Steve Smith, in his first All-Star selection, and Pippen, also an All-Star, followed Roger like two younger brothers.
In the players' tunnel, Roger encountered Kobe, who had just finished warming up.
Kobe was the second-youngest All-Star player in NBA history, the youngest being Roger.
Yeah, because of Roger's presence, many "youngest ever" titles no longer belonged to Kobe.
When they met, all the cameras zoomed in for a close-up, hoping to capture a spark between them.
But Kobe and Roger just bumped fists as they passed by each other and walked away without saying a word.
Kobe didn't want to talk to Roger before the game, because his goal was to beat Roger!
Roger? The less amenable Kobe was, the happier Roger was, because Shaq would suffer.
After changing into his uniform, Eastern Conference All-Stars' coach Bird took the initiative to hug Roger.
"How are you doing, Gaoler?"
