NBA: Yao Ming at his peak returns to his rookie season

O'Neal got hot at the end of the first quarter.

They're dominating the Eastern Conference's interior defense!

The series of powerful dunks eventually forced Ben Wallace to form a zone defense with his teammates.

There's no way to defend against it; it's truly impossible.

Fans thought O'Neal was just strong, but in reality, O'Neal possessed historical-level strength, guard-level speed, footwork, and knee durability all maxed out, making him no less than a forward.

Normal defense is simply no match for this kind of monster.

In the first quarter, the East didn't make any substitutions, and the rim wailed under O'Neal's relentless dunks.

The Western Conference All-Stars led 43-40, a result of focusing solely on offense and neglecting defense, essentially throwing the game.

The two teams then took a short break.

Shaquille O'Neal's dunks are eye-catching, but it's no longer surprising that he shattered two backboards during his rookie season.

Most of the discussion revolved around Yao Ming and Michael Jordan.

Pause back.

The Western Conference team has reinstated Yao Ming, Duncan, Garnett, Marbury, and Nash.

The Eastern Conference features Iverson, McGrady, Jordan, Kidd, and Brad Miller.

The Eastern Conference team was on offense, and Iverson went up against Marbury. These two were old rivals, but Iverson didn't linger and instead passed the ball to Kidd.

Yao Ming made a very perceptive move to cover the defense.

Kidd gritted his teeth in hatred.

Nash's defense left Yao Ming unmarked without any surprises. However, with Yao Ming blocking Kidd, Kidd could only continue to pass the ball to McGrady.

As one of the four great shooting guards, McGrady, who is currently in the spotlight, can easily pull up for a shot.

The basketball went through the net cleanly.

The fans were cheering enthusiastically. McGrady is playing so well now, and Orlando has a huge fan base, but it's still not as big as it was back in the days of Shaq and Hardaway.

Western Round.

Nash cautiously dribbled the ball up the court, and this was the first time he had a real opportunity to get the ball.

Nash had average physical attributes, but his basketball IQ was extremely high.

Once past half-court, as soon as he noticed Kidd making a move forward, he accurately passed the ball to Marbury, who was passing by.

Yao Ming greatly admired Nash's basketball IQ and skills.

It's not because he's a future two-time MVP.

Instead, he played with great intelligence and showed no lack of fighting spirit. After passing the ball to Marbury, Nash immediately ran to the baseline empty-handed.

Besides being an excellent point guard, Nash was also an outstanding three-point shooter.

The Eastern Conference's containment of Marbury was not very strict.

If someone is a good person and knows how to handle interpersonal relationships, they would pass the ball to someone else after Nash gets into position.

But Marbury just brazenly drove into the paint.

Then finish the battle with a right-hand lever pull.

His goals were impressive, but Nash's strenuous runs looked rather silly.

The match continues.

Nash gradually adapted to the All-Star Game, and everyone also noticed that Yao Ming's judgment on screens and help defense for Nash was perfect.

When the two of them played together, Nash's obvious flaws seemed to disappear.

Nash's peak was when Don Nelson used fast breaks to ignore his defensive weaknesses.

This completely unleashed Nash's terrifying offensive firepower and ability to orchestrate the team's offense.

Nash was undoubtedly the MVP during that period, a dominant force, but his dominance depended more on the team, which is also the job of a point guard.

So even though Nash wasn't at his peak at that time, the league still didn't hesitate to give him the MVP award twice!

In 4 minutes, Nash threw up two three-pointers, making both, plus an assist.

Excellent.

The fans in the stands were drawn to Nash because Yao Ming noticed him, and then they were drawn to him because Nash's playing style was so "ordinary".

It looks like something anyone could do.

But right now, he's sprinting across the track.

He was sharing the stage with the NBA's top monsters!

The Western Conference team's lead has been extended to 8 points.

If they hadn't been substituted, their efficiency might have continued to rise with the cooperation of Nash and Yao.

They came up unremarkable, but came down with loud cheers from the fans.

Even Jordan noticed Nash.

After Nash was substituted, Yao Ming was also substituted in the sixth minute, and the arena erupted in the loudest cheers as Yao Ming left the court.

The way Yao Ming protected Nash just now was just like a reliable teammate.

Fans are quite fond of this duo.

This, of course, angered O'Neal. O'Neal, who had just come on after Nash was substituted, was now furious and started bombarding the basket again.

Even Yao Ming admired Shaquille O'Neal for having such a great physique.

He scored a total of 12 points, all of which came from dunks.

With his massive 300-pound frame, how much malice did he have towards the basketball hoop?

After the official timeout, O'Neal scored 2 more points, and the Western Conference team substituted Yao Ming.

Kevin Garnett, who has been stealing the home front all season, is now also trying to play more cautiously. He's aiming for a grand slam this season, with goals including scoring title, All-Star MVP, regular season MVP, All-NBA Team selection, All-Defensive Team selection, and a championship. Garnett is very ambitious!

It was easier for him to steal points when O'Neal was on the court.

Because that fat guy was very simple-minded; he just kept attacking the basket, and as a backup forward, he could easily steal points.

It would be a different story if Yao Ming were brought in.

In his previous life, Garnett scored 37 points and grabbed 4 rebounds, directly causing Michael Jordan's mental breakdown in the second half of the game.

The final score was 20 points.

This time, Yao Ming played very cautiously from the start.

He's not like Shaquille O'Neal.

He steadily performed the duties of a center, positioning himself when needed and grabbing rebounds when necessary. When Marbury missed a shot in the backcourt, Yao Ming grabbed the rebound and passed it back to him.

Garnett felt really uncomfortable; this big guy seemed to be there to bring him down!

Marbury dribbled the ball to the three-point line.

He was considering a breakthrough, but the Eastern Conference team was behind, and Iverson's defense was tighter. Iverson had scored a game-high 27 points.

After a moment's thought, Marbury passed the ball to Garnett.

Garnett got the ball and was a little excited, but was quickly stopped by Jermaine O'Neal who rushed up.

Garnett didn't like defenders like O'Neal, who was heavier and harder to push past. After a brief matchup, Garnett lost control of the ball.

Fortunately, he managed to recover quickly. There wasn't enough time, so Garnett forced a shot – a powerful jump shot!

He managed to throw the ball right at O'Neal.

Right now, Yao Ming and Brad Miller are standing under the basket. That trash is no match for Yao Ming at all, while Garnett is fighting for his own victory!

After taking the shot, Garnett quickly drove to the basket.

The ball missed.

Garnett was getting excited; he dunked the rebound after missing his own shot – this was definitely a highlight performance!

But Yao Ming and Brad Miller jumped at the same time, and Miller raised his hand and flicked the ball away.

Damn it!

Garnett broke through the defense instantly.

The moment the basketball fell, Brad Miller, Yao Ming, and Garnett went for the rebound. Garnett, being a rebounding expert, positioned himself slightly inside the court.

He is very confident in his rebounding skills.

Slam dunk as soon as you get the ball!

However, basketball is full of unexpected events. Garnett had considered all sorts of scenarios, but he didn't expect that O'Neal would lose his footing when he jumped and bump into him.

The bullet speed slowed down by a very, very slight amount.

Garnett watched in despair as Yao Ming, holding the ball, pressed down on Jermaine O'Neal. Yao Ming's hands weren't that big, but he still managed to slam the ball down on the rim!

Garnett: ...