Jordan: I thought he was there to help me!

Chapter 526 The Limits of Creativity! A Slam Dunk Hat Trick!

"Here they come! It's Amare and Lin again! They're ready! Fourth time, how are they going to dunk? Look, Lin got a basketball, and he passed it to Amare. Amare also got a basketball, too?"

Barkley excitedly commentated on the dunk, then he was surprised to find that Lin Tian and Stoudemire were each holding a ball!

That wasn't all. After the two of them stood there chatting for a while, each with a ball, Stoudemire asked someone for another ball.

Three balls!

There are three balls on the field at the same time.

"What are they going to do?" Barkley asked, puzzled. "How many times are they going to dunk? What are they planning to do?"

Barkley's question is clearly a question on everyone's mind.

They were incredibly curious! They wanted to know what these two were up to.

These two were clearly trying to create some kind of entertainment effect. After discussing it for a long time and passing the three basketballs back and forth between them several times, Lin Tian finally stood on the left side of the basket with two basketballs, while Xiao Si stood outside the three-point line with one basketball.

After letting out a long sigh, Lin Tian stepped on one ball and held the other basketball in his hand. Then, Xiao Si suddenly started running.

Lin Tian, ​​positioned under the basket, seized the opportunity and suddenly threw the basketball into the air. This time, he threw the ball quite high. Almost simultaneously, he moved and executed a rainbow flick, trapping the ball between his legs and sending it flying towards the basket.

Lin Tian's movement was incredibly fast; the two basketballs flew towards the basket almost simultaneously, but one landed at a higher point than the other, with a noticeable distance between them.

"Thwack!" Just then, Stoudemire flew to the basket, slammed the ball into the hoop with his left hand, and reached out with his right hand to catch the pass that Lin Tian had flicked with his foot. Then, as he finished dunking, his left hand reached out again and, as he began to fall, just happened to touch the ball that Lin Tian had passed to him.

"Slap! Slap!"

Then came two sounds that rang out almost simultaneously.

A dunk hat trick!

Stoudemire jumped and spiked three balls at once!

After the successful shot, Lin Tian and Xiao Si jumped up in excitement, collided heavily in mid-air, and then let out an extremely excited roar at the same time!

This collaboration was so successful on the first try, it's like a dream come true!

During their training, they would only succeed once or twice out of ten attempts at this move.

Even before the dunk contest began, both of them had given up on the move.

The success rate is too low, and the uncertainty is too great.

This play demands an unimaginable level of precision in the timing of the jumps, the moment of catching the ball, and the accuracy of the pass from both players! If any one of these steps is wrong, the entire game is lost!

What's even more difficult is that the first shot of this move is not difficult at all; it's almost 100% guaranteed to go in.

According to the rules of the dunk contest, as long as the ball goes in, it counts; the rules don't care whether the dunk is perfect or not.

This means that if the two players fail to coordinate, the entire ball will count as a point, and they won't even have a chance to try again. Their score will also be very low.

With the championship within reach, and a chance to easily secure it by playing it safe, the two chose to take a gamble and pull off the most difficult move, one that required courage and determination!

So the reason they brought it out at this time is because the two of them had actually been discussing it for a long time under the basket.

Yes, the two of them were just switching the ball back and forth under the basket, seemingly for the sake of the show, but they were actually discussing how to dunk this ball!

Stoudemire's point is that winning the championship would be great, and he wants a sure thing.

Lin Tian said: "We've had such a smooth night, everything went perfectly on the first try, so let's do the hardest one! It'll definitely work, Lady Luck is already in your bed tonight, you can't chase her away."

The two discussed it for a long time, but Lin Tian still couldn't persuade Xiao Si, who longed for a personal honor that truly belonged to him.

Finally, Lin Tian remembered a famous quote from a future NBA legend and immediately told it to Stoudemire.

"Winning an ordinary dunk contest title won't make you memorable. In three years at most, you'll be forgotten. But if you use our 'Three-in-a-Row' technique, regardless of whether you make the dunk, for at least the next 20 years, people will mention you when discussing the dunk contest!"

"A lousy dunk champion is worthless; what superstar relies on that to make a name for themselves?"

"But a runner-up finish might actually help you make a name for yourself in the dunk contest!"

Lin Tian's words immediately moved Xiao Si, who no longer hesitated and nodded, saying: "Let's deduct the hardest one!"

Then?

Then, even when Xiao Si started running and saw Lin Tian begin to throw the ball, he was trembling with fear, feeling that it would be very difficult to complete.

But when he got the basketball in his left and right hands one after the other, he knew that he had succeeded today!

Lin Tian and Stoudemire's celebration didn't last long, because Anthony and the other Knicks players sitting on the sidelines rushed towards them almost simultaneously, surrounding them.

That dunk was truly breathtaking! It was something we'd never seen before!

