The atmosphere was harmonious before the game began, with a group of league bigwigs gathering to exchange pleasantries.
Duncan felt intimidated by such occasions, sitting beside Popovich like the dim-witted son of a wealthy landowner.
Even David Robinson took the initiative to greet a few old friends, but Duncan declined He Xi Meng's suggestion to go together, preferring to stay with Head Coach Popovich and passively receive "greetings" from other All-Stars…
He Xi Meng had no choice but to leave Duncan behind and shuttle between Eastern and Western All-Stars. Compared to the naive Duncan, He Xi Meng was as active as a social butterfly… Alas, it was because He Xi Meng was well-liked in the league!
The West was a given; Kobe and O'Neal were familiar friends. Kidd and Garnett had also developed a deep friendship with He Xi Meng in recent seasons.
And in the East, Iverson, Eddie Jones, Ray Allen, Carter, Hill… were all opponents He Xi Meng had become increasingly familiar with. They competed but also admired each other.
In the best seats of the VIP section, He Xi Meng also spotted a familiar face: the Jordan Brand!
At this time, the Jordan Brand had become a minority owner and team president of the Wizards! For the Wizards, the Jordan Brand had been frequently on the hot search recently, not shying away from the limelight, using his influence to help boost the Wizards' market value… It was a pity that the Wizards' majority owner had too small a vision to accommodate a legend like the Jordan Brand.
"Hey, Michael, that suit you're wearing today is incredibly sharp!"
He Xi Meng immediately offered his respects to the Jordan Brand. He had always held a special sentiment for old Joe, both reverence and gratitude.
After all, it was watching old Joe's games that had made the former He Xi Meng fall in love with basketball.
In his previous life, it was also because old Joe had "recognized his talent" that he gave He Xi Meng his first head coaching job.
In this life, in the years before old Joe's retirement, he had mentored He Xi Meng and Kobe as promising juniors…
In short, having lived two lives, He Xi Meng's feelings for old Joe were very complex and could not be fully explained in a few words.
"Really? But I still feel my number 23 jersey suits an occasion like today better!" The Jordan Brand greeted He Xi Meng with a fist bump, lamenting that his handsome suit wasn't quite fitting for the occasion.
Though Michael Jordan was 37 years old in 2000, his incredible physique meant he was rarely plagued by serious injuries. Even if his condition couldn't be compared to his peak, he was still considered "old but vigorous," more than capable of playing professional league games.
"Then make a comeback!" He Xi Meng naturally knew what was on the Jordan Brand's mind, "Come to the Spurs! Lead us to a few more championship trophies…"
Although the Jordan Brand would absolutely not join the Spurs, He Xi Meng's flattering words had hit the right spot, making the Jordan Brand overjoyed, and he burst into laughter.
"If I were to make a comeback, it wouldn't be with the Spurs, would it?"
"Where would you want to make a comeback? Back to the Bulls?"
"Well… I was just joking! Right now, I'm learning how to be a good owner… A comeback is probably something I'll never experience again…"
He Xi Meng smiled meaningfully at the Jordan Brand, "Everything is possible! I wouldn't be surprised if you decide to make a comeback not long from now! Basketball is truly a sport with immense charm! This league is also a league full of charm… But, if you're seriously considering a comeback, I advise you not to do it with the Wizards… The Wizards are not worth risking your entire career for…"
Seeing how serious He Xi Meng was, the Jordan Brand was momentarily taken aback. But he was the Jordan Brand, after all, so he responded seriously to He Xi Meng's sincere advice, "I will seriously consider your suggestion…"
He Xi Meng had given his suggestion; whether the Jordan Brand would listen in the end was beyond He Xi Meng's control.
After finishing their chat with the Jordan Brand, the All-Star Game was about to begin. He Xi Meng straightened his jersey and took the court with his teammates.
Amidst the cheers of the entire crowd, O'Neal and Mourning stood at the center circle. O'Neal won the tip-off, giving the West team the first possession.
He Xi Meng received the ball tipped back by O'Neal and brought it past half-court.
On the East side, the player guarding He Xi Meng was none other than Iverson!
"Come on! Let's have a shootout and see who has the better scoring ability!"
"Me? You've got the wrong person! For scoring battles, you should go find Kobe!" He Xi Meng gestured towards Kobe on the other side, trying to divert Iverson's attention from him.
"No, no, no! I'm looking for you! Right now, the player with the highest single-game score on the league's scoring list is you! I'm looking for the highest scorer…"
"Uh…" He Xi Meng was speechless. His claim of "not being good at scoring" seemed to be hard to explain now.
After crossing half-court, Garnett ran over to receive the pass, and He Xi Meng passed him the ball.
Garnett didn't hold onto the ball, turning to pass it to Duncan, who had moved to the free-throw line. Duncan originally intended to make a lob pass to O'Neal at the edge of the paint, but the Eastern All-Stars, Mourning and Eddie Jones, were double-teaming O'Neal, one in front and one behind, denying him space to receive the ball. Duncan turned and passed it to Kobe on the weak side!
Kobe drove, drawing Eddie Jones's defense, then lobbed the pass to O'Neal!
O'Neal tried to post up Mourning, but Grant Hill, who was supposed to be guarding Duncan, quickly rotated over, forming another double-team!
Due to insufficient height, the Eastern All-Stars used rapid rotations and help defense to create local numerical advantages, stifling the West's super twin towers of O'Neal and Duncan.
O'Neal didn't force the issue on this play, passing the ball back to Kobe, who was outside the three-point line!
While O'Neal and Kobe were running a small pick-and-roll on the left side of the court, He Xi Meng had already sunk to the right corner on the other side, in a completely open position. But unfortunately, Kobe didn't notice He Xi Meng's cut and instead chose to drive aggressively against Eddie Jones, completing a mid-range pull-up jumper on the left…
The ball bounced off the rim. Fortunately, Duncan, who was in the low post on the right, secured the offensive rebound and immediately passed the ball to the wide-open He Xi Meng, while turning to slow down the recovering Grant Hill!
With no one guarding him, He Xi Meng made a swift move, sinking a three-pointer from the right corner to open the scoring for the Western All-Stars!