As night fell, the Staples Center was brilliantly lit. The 2001-2002 season playoffs, Western Conference first round, the game between the first and the eighth seed was about to begin.
Earlier, the Eastern Conference’s first game concluded with the Boston Celtics easily defeating the Miami Heat on their home court, claiming the first victory.
In another less noticeable game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Detroit Pistons, the Hornets won by a single point at home, securing the victory.
The reason it was less noticeable was that only over 9,500 spectators attended in Charlotte, with more than half the arena left empty.
This was the playoffs.
The wealth gap among the 30 teams was quite evident.
Everyone’s attention was focused on the popular teams, while the smaller, underdog teams were ignored.
Not only was there no subscription for paid TV broadcasts, but even local fans were unwilling to watch the games live.
The Hornets weren’t always like this. Their Charlotte arena can accommodate over 24,000 fans.
In the early years after the team’s establishment, the enthusiasm of Charlotte fans was extremely high, and tickets were sold out for 371 consecutive games.
This was a staggering sales number, with over 24,000 fans roaring in the arena each game, hence the Charlotte stadium was called "The Hive."
Back then, the Hornets had powerful interiors with Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson, and the outside had Mighty Mouse Bogues. The Hornets were a unique team, not with championship strength, but full of character and fighting spirit, worthy of fan support.
But later, the team made one blunder after another, dismantling Mourning and Johnson, and repeatedly made decisions that antagonized the fans, leading to a significant drop in attendance.
By this season, "The Hive" went from being a tough ticket to fill to having only half attendance during the playoffs.
The team actually had stars, with Baron Davis and David West, capable of reaching the playoffs, but the fans were heartbroken.
Contrary to Charlotte, the Los Angeles market was booming, and the Staples Center tickets were sold out early.
No matter their private relationships, the Shaquille O’Neal + Tracy McGrady + Pippen combination doesn’t need to worry about selling tickets.
Besides, facing Las Vegas Radiance in the first round, against Ah Gan, the Los Angeles fans have longed for revenge.
Fans in the 2000s are crazier than those in the 80s and 90s, and they disregard Ah Gan.
What ten-time champion? That’s all history; Los Angeles is the new king of the league, Shaquille O’Neal is the number one center!
O’Neal showcased his powerful dominance during the regular season, averaging 28 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 2.5 blocks, with a shooting percentage of 59%, participating in 76 regular-season games, and had loud calls for consecutive MVPs.
If it weren’t for Duncan leading a team with a better regular-season record, and O’Neal having won the MVP last season, along with the media considering balance, this MVP would surely go to O’Neal.
Gan Guoyang respected O’Neal’s strength and performance. This guy was no longer a young shark, but a mature big black shark.
He hoped to play as the starting center and confront O’Neal directly, but Coach Tomjanovich vetoed it, insisting that Gan Guoyang play power forward or small forward.
"Our goal is victory. You’re not the same as before; you need to contribute in other areas and can’t expend too much on defense."
Tomjanovich stayed firm in his decision, so Gan Guoyang had to agree, but he requested to jump for the opening tip to intimidate O’Neal a bit.
Old Tang agreed.
At 7:30 pm, after both teams finished warming up, the game was about to start.
The Lakers fans on the sidelines waved various slogan signs, with many comics of Gan Guoyang drawn on them.
Some mocked Gan Guoyang to go home and take care of his kids, some said this was no longer his era, and he should stop clinging to it.
Some drew O’Neal stepping on Gan Guoyang. In short, Lakers fans loved stirring things up.
When Gan Guoyang first returned, everyone cheered. But as the regular season ended and the playoffs began, everyone feared his return.
This is the complex emotion the basketball court holds for a once terrifying ruler.
O’Neal felt the same way. When he stood in the center circle after the opening ceremony and saw Ah Gan opposite him, his heart skipped a beat.
In previous games between the Lakers and Radiance, Gan Guoyang played at the three or four positions, only occasionally matching up against O’Neal.
In the playoffs, is he going to confront me?
O’Neal had a grim expression, with a sense of facing death without fear.
Tonight’s referees are Joe Derosa, Bernie Fleer, and Eddie Rush, all of whom started officiating from the 1989-1990 season, considered mid-generation referees.
To them, Gan Guoyang was an ancient figure; back then, Earl-Strom was still working, going through Gan’s series of brutal fights from 1984-1989.
The three of them were just getting started back then, and weren’t qualified to officiate the playoffs.
The pre-game atmosphere was quite tense. Gan Guoyang casually said, "Relax, guys, it’s just a game, want to grab a beer afterward?"
Everyone just smiled without saying a word, not knowing how to respond; it seemed better to stay silent.
The game quickly started, with Gan Guoyang winning the tip-off, still showing his explosiveness.
The bigger reason was that O’Neal was a beat slow in reaction; a psychological shadow over ten years isn’t easy to shake off.
For O’Neal in this first round of the Western Conference playoffs, he hoped to break through his fear and reach the ultimate pinnacle.