The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 1421 - 42: The Power of Truth

Before the game started, Cleveland invited Canadian pop singer Amanda Marshall to perform a song.

Then, famous American soul singer Brian McKnight and saxophonist David Samberg performed the American national anthem together.

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is certainly the most covered and adapted song on this planet, with a new version offered at every NBA game.

The star player introductions featured some new elements, with two gigantic hollow white stars placed over the player tunnels, through which the coaches and players would walk out.

The visiting Western All-Star Team appeared first, led by head coach Tomjanovich, and the last to appear was this year’s top vote-getter, Gan Guoyang—his votes surpassed Michael Jordan’s, showcasing his unparalleled popularity.

After a two-year hiatus, Gan Guoyang returned to the All-Star stage, receiving warm applause and cheers from the Cleveland fans.

Off the court, David Stern also applauded him, wearing a satisfied smile on his face, thinking how wonderful it was for Ah Gan to return for the 50th anniversary celebration in 1997; it would have felt lacking otherwise.

The home-team Eastern All-Star team entered next, with the head coach being neither Phil Jackson nor Pat Riley, but the head coach of the Pistons, Doug Collins.

This year, although the Bulls remained invincible in the Eastern Conference, Jackson was no longer interested in leading the All-Stars. After some discussion, the League was impressed by the Pistons’ progress and the Pistons’ Grant Hill, a burgeoning star, so they gave Collins the spotlight to provide Hill with more opportunities.

In this year’s All-Star voting, Hill ranked third in total votes, only behind Gan Guoyang and Michael Jordan, slightly ahead of Charles Barkley.

This clearly shows how popular this forward from Duke University is among fans today. His rapid breakthroughs and incredible speed, along with his stylish playing, are beloved by young fans.

Many people think Grant Hill plays like a young Michael Jordan. Given time, perhaps he could become a player like Jordan who dominates the backcourt of the league.

Of course, Gan Guoyang knows in his heart that there will never be another Jordan, another Bird, another Magic, or another Ah Gan in the League.

All superstars are unique. When these current stars leave the NBA, new superstars will dominate the court, and each of them will be the first of their kind.

It’s just that in 1997, the entire NBA was enjoying the expansion dividends brought by superstars, and in an uncertain future, everyone was keen on replicating successful paths.

For example, Grant Hill is seen as the second Jordan, and his Duke classmate Chris Laettner is hailed as the second Ah Gan.

Laettner was selected as an Eastern substitute forward for the All-Star, and compared to his dynamic college days, Laettner now showed much more of a sense of having weathered the years.

Now he plays for the Hawks, partnering with Mutombo, leading the Hawks to rank among the top three in the Eastern Conference, which has regained him the favor of the fans.

In the early 1990s, Laettner, Hill, and Baol, along with Chris Webber leading the Michigan Five, were equally popular nationwide, with NCAA attention rivaling that of the NBA.

If not, Laettner wouldn’t have been selected for the 1992 Olympic "Dream Team" when his fame was exceptionally high, enjoying wide national popularity.

However, when he entered the NBA, people realized that while Laettner is an excellent player, the gap between him and his template, Ah Gan, was indeed too wide.

In fact, in terms of personality, fighting spirit, willpower, and leadership, Laettner is at a superstar level. At Duke, he outshone Hill and was undoubtedly a leader-level player.

But the harsh reality of the NBA is that physical attributes and natural talents are often decisive, and without a physical foundation, other skills can only be the icing on the cake.

So O’Neal was the indisputable top pick in 1992, and when the Timberwolves acquired the high schooler Kevin Garnett, they immediately promoted Garnett and traded away Laettner.

Given Laettner’s talents, if he had been born 20 years earlier when the dominance of white players in the post hadn’t been challenged, he could have been like Dave Cowens, reigning over a region.

If he had been born 20 years later, when the league’s giant beasts had gone extinct, he could have fully unleashed his flexible and multifaceted talents.

But as fate would have it, he entered the NBA in the 1990s, an era with the highest demands for static talents, where under Ah Gan’s influence, numerous inside players rose to power.

For a player like Laettner with just average size, relying on character and technique to rule in the NCAA, making it to the NBA All-Star even once is quite an achievement.

When Laettner was introduced, he received applause and cheers from the fans, but it paled in comparison to Ah Gan and Jordan.

For him, the frenzy of his college days would never return.

The opening ceremony concluded, and the starters for both teams took to the court.

Western Conference: Center Gan Guoyang, forwards Karl Malone and Kevin Garnett, guards Stockton and Gary Payton.

Eastern Conference: Center Hakeem Olajuwon, forwards Scottie Pippen and Grant Hill, guards Michael Jordan and Penny Hardaway.

One major regret of this All-Star Game is the number of star players who are absent due to injuries.

Stars like Charles Barkley, Drexler, David Robinson, Ewing, O’Neal, and Mourning, all of whom are very popular among fans, could not participate due to injuries.