Next came the various star players and celebrities, who couldn't contain their excitement and rushed over to hug and celebrate with the two men.

"What else can I say?" Barkley spread his hands and said, "I have nothing to say. From the traditional aesthetics of dunks, this play is mediocre or even terrible in terms of power, elegance, extension, and gliding distance."

"But there are two things that are absolutely perfect!"

"Creativity and difficulty! This shot is off the charts in both aspects, even exceeding the limit!"

"I can easily find many dunks that are more visually appealing than this, but I can't find another dunk that is more amazing, more interesting, or more creative!"

"That dunk perfectly embodies the All-Star Game definition! Entertainment! Completely maximizing entertainment value!"

"This might be the direction the All-Star Slam Dunk Contest should take in the future—not focusing on difficulty and spectacle, but on creativity!"

"After all, fans have had enough of all sorts of tomahawk, spin, crossover, and between-the-legs dunks. Only this kind of dunk can truly refresh everyone's sense of style!"

Kenny quickly added, "The judges have given their scores! I think this is the longest-awaited but also the least suspenseful dunk contest scoring in history."

"The reason it's slow is because the referees just rushed out to celebrate with Lin and Amaré, and they're only just returning to the referee's table. But we all know how many points this ball will score."

"Yes, that's right!"

"50 points! No doubt about it! Let's cheer loudly, let's shout out the name of tonight's dunk champion!"

"Amaré Stadamer!"

We won!

Stoudemire excitedly walked to the center of the court, waved to everyone, cheered everywhere, and then accepted the Slam Dunk Contest trophy from the host.

"Amare, say something!"

Taking the microphone from the host, Stoudemire only said one sentence: "Having won this Slam Dunk Contest, I think we all know who I have to thank. Let's shout his name out!"

"Lin! Lin! Lin! Lin! Lin!"

The advantage of playing at home was once again evident. The entire arena erupted in cheers for Lin Tian, ​​and the whole stadium was filled with jubilation as Lin Tian's name was repeatedly shouted.

As for Xiao Si? This guy wasn't annoyed at all. He didn't feel that the spotlight that should have been his was being stolen by Lin Tian. He even rushed to Lin Tian's side, bent down and poked his head out between Lin Tian's legs. Then, with a burst of strength, he lifted Lin Tian up and made him ride on his shoulders.

I had a wonderful time in New York tonight!

And with everyone celebrating wildly, this almost perfect night came to an end.

The lights at Madison Square Garden slowly dimmed, fans left one by one, and the stars made their way to the Hilton Hotel to rest.

The All-Star Game is tomorrow night. After two days of partying, everyone needs to rest tonight to prepare for tomorrow's game.

Of course, most people just say that; after two days of fun, they have already found their temporary partners. At least 90% of them find someone already waiting for them when they enter their rooms.

Whether you go out or not, it's the same.

As for Lin Tian and Xiao Si, the two absolute protagonists of the night, they haven't been able to return to their rooms yet; they are still being blocked downstairs by excited fans and reporters.

Tonight's game was absolutely insane; in some ways, it was even more insane than Lin Tian's epic battle against Carter back in the day.

That night, it was the pinnacle of dunking feats achievable in human imagination! Lin Tian and Carter fulfilled all of people's fantasies about dunking.

Tonight, Lin Tian and Stoudemire performed dunks that defied imagination!

Their innovation and novel way of playing made everyone exclaim in amazement.

One was the limit that was within reason, while the other, although not at the limit, was unexpected with every dunk!

This night's dunk contest will definitely go down in history and will be mentioned countless times in the future.

After winning the Slam Dunk Contest twice and being hailed by countless people as the "NBA Slam Dunk God" and the "NBA's greatest dunker in history," Lin Tian now has a brand new nickname.

The King of Support!

His support for Stoudemire tonight was absolutely superb.

He even stole Stoudemire's spotlight and the camera.

Apart from Lin Tian, ​​there will never be another person in history who can attract so much attention and become the core of the entire event in the dunk contest simply by passing the ball.

unique.

This is truly unparalleled in the world.

After all, you can't find another madman in the NBA with Lin Tian's skills and audacity.

Tonight, Lin Tian and Stoudemire have taken the Slam Dunk Contest to a whole new level!

All night long, countless fans couldn't sleep, searching online for highlights and videos of tonight's game, wanting to relive Lin Tian and Stoudemire's dunks once again.

This one all-nighter lasted all night.

When it was light the next morning, many people suddenly remembered something.

The dunk contest was just an appetizer!

The real All-Star Game starts tonight!

This is truly the annual highlight of the All-Star Game!

The All-Star Game, Madison Square Garden, and three Knicks players were selected for the All-Star Game.

These factors combined naturally make all the fans incredibly excited and happy.

They can't wait to watch tonight's game!

And tonight's game certainly did not disappoint the fans.

