The Defensive Player of the Year award went to Ben Wallace of the Pistons, with Ariza and Tony Allen receiving nominations but ultimately losing out.
The Celtics accepted this award loss gracefully. It wasn't that Ariza and Tony Allen were weak; peak Ben Wallace was simply a dominant defensive force.
This season's Rookie of the Year was awarded to Paul of the Pelicans. This was a well-deserved honor for Paul.
Following the individual awards came the statistical champions.
Kobe, with an average of 35.4 points per game, surpassed Iverson's 33 points per game to become the season's scoring champion.
Yao Ming, with an average of 12.9 rebounds per game, edged out Garnett's 12.7 rebounds per game to become the season's rebounding champion.
He Xi Meng, with an average of 12 assists per game, defeated Nash's 10.5 assists per game to become the season's assist champion.
Marcus Camby, with an average of 3.3 blocks per game, surpassed Kirilenko's 3.2 blocks per game to become the season's block champion.
Gerald Wallace, with an average of 2.5 steals per game, beat Blayney's 2.3 steals per game to become the season's steal champion.
After individual honors came the team accolades.
This season's All-NBA First Team: Yao Ming, James, Carter, Kobe, He Xi Meng.
All-NBA Second Team: O'Neal, Nowitzki, Duncan, Wade, Nash.
All-NBA Third Team: Ben Wallace, Elton Brand, Marion, Arenas, Iverson.
All three core players of the Celtics were selected for the First Team, marking a period of unprecedented glory.
All-Defensive First Team: Artest, Bowen, Kirilenko, Ben Wallace, Kobe, Kidd.
All-Defensive Second Team: Billups, Camby, Duncan, Garnett, Prince.
Ariza and Tony Allen were actually eligible for the All-Defensive Second Team, but given that three Celtics players made the First Team, other teams lodged a united protest. To maintain balance, the league directly excluded both of them.
Ultimately, the Celtics had no representatives in the All-Defensive Teams, but this did not mean their defense was inferior to the rest of the league.
Anyone who dared to underestimate the defensive intensity of the Celtics… well, they were on their own!
With the regular season concluded, the playoffs officially descended into a battleground.
The Celtics' next opponent in the second round was LeBron James's Cavaliers!
The young King at this time had just started growing a mustache, a move intended to make him appear more mature.
People are like that. When young, they pretend to be mature; when old, they start pretending to be young.
But no matter how James pretended, in front of He Xi Meng, he was still a generation behind.
After all, when James entered the league in 2003, He Xi Meng had already won his fourth championship trophy and had claimed every individual award in his career.
For James to surpass Jordan, he first had to get past He Xi Meng.
"Hey, Simon, it's great to see you on the semifinals stage!"
James greeted He Xi Meng with enthusiasm, offering a handshake, a chest bump, and a hug.
James was often arrogant towards ordinary players, but towards He Xi Meng, he displayed a rare humility, effectively masking any inner pride.
He Xi Meng was well aware that James was no ordinary talent. In the not-too-distant future, James would become a pivotal figure in the league. And in the era after He Xi Meng, Kobe, and Duncan, James would dominate the league, becoming its new leader.
However, the current James, much like the beard on his chin, still needed time to grow.
"You played exceptionally well in the last round! But against the Wizards, you should have won more comfortably!"
"Oh? Do you have any suggestions?"
Seeing James's earnest desire for advice, He Xi Meng shook his head and pointedly advised, "Stifle Gilbert! You let him score too many points."
James bared his teeth, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, and said, "We have tried that approach… But if Gilbert were that easy to defend, we wouldn't have struggled so much…"
Arenas was at the peak of his powers this season, and He Xi Meng knew the danger of "The General." When he got hot, he was a player who could score with lethal efficiency. However, He Xi Meng intended to "tease" James a little, just for the fun of making some casual remarks.
James, being sharp, understood that He Xi Meng was speaking in jest. With Arenas's current scoring ability, he couldn't simply be shut down on command.
But out of respect for He Xi Meng's current standing in the league, James played along, treating it as a friendly banter with an elder statesman.
"Vince just won the regular season MVP trophy; his morale is sky-high. You guys need to be careful!"
James responded to He Xi Meng's "kind" reminder with a dry chuckle, then countered, "If we stop Vince, will we win?"
He Xi Meng feigned deep thought, then shook his head and said sincerely, "It's hard to say! Firstly, you might not be able to stop Vince. Secondly, we have more than just Vince as a scoring threat. Although Vince is our team's strongest scorer, he's not the only one."
"Is Vince truly your team's strongest scorer?" James pressed further.
He Xi Meng retorted, "Isn't he?"
This time, it was James's turn to feign deep thought, then he frowned and shook his head, saying, "I don't think so!"
"Then who do you think it is?"
"He's right here, in front of you!"
"Me? I can't! I'm just a point guard…"
"Who would believe that? I, for one, won't believe it!" James stated firmly.
"These young people today…" He Xi Meng sighed, leaving the rest of his thought unspoken, as it was only meant for his own mind: They're getting harder and harder to fool!
After concluding his conversation with James, He Xi Meng slowly returned to his own half of the court, warming up with his teammates and practicing shots, preparing for the upcoming game.
Before taking the court, James performed his signature ritual of throwing up a handful of powder.
This was a small habit James had maintained since high school, supposedly bringing him good luck.
But this was the North Shore Garden Arena, and the Celtics fans offered James no encouraging reaction.
This made James's powder-throwing gesture lack the aura of a king, instead appearing somewhat like an overenthusiastic teenager.