In the late 90s, NBA jersey aesthetics indeed reached a peak. Whether it was the use of colors or logo designs, they were elegant, appealing, and eye-catching.
Teams boldly adopted cartoon designs, gradient colors, stripes, and high-saturation color blocks, making this batch of jerseys a classic in the hearts of fans.
This year’s rookie game coaches are very interesting. To match the atmosphere of the 50th-anniversary celebration, the league invited two renowned old coaches for the rookie teams — two redheaded coaches, Redhead The Godfather Auerbach from the Celtics, and Redhead Holzman, former championship coach of the Knicks.
This put a lot of pressure on the young players of the Eastern and Western rookie teams, as these two old coaches were more experienced and prestigious than their own team coaches.
However, the two old coaches appeared quite calm. When the on-site DJ introduced the players, Redhead Auerbach took out his reading glasses from his pocket, squinting at the court like an old man reading a newspaper.
Holzman, on the other hand, looked calm, and although he was already white-haired, he was full of energy, easily commanding these young players.
The rookie game’s rules differ from regular NBA games, resembling NCAA rules, with two halves of 15 minutes each, and no foul limits, meaning no one gets fouled out.
If the game ends in a tie, it goes into overtime.
The overtime rule is that whoever gains a three-point lead first wins.
Unlike other nervous rookies, Kobe was very excited, knowing this was his chance to shine.
Representing the West Team, he finally had the opportunity to freely showcase himself in a game without systems, veterans, and coaches suppressing him.
As for who Redhead was? Who cares, no one could stop me from scoring!
So, Kobe scored 31 points, the highest in the game.
However, the West Team still lost the game 91:103, with MVP going to Allen Iverson, who scored 19 points, seizing the opportunity before Kobe.
Iverson not only claimed the Most Valuable Player award, but he also sported the iconic cornrow hairstyle, which, like Gan Guoyang’s gum-chewing and Jordan’s undershorts, became a new NBA fashion trend.
All this made Kobe a bit frustrated, as he not only lacked in honors but also in fashion.
While Iverson had cornrows, Kobe’s afro was already an outdated 70s hairstyle.
In the dunk contest held an hour later, Kobe showcased his skills, defeating opponents like Fenli to win his first NBA honor: the Dunk Contest Champion.
The result was good, but the process wasn’t exactly smooth.
Since the league planned for this to be the last dunk contest, they invited heavyweight judges.
Legendary figures like Julius Erving, George Gervin, and Walt Frazier were on the judging panel.
After losing the rookie challenge, Kobe was eager to perform and almost didn’t make it past the first round, but luckily, he adjusted and narrowly advanced.
In the finals, he started from the left side of the basket, switched hands between the legs, and then dunked powerfully, igniting the entire arena.
With this stunning dunk, Kobe claimed the championship, running to the center and flaunting his not-so-bulging muscles to the audience.
At this moment, Kobe tasted the sweetness of victory, honor, and applause as his parents and Ah Gan on the stands clapped for him.
For Kobe, who had been suppressed for half a season, mostly sitting on the bench with mediocre performances, this dunk contest championship was as valuable as a home win against the Bulls, fueling him with confidence.
In the meanwhile, in the three-point contest, Bulls guard Steve Kerr won with an excellent 22-point performance, concluding the first day’s showcase of the All-Star weekend.
On February 10th, the All-Star Game’s main event took place at 7 PM, with stars from both conferences gathering at the Gund Arena to celebrate the League’s 50th anniversary.
Before the game, Gan Guoyang received a red leather jacket from the league, prepared for the players to be "crowned" during the halftime 50 greatest players ceremony.
David Stern personally delivered the jacket.
Gan Guoyang shook his head and said, "Damn, why do we have to wear leather jackets? Can’t we wear suits and tuxedos? And why am I the same red as Michael? I should have my own special gold!"
The League didn’t plan to be special, treating everyone equally. Of course, they wouldn’t make a special gold leather jacket just for Gan Guoyang, even Magic Johnson only got a purple one instead of gold.
Stern reassured Gan Guoyang, "Tonight we’ll have you come on stage last to enjoy the most cheers, how about that?"
"Forget it, David, I’m just kidding. These formalities don’t matter to me, just don’t suppress the Portland Trail Blazers in the future, let us play normally."
"Sonny, how could I suppress you? I’ve always supported you and hoped to cooperate with you to ensure NBA’s stability and prosperity."
Gan Guoyang pondered for a moment and shook hands with Stern, who then smiled, saying, "Thank you for cooperating, Sonny."