The 1997-98 season was destined to become a historical dividing line.
For the past three years, people had actually regarded Michael Jordan as the king of the league, with Roger fighting in the role of the challenger.
And now, the crown had been placed on Roger's head.
Who could be the next one to snatch away the crown?
The media couldn't predict who would be the next to snatch away the crown, but most of them believed that the next season would likely be the year of the West.
With Jordan's retirement and the Magic's disbandment, the Eastern teams' domination over the league began to waver.
The Seattle SuperSonics, the Utah Jazz, the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs...
The Western teams seemed to have a more championship-like presence.
They either maintained their luxurious lineups without change, or new forces were emerging.
John Anderson of "SportsCenter" wasn't wrong when he said that the summer of '97 changed the league's landscape even more than '96.