All-Star 2004: Shaq or Kobe, who takes the game in L.A.?

LOS ANGELES -- The NBA All-Star Game in past years has revolved in some way around Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O'Neal.\nIn Atlanta last February, Bryant's foul shots forced overtime and prevented a storybook ending for Michael Jordan.\nIn Philadelphia two years ago, Bryant was booed unmercifully in his hometown.\nIn 1996, fans in San Antonio booed Jordan's MVP selection as a tribute to O'Neal. In 1998, Bryant waved off a pick from Karl Malone at Madison Square Garden, prompting a tirade on generational respect from the Mailman.\nThe two superstars will play on their home turf in Sunday night's game, and chances are, one of them will seize the spotlight again.\n"If I'm feeling it, I'm going to try to take it," O'Neal said. "But if I'm not feeling it, I'm not going to try to force the issue."\nThe league's showcase event has gone Hollywood this year, with the Staples Center -- home of the Lakers and Clippers -- playing host to the event. Jack Nicholson, Magic Johnson and Dyan Cannon will be courtside, the lower bowl will be liberally sprinkled with Academy Award winners, Grammy nominees, hip-hop impresarios and other varieties of the beautiful people that make this city a perfect place for such a spectacle.\nAside from O'Neal and Bryant, there are other All-Stars in this year's game with ties to Los Angeles -- Paul Pierce grew up there, and Baron Davis was a star at UCLA.\nBut will anybody care about those story lines when the ball goes up for the opening tip-off at 5:52 p.m. Sunday? Or will all eyes turn to the two Lakers whose uneasy relationship has lent a plot-twisting undertone to the team's continually-evolving story.\nO'Neal remains an icon in Los Angeles, a larger-than-life figure beloved for bringing three championships in the past four years.\nBryant's stature is not what it once was, the rape allegation against him in Colorado tarnishing the image of a player once thought to be the perfect face of the NBA for its transition into the post-Jordan era.\n"I don't know if he (Bryant) is into it as much as he would have been," said Elton Brand of the Clippers. "I think Shaq, especially because he's been pretty vocal, he's been upset at the refs, he'll want to shine. And it's in his city."\nO'Neal will come off the bench for the second straight year behind Yao Ming of Houston, who outpolled him in fan balloting.