Stern hoped the NBA could settle into a stable, prosperous state. He knew Ah Gan had that kind of pull, so before the All-Star Game he ran over to Las Vegas again, using "watching the game" as an excuse to sit down with Ah Gan.
The date was February 10th, one week before the All-Star Game tipped off.
A week earlier, in the NFL, the Indiana Colts had beaten the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl and won the second Super Bowl title in franchise history.
On the same day, Democratic Party senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, announced his candidacy for the 2008 America presidential election. If elected, he would become America's first Black president.
That night, the Las Vegas Radiance were hosting the defending champion Miami Heat.
The Shaquille O'Neal + Flash Wade combo, after winning the 2006 title, were visibly worn out.
This season, their record had been stuck in the bottom half of the standings, and the veterans were all in poor form.
