Sometimes, men's friendships are just that simple.
At the Thomas & Mack Center, during a Western All-Stars offensive possession, Zack executed a hand-off with Stoudemire to draw Shaquille O'Neal onto him. The very next moment, Zack immediately executed a second hand-off with Kobe Bryant. This was a meticulously designed small-on-big play. Even though Zack and Kobe hadn't practiced it even once beforehand, they executed the play with incredible chemistry.
High up, facing the "big fat pig" (O'Neal), Kobe started with a jab step, then pulled the ball back with a crossover, shifting O'Neal's weight. At the same time, he accelerated full-speed into the Eastern All-Stars' restricted area. The next second, Kobe, seemingly gliding through the air, threw down a breathtaking soaring dunk, elegantly slamming the ball into the hoop!
On the way back on defense, Kobe didn't even bother to look at O'Neal, heading straight for Zack. Then, big fist to small fist. In that moment, it was hard to believe that Kobe, who still had three scores to settle with Zack, would be so "intimate" with him, just like old friends.
On the return, it was the Eastern All-Stars' offensive possession. Since Mike Brown was the Eastern All-Stars' head coach this year, LeBron James had been controlling the team's offensive flow. O'Neal, who had just been humiliated by the combined efforts of Kobe and Zack, knew Stoudemire wasn't good at defense. Therefore, he really wanted to respond with his signature low-post back-down on this next possession. However, even then, O'Neal still had to ask his Cavaliers teammate, LeBron, for permission to post up down low. LeBron, always a master of emotional intelligence, generously approved O'Neal's offensive request.
But... the moment O'Neal backed Stoudemire down in the low post... without a word, Zack and Kobe rushed to the basket almost simultaneously! It was a double-block, something you'd usually only see in volleyball! Seeing this, O'Neal, feeling utterly stifled, could only weakly lean into Zack and Kobe, earning himself two free throws by drawing a foul with a comically pitiful flop.
"Free throws are fine, he won't make them anyway!" Zack said, looking at Kobe in the Western All-Stars' paint.
Hearing this, Kobe slung an arm around Zack and said, "If he makes both, I'll retire and become a truck driver right away."
Zack nodded, "Count me in, I'll be your co-driver."
Swish! Swish! On the court, O'Neal, in a rare moment, made both free throws, finally feeling vindicated! However, just as O'Neal was about to confront those two scoundrels and tell them to go retire and drive trucks, Kobe and Zack had already vanished.
"What did you say just now?"
"I think I said there's a great steakhouse in Las Vegas."
"Remember to give me the address after the game, I'll go check it out later."
As Zack and Kobe openly and loudly discussed things on the way back on defense, clarifying that "nothing happened," O'Neal's mood could only be described as incredibly aggrieved and indignant. If provoking one Kobe, O'Neal could barely handle it, then simultaneously provoking both Kobe and Zack simply meant O'Neal was out of luck.
The King is Dethroned
It's the Western All-Stars' offensive possession. Zack, moving up high to set a screen for Kobe, quickly rolled down and received a reciprocated pass from Kobe. This was an alley-oop pass that Kobe intentionally delayed by a few tenths of a second. Because he had to wait for O'Neal to rotate on defense, so O'Neal could become the perfect backdrop for Zack's spectacular alley-oop dunk!
On the court, O'Neal, who always knows how to avoid being a backdrop, wisely took a step back the moment Zack leaped. This step... allowed him to perfectly avoid Zack's incredibly magnificent alley-oop dunk that followed. But it was also this step... that left him powerless to resist Zack's premeditated "intentional shove" after Zack landed.
In 1999, during a game against the Knicks, to prove his "dominance," O'Neal, the moment he completed a dunk, simply shoved Chris Dudley, the Knicks player guarding him at the time, to the ground. This infuriated Dudley, who, at the cost of a technical foul, angrily threw the ball at O'Neal, who had "flexed and run away."
"I weigh less than 240 pounds, but he weighs over 350 pounds. Yet, I was still defending seriously, but him? He deliberately pushed down a player who was seriously defending in the game, just to show me, and everyone, his ridiculous dominance."
It was a shame, no matter how Dudley defended himself afterwards, even if he became the Governor of Oregon in the future, being intentionally pushed down by O'Neal meant he was destined to be just a backdrop for O'Neal's dunk. And the funniest part is, every time O'Neal talks about that dunk, he says he intentionally pushed Dudley down because the Knicks didn't respect him enough by not double-teaming him with two or three players. The absurdity of this statement lies in the fact that if O'Neal were double-teamed frequently every night and sent to the free-throw line by fouls, he'd probably be the first one to get annoyed. Because later, when talking about the Finals series where the Rockets, led by Olajuwon, swept them, O'Neal said: "They always double-teamed me in games, and I always had to face him (Olajuwon) alone. If it was one-on-one, absolutely no one could stop me!"
He complains when the opponent doesn't double-team him, saying it's disrespectful, and then complains when the opponent's double-team is too respectful. In this moment, as Zack used his premeditated "intentional shove" to knock O'Neal down, Zack roared at this hypocritical king, who didn't even dare to defend seriously just now and only wanted to escape the fate of being a backdrop: "See that? That's my dominance!"
