The 2001-2002 season Christmas game schedule featured Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks, and Philadelphia 76ers visiting Los Angeles Lakers.
These were the two matchups the league carefully selected for their high entertainment value.
With Vince Carter, the Toronto Raptors were extremely popular, and their tickets sold very well. People idolized Carter's dunks like they once did Michael Jordan.
For young fans, championships weren't as important; playing beautifully and stylishly was a priority.
As for the New York Knicks, after reaching the finals in 1999, they fell into crisis.
Kemp was out of shape, and Mourning's kidney disease put his career in jeopardy, causing the Knicks to lose their competitive edge in the Eastern Conference, unable to challenge the Boston Celtics.
Jeff Van Gundy resigned as head coach after coaching 20 games this season. Despite decent results under him, Van Gundy was mentally and physically exhausted.
He lost his college roommate in the 9/11 attacks, and the increasing chaos within the team made Van Gundy realize it was becoming a quagmire.
Wisely, he used family as an excuse to leave early, resigning to rest and find his next job.
Don Chaney became the Knicks' head coach, a scapegoat. The Knicks' decline had begun.
Yet, they remained one of the most profitable teams in the league, with the highest box office, making them the top choice for Christmas games.
This season, the Knicks maintained some competitiveness. The combination of Spree and Alan Houston on the perimeter was at its peak. Ignoring Spree's quirky personality, his skills were still strong.
In this game, Spree kept Vince Carter in check, holding Carter to 15 points when fans expected a dunk show, 40% below his season average.
In the end, the Knicks defeated the Toronto Raptors, securing a Christmas game victory.
After the game, Spree shook hands with former coach and current NBC commentator PJ Carlesimo on the sidelines, wishing him a Merry Christmas.
Indeed, time can smooth over everything.
The other matchup was between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers, last year's finals opponents. Now, the league's Christmas game abandoned the proximity principle; players earn so much, traveling for Christmas work is normal.
Originally expected to miss the game, Shaquille O'Neal announced he would play just before it started, which was a surprise.
Due to toe injuries, O'Neal had been in and out since November and December.
During the preseason, he skipped the game against Glory, facing criticism for supposedly fearing Ah Gan.
In the opening game, Ah Gan scored 50 points plus a game-winning three-pointer, putting O'Neal in a storm of criticism, with claims that he could never lead his team to defeat Ah Gan.
"Aside from anything else, his tendency to skip regular-season games for injuries, never playing 70 games a season, makes him far less than Ah Gan."
The Los Angeles media's criticism was quite harsh. Since joining the Lakers, except for the 1999-2000 season, O'Neal had never played 70 regular-season games, resting in several games each season.
While the management and coaching staff permitted O'Neal's load management due to his size, playing full regular seasons would physically strain him, affecting his playoff performance, which was most important.
After all, there's only one Ah Gan, capable of enduring to such an extent.
But this season Ah Gan's return, preseason avoidance, opening game loss, public criticism, all greatly wounded O'Neal's pride. He resolved to complete a 70-game regular season and win another championship to prove himself.
Moreover, within the team, O'Neal wanted to establish his absolute core status. Previously, he had pushed out Jide and, after winning a championship, solidified his position, becoming a basketball hero in Los Angeles.
However, in terms of popularity, Los Angeles fans seemed to appreciate and favor McGrady, whose charismatic and stylish play, with smooth jump shots, catered to young fans.
Though O'Neal was formidable, he was essentially a large, rugged inside player, more to watch than to emulate.
In jersey and shoe sales, post-championship, O'Neal lagged far behind the No. 1 McGrady.
Plus, McGrady was a Lakers draft pick, while O'Neal joined as a free agent, so management and ownership preferred McGrady.
O'Neal wanted to push out McGrady as he did Jide; without a championship, it was possible, but now with one, it seemed impossible.
After the opening loss, in the rematch against Glory, McGrady returned, and the Lakers avenged the loss, making people believe McGrady was key to defeating Ah Gan — scoring 31 points, while O'Neal scored only 21.
Furthermore, Phil Jackson subtly instigated locker room balance games, fanning tensions between the two, trying to keep O'Neal hungry and angry for victory, so O'Neal's fighting spirit this season was notable.
Not wanting to miss the highly anticipated Christmas game, after just recovering from his toe injury, he returned to the team from the injury list.