Having rested and conserved their energy, and without drinking too much or partying too much the night before, the players showcased their skills and abilities, giving their all to the fans.

Tonight's game was naturally quite exciting, with players from both the East and West giving their all and delivering a series of thrilling performances on the field.

What can I say about tonight's match?

The first quarter was an exhibition game, where everyone slammed their dunks, joked around, and thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of the All-Star game.

The second quarter was considered a preseason game, and both sides maintained a fast pace. They played relatively relaxed, but no longer carelessly. Some players had unknowingly increased the intensity, and the players started to exert themselves.

In the third quarter, especially in the latter part, the intensity increased. The defense, tactics, and reasonable positioning that were almost non-existent in the first half were reduced to the point where even the guards started calling for plays, such as pick-and-rolls and passing and cutting.

There's nothing we can do; the score is just so close, and neither side can pull away.

By the fourth quarter, the intensity, competitiveness, and fighting spirit of both sides had truly ignited. The All-Star Game of this era was no longer some child's play where you could shoot 100 three-pointers and only get 3 free throws in the entire game.

In this era of All-Star games, nobody wants to lose, and nobody wants to lose in such a tense competition environment.

The closer we get to the crucial moment, the more we must give it our all!

With three minutes left in the game, the match had reached a fever pitch. Both teams' players were clearly on edge and ready to fight tooth and nail.

Both coaches were very cooperative at this time. They knew what the fans wanted and how the league wanted them to play.

At this point, neither side fielded their starting lineup, but instead sent out their theoretically strongest ten players!

On the Eastern Conference side, Lin Tian is undoubtedly leading the team, with Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan, and Dwyane Wade by his side!

As for the West, there's OK, the two wolves, plus Marion who can run, defend, and shoot!

With these lineups on both sides, it's clear they're going all out, they're going to fight to the death!

The score is still quite high at this point, 145:149!

The East is currently leading the West by 4 points!

As for the statistics of both sides, Lin Tian is basically in a commanding lead in the East, having scored 31 points and 11 assists tonight. The second highest scorer in the East is Lin Tian's teammate, Stoudemire, who scored 23 points tonight.

Apart from these two, no other player in the entire Eastern Conference has scored more than 20 points!

Furthermore, with Stoudemire off the court right now, according to All-Star tradition, if the Eastern Conference wins tonight, the MVP will almost certainly be awarded to Lin Tian.

As for the Western Conference, it's clear that Kobe and Iverson are locked in a battle right now. Both of them have scored 26 points, tied for the highest in the West. In the next 3 minutes, if the West can take the lead, then whoever performs better will become the MVP!

Everything hinges on the last 3 minutes!

Iverson dribbled the ball and slowly made his way to the frontcourt.

Madison Square Garden was no longer as friendly and relaxed as before. Fans were chanting "Defense!" loudly to cheer on their home team.

Just like the players, the fans don't want to lose either!

Upon arriving at the frontcourt, Iverson immediately called for a screen. After a quick crossover with Garnett at the top of the arc, Iverson quickly stretched his left hand back, and the basketball came to Garnett's hands at the top of the arc.

After all, it was the All-Star Game. No matter how hard the players wanted to win, they lacked chemistry, especially on the defensive end.

For example, this time, Duncan and Lin Tian failed to communicate well and both went for Iverson, resulting in Garnett getting a fairly large open shot.

The Wolf King naturally wouldn't let such an opportunity pass by. With a swift movement, his signature high jump shot hit the bullseye!

2 points!

When it was the East's turn to attack, Lin Tian used almost the exact same method as Iverson to complete the attack.

He called for Duncan to set a screen, and after the two passed each other, Lin Tian made a one-handed behind-the-back pass, shaking off the Western defense and drawing their attention to Duncan next to him.

Then Lin Tian accelerated and rushed towards the basket.

Before O'Neal could help defend, Lin Tian made a deft one-handed layup, the basketball leaping over O'Neal's defense and going straight into the basket!

Still 4 points!

"Kevin, do you think everyone's like you, preferring to shoot high-post jumpers? Or that's all you can do?" After scoring, Lin Tian immediately trash-talked Garnett: "Wasn't your defense too far out?"

"Right now, you're the only woman on the court! So your defense doesn't need to be so far out! We'll keep attacking the paint!"

"But I really can't shoot from the high post, Lin. Even if you had just given me the ball, I still wouldn't have shot." Upon hearing Lin Tian's words, Duncan surprisingly took the initiative to speak to Lin Tian.

"I knew you wouldn't, so I didn't pass the ball to you." Lin Tian glanced at Duncan, then looked at Garnett and said, "But if you had been in the high post just now, I wouldn't have passed the ball to your Kevin either."

"Because you would definitely shoot right away. Any serious team wouldn't let their center go for a high-post jump shot at this point!" (End of Chapter)