The next second, the Thomas & Mack Center immediately erupted in thunderous cheers for Zack "dunking over" O'Neal! Kobe also chest-bumped Zack in celebration immediately.
As for O'Neal? He got up, shook his head, forced a wry smile, and signaled to the referee that Zack should get a technical foul. Then, he was subbed out by Mike Brown for Jermaine O'Neal. Back on the bench, in a fit of rage, he punched a chair... That was the extent of the response from the former league's number one center, Shaquille O'Neal, to Zack. In a setting like tonight, would O'Neal, who usually "bullies the weak and fears the strong," dare to truly retaliate? Even if he did, could he beat Zack?
Perhaps Zack's aggressive behavior towards an older player was a bit like Baki Hanma, but why couldn't O'Neal consider why Zack was relentless only with him, an older player? Even if Zack had 1% of the fault, didn't O'Neal have the other 99% of the blame?
All-Star MVP and Beyond
On the court, the brief friendship between Zack and Kobe, forged through O'Neal, ended abruptly. Under the Western All-Stars' relentless offensive onslaught, most of the fourth quarter turned into garbage time. However, the fans tonight were very satisfied with the game. Not only did they see Zack miraculously dish out passes to his teammates like Magic Johnson, but they also witnessed Zack dunking over O'Neal.
It was a magnificent dunk, even if Zack was suspected of intentionally pushing O'Neal down. But just as people didn't care when O'Neal pushed Dudley years ago, tonight, who would care that Zack used certain means to make O'Neal fall backward? People would only remember that the new flag-bearer of the league dunked over the former number one center in Las Vegas.
The final score was 133-161. The Western All-Stars secured a big win in Sin City. Zack was named this year's All-Star Game MVP with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and an incredible 30 assists. It's worth noting that Zack's assist total in this game was even one more than the entire Eastern All-Stars, who were largely playing individually. In the game, LeBron, who played the most minutes for the Eastern All-Stars (32 minutes) and, with coach Mike Brown's unspoken approval, controlled the ball whenever he was on the court, clearly didn't do a great job of gelling the entire Eastern All-Stars team together. However, considering "Young LeBron" still needed time to grow, this was completely understandable.
At the Thomas & Mack Center, the moment Zack walked to center stage, the entire arena chanted "MVP, MVP." It's a shame Las Vegas doesn't have an NBA team; otherwise, Zack would surely fall in love with this "Sin City."
On the sidelines, compared to typical Hollywood stars, Scarlett Johansson easily won the spotlight with her meticulously tailored Warriors #30 jersey, which perfectly showcased her impressive chest and highlighted how flexible her waist was.
"You delivered an incredible 30 assists in the game tonight. Can you share your secret with us?"
"Nothing special to say. I just wanted to share the ball more with my teammates, and they did an excellent job of capitalizing on those opportunities, that's all."
"Will you often play as a point guard in games from now on?"
"I've always believed I can play every position on the court. It just depends on the team's needs, and that determines what position I play in the game."
"This is your second time winning the All-Star MVP in your career. How do you feel about it?"
"I gave my all for the fans who were looking forward to All-Star Weekend. You know, the tickets this year were really expensive, so that made me want to give a performance that would satisfy everyone and give back to the fans who came."
Since the Thomas & Mack Center, belonging to the University of Las Vegas, isn't a huge arena, to maximize profits, this year's All-Star Weekend tickets set a new record for the highest single-game ticket price in professional sports worldwide. Zack had already learned how outrageous the ticket prices were before the game. According to news reports, the first five rows of courtside seats for the All-Star Game cost an astounding $27,500 each. Additionally, tickets for the fifteenth row were as high as $11,000, and even tickets for the top level exceeded $600. And these were just the official prices.
Zack knew that, given his position, he couldn't criticize the high ticket prices for All-Star Weekend, but at this moment, he once again won the favor of the live audience in a very emotionally intelligent way.
"What a lovely group of fans. How great would it be if there was an NBA team here?" Zack thought to himself, basking in the surging cheers from the Thomas & Mack Center.
Trade Deadline Aftermath: The Rise of Baron Davis
All-Star Weekend concluded successfully.
Before the trade deadline, Sam Cassell, who had just signed a two-year extension with the Clippers last summer, felt the Clippers had no hope of making the playoffs and proactively requested a buyout from the Clippers management. Elgin Baylor, the Clippers' general manager, known for his kindness, did not make things difficult for the 37-year-old veteran. Cassell, nicknamed "ET" for his distinctive appearance, believed he still had gas in the tank and didn't want to sink with the Clippers in this year's wild Western Conference.
After being bought out by the Clippers, several teams from both the East and West extended offers to Cassell. Naturally, this included the Warriors, who were still patiently awaiting Baron Davis's return from injury. Unfortunately, Cassell didn't favor the Warriors; he preferred to go to Seattle and join Yao Ming, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen.
"What a regrettable decision," Zack remarked when he learned of Cassell's choice.
Mullin chuckled wryly, "It is a shame. Sam is a veteran with a lot left. This season, he's still averaging 12 points and 5 assists. If he had joined us, our backcourt would have been greatly strengthened."
