 Three-Point Contest trophy!
Following the unsuccessful attempt to invite He Xi Meng to the Three-Point Contest, the organizing committee, with a burst of inspiration, invited him to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest!
After all, among Spurs fans, He Xi Meng was widely known by the moniker "San Antonio Carter"!
He Xi Meng even gave serious consideration to the organizing committee's invitation and sought the opinions of several friends, such as Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant.
As a result, these two mischievous friends unanimously encouraged He Xi Meng to participate, promising that if he needed them, they would unreservedly assist him by passing the ball or even acting as his basketball stand...
The sudden surge of enthusiasm from the two, however, had the opposite effect on He Xi Meng.
After much deliberation, He Xi Meng ultimately chose to politely decline.
"My old bones and legs are probably not suited for these young people's events..."
"You're not old! You're in your prime..."
"Never mind! I'll leave this opportunity to the young talents who have just entered the league..."
He Xi Meng's absence from the Slam Dunk Contest stage left the Spurs fans, who had secretly harbored hopes, deeply disappointed.
"I knew it. My great 'San Antonio Carter' is a man of few words. How could he possibly participate in the Slam Dunk Contest? I was asking too much..."
Ultimately, this year's Slam Dunk Contest saw some changes.
The preliminary and final rounds were divided into two parts: a freestyle dunk and a randomly selected pre-set dunk.
The freestyle dunk was straightforward, allowing contestants to showcase their creativity.
The pre-set dunk required contestants to imitate the signature moves of legendary superstars, with options including the dunks of Dr. J Julius Erving, Michael Jordan "Air Jordan," and "Human Highlight Film" Dominique Wilkins.
This pre-set dunk requirement presented a significant challenge to the contestants.
This is because each superstar's dunk had specific physical requirements. The dunks of "Air Jordan" and Dominique Wilkins were fundamentally different.
Some excelled at imitating Jordan, while others were better at mimicking "Human Highlight Film."
The random draw for the pre-set move forced them to improvise on the spot, which was an exceptionally difficult task.
Consequently, the preliminary rounds were plagued with errors.
Last year's Slam Dunk Contest champion, Desmond Mason, and Francis, who had a thrilling showdown with Carter two years prior, were eliminated in the preliminaries and failed to reach the finals.
The final round ultimately came down to Rasheed Wallace, the future king of the Bobcats, and Jason Richardson, the recent Rookie Challenge MVP from the Warriors!
Both contestants performed poorly on the pre-set moves, essentially matching each other in their shortcomings.
However, in their freestyle dunks, Richardson's mid-air catch and 180-degree reverse slam was more spectacular and passionate than Rasheed Wallace's freestyle attempt.
Ultimately, Jason Richardson, with this performance, captured the 2002 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest trophy.