Hearing this, Zack shook his head, "I'm not regretting it for us, I'm feeling sad for Sam Cassell. After so many years in the league, doesn't he know that choice always outweighs effort?"
Mullin: "..."
As a player with two championship rings, Cassell's ultimate decision to join the Sonics was actually related to his reluctance to be labeled as a "championship moocher." Cassell already had rings. He didn't need a dispensable championship ring to boost his ethereal historical standing. Because in the long history of the NBA, he wasn't considered a historically great superstar. So, compared to the Warriors, where he'd likely have to compete for playing time with Jarrett Jack once Baron Davis returned... Cassell naturally preferred to go to the Sonics, who could offer him a starting spot immediately and even help Gary Payton win a championship.
Gary Payton was one of the most outstanding point guards of the 1990s NBA. Cassell was about the same age as him; they were stars from the same era. In Cassell's eyes, if he could lead Payton to a championship as the Sonics' starting point guard... even if Payton's historical status was far above his own, Payton would still have to respectfully call him "Big Brother Sam" in the future. Without a doubt, this is what Cassell wanted. You know, in the NBA, not everyone gets the chance to make "The Glove" Payton bow down.
At this moment, Zack was clearly still young; how could he know these older veterans could have so many "dirty" thoughts? Choice certainly outweighs effort. But if a little effort could make Payton call him "Big Brother Sam," then did the choice even matter?
Mavericks' Big Move and the Return of the Warriors' Engine
Additionally, a big trade happened before the trade deadline. The Dallas Mavericks traded Devin Harris and DeSagana Diop as the core of the deal, along with salary fillers including Keith Van Horn (who had retired), plus two future draft picks and some cash, to acquire Jason Kidd, Malik Allen, and Antoine Wright from the New Jersey Nets.
Compared to the historical Mavericks team that achieved a 67-win regular season in the 2006-07 season, affected by the increasingly harsh overall environment in the Western Conference this year, and being massacred by 58 points by the Warriors in the regular season opener... this season, the Mavericks, who had been struggling to catch up with the Suns and Warriors in the standings, could only reinforce their current roster by trading "small change for big money."
However, compared to this trade, which happened half a year earlier than Zack remembered, the most absurd part was the Mavericks including the retired Van Horn in the deal. Since Van Horn's contract was non-guaranteed and could be used to match salaries, both in his previous life and this one, the Nets accepted the Mavericks' decision to include Van Horn in the trade without hesitation. In Zack's previous life, after acquiring Van Horn, the Nets were even unwilling to cut the already retired Van Horn, hoping to use his "quality contract" for more manipulative moves. For this reason, Van Horn, who had clearly retired and become a free agent, even had to fly to New Jersey for certain games to prove he was still part of the Nets. Finally, it wasn't until the league intervened and prohibited this "bug exploitation" that the Nets reluctantly waived Van Horn. It has to be said that before the second lockout, the NBA indeed had many loopholes in its regulations.
The Warriors, who failed to sign Cassell and had a quiet trade deadline, saw the return of Davis and Brown in late February. While recovering from his injury, Davis didn't sit idle. While actively cooperating with his treatment, he also successfully shed several kilograms of excess weight. In his first game back, Davis scored 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists for the Warriors in just 22 minutes, shooting 7-for-12. From Davis's incredibly fierce state, Zack actually felt that the two months he was out with injury had given him ample rest and adjustment.
Moreover, Davis's excellent return game gradually awakened Zack's supposedly dead memories. If Zack remembered correctly, in the historical 2006-07 season, the closer it got to the playoffs, the better Baron Davis's state would become. This would be the peak of "The Original Beard's" entire career. During that legendary era of the "We Believe" Warriors, he would average over 25 points in the playoffs for the Warriors with an overall shooting percentage exceeding 50% and a true shooting percentage exceeding 60%.
In this life, despite already having a ring, Davis, not content with just one, already showed signs of activating his "God Mode" switch. And this "God Mode"... Davis would maintain it with an incredible intensity. On the 28th, on a night when even with Brown's return, Zack couldn't remember who Brown was, and only wanted to watch Davis's comeback performance... Zack couldn't help but feel the famous quote from Arsenal's legendary coach, Arsene Wenger:
"The strongest person is already in the squad."
This is absolutely no joke. Because right now, with Baron Davis's tank fully refueled during his recovery, this "violent motorcycle" in the Warriors' lineup will undoubtedly help raise the Warriors' overall combat power by another level! The next version of Davis will be a true super guard!
As March began, Chris Paul, who had dared to talk smack to Zack after a game not long ago, was already destined to be the first victim of Baron Davis's slaughtering knife.
At the Oracle Arena in Oakland, the Warriors welcomed the visiting Jazz in their first home game of March. Live at the arena, amidst the gradually peaking "golden wave," Davis, who repeatedly put on dunking displays during the pre-game warm-ups, had already proven with his excellent physical condition just what kind of excited mode he was in.
As Davis's teammate, Zack knew very well that Davis in this state was absolutely not something Paul's current small frame could contend with.
"It's high noon, my dear Chris Paul."
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