Chapter 119: Chapter 118: Can’t Coexist, He’s the Only One!
When Zack finished his performance, LeBron James, who was sitting in the most prominent spot at the Thomas & Mack Center chatting with Howard, suddenly felt a ringing in his ears.
The increasingly frenzied crowd...
It clearly showed just what kind of dunk his good brother had just pulled off.
LeBron knew very well the significance of that dunk for both the Slam Dunk Contest and the basketball world.
Because seven years prior, on that night Vince Carter exploded in Oakland, he practically became the NBA’s most popular star overnight.
If Zack was already unstoppable before that dunk, then after it...
His brilliance was destined to overshadow all the other superstar players of his era.
Before the contest, LeBron had indeed thought Zack would win the dunk contest with an overwhelming advantage.
But he’d also prepared four different types of tomahawk dunks, ready to play the role of the king Rich Paul had described to him—one who dared to draw his sword against the devil Satan in desperate times.
LeBron hoped this "great competition" in the Slam Dunk Contest would show his supporters and sponsors his determination.
He wasn’t incapable of defeating Zack.
He just needed more time to grow before he could embark on the "23 VS 30" matchup that Nike was so eager for with the already-peaked Zack.
Even if he might face a loss in the dunk contest, so what?
As long as he could achieve greater success than Zack on the court in the future...
Then this "great defeat," which was destined to be remembered by future generations, would only show the world how difficult his journey had been, how much effort he’d put in to achieve success, and what kind of resistance he’d mounted to defeat that "Great Demon King."
LeBron needed to show his supporters his resolve.
And even more, he needed to show his sponsors his courage.
Because with Zack’s rise exceeding everyone’s imagination...
LeBron was no longer the superstar who, before even entering the league, stood at the center of the basketball world.
In Zack’s past life, LeBron’s success was no accident.
In that historical turning point of the NBA’s post-Jordan era, he officially entered the public eye due to an article in The New York Times.
Before even joining the league, he was dubbed "The Chosen One."
To snatch him up, Nike, Reebok, and Adidas even started an unprecedented bidding war.
This, which was hailed by later generations as the most successful marketing hype in sports history...
Allowed LeBron to stand on a pedestal at the beginning of his career that many superstars might not achieve even after a lifetime of struggle.
And his good luck continued.
Shortly after entering the league, with Kobe Bryant facing negative impressions from the "Eagle County incident," even though Kobe eventually joined the Nike camp, LeBron’s sponsors already had the idea of having him replace Kobe.
Historically, the so-called "surpassing Kobe without a championship" wasn’t just a meme.
It meant that LeBron’s sponsors and the league were intentionally pouring more resources into him, intending to build him into the NBA’s face in the post-Jordan era.
Although LeBron ultimately nearly sent David Stern into early retirement with that farce called "The Decision"...
It’s undeniable that before "The Decision," the resources LeBron received far surpassed those of all other NBA stars of his time.
But now, things were different.
Zack’s appearance changed everything.
As the Messiah of the Bay Area, Zack had already made people question LeBron, "The Chosen One," through his on-court performance.
Even more seriously...
In last year’s head-to-head "execution," LeBron, who had been in the league for four seasons, surprisingly seemed to show no improvement at all.
That was a head-to-head "execution" that severely impacted LeBron’s career trajectory.
The more Zack showcased his improved ball-handling skills to the world during games, the more embarrassed LeBron would appear.
And Zack, who led the Warriors to divine heights in his rookie season, repeatedly reminded every Cleveland fan with those two "The.Dunk" plays...
The true savior never makes you wait for the future.
Undoubtedly, under the pressure from Zack...
LeBron needed a "great competition" more than ever to remind the world that he was only 22 years old this year, and he still had immense potential to tap into.
However...
This "great competition" had just begun...
Zack’s earth-shattering dunk at the Thomas & Mack Center instantly sent LeBron’s mood plummeting to rock bottom.
LeBron’s ears were ringing.
Because the noise generated in the arena had already exceeded the limits of human ear drums.
Tim Duncan, sitting not far from LeBron, was frantically shoving Yao Ming: "How spectacular was that dunk!"
Kevin Garnett, sitting to Yao Ming’s right, kept pounding Yao Ming’s back: "Your little brother is definitely an alien!"
As for Yao Ming, who was sandwiched in the middle?
He, quite uncharacteristically, blurted out a swear word that sounded similar to the English word "tomato" in the next second.
At the commentary table.
Throwing Kenny Smith, who he had nearly beaten to death, onto the floor, Barkley simply jumped onto the commentary table, rolled up a book into a microphone shape, and yelled: "This is the Slam Dunk Contest we want to see!"
This is the Slam Dunk Contest we want to see!
In the second round of the preliminaries, no one knew how the other dunkers competing with Zack were feeling.
But soon...
They successively used their unsatisfactory two preliminary dunks...
To voluntarily leave the stage to the savior who had already made the entire "Gambling City" fully appreciate the charm of the Slam Dunk Contest.
In the VIP box, even the well-informed David Stern couldn’t help but hold his breath at this moment.
How would Zack perform his second preliminary dunk?
On the court, NBA stars who would participate in the All-Star Weekend main game tomorrow night had already snagged the best viewing spots.
And as Zack stepped onto the stage with the ball in one hand, the bustling Thomas & Mack Center suddenly quieted down.
"Are you ready?"
From the sidelines, Anthony, who had put down his camera and walked up to Zack to take the ball from his hand, having already seen the "script" last summer, asked with concern.
Zack nodded.
Then, people noticed that Anthony held that damn basketball above his head.
Did Zack want to jump over Carmelo Anthony and dunk?
At this moment, people couldn’t help but wonder.
Yes, in this era where "jumping over people to dunk" hadn’t yet become common, to prevent "jumping over people to dunk" from being used casually for attention, Zack decided to put a "security lock" on all future "jumping over people to dunk."
The next moment, Zack, rushing towards Anthony who was standing under the basket with great rhythm and snatching the ball from above his head, extended his long legs in the air and soared into the sky with an incredible sitting posture!
Immediately after, switching the ball between his legs, Zack’s "sitting dunk over a person" once again ignited the crowd!
"This is absolutely the most imaginative performance in the history of the Slam Dunk Contest!" Barkley exclaimed, pulling the "foaming at the mouth" Smith from the floor and holding his head with one hand!
Zack’s magnificent performance shocked all the fans present.
Especially when it was replayed in slow motion on the big screen...
Dominique Wilkins turned to Dr. J with a puzzled look and asked, "How did he manage to dunk the ball in that position?"
Kyrie Irving slapped his face, saying, "I must be dreaming... A dunk like this can only be seen in dreams."
This was another 50-point dunk.
It’s just that...
The reason this dunk scored 50 points was that the maximum score was only 50 points.
On the judges’ panel, even the usually critical Vince Carter commented, "Considering his physique, for him to be able to do that... it’s incredible."
With that, the Slam Dunk Contest preliminaries officially concluded.
Zack, with a total of 100 points from two dunks, along with LeBron and Green, who scored 91 and 90 points respectively in the preliminaries, advanced to the finals.
LeBron’s two preliminary dunks weren’t flashy, nor did they show any particular skill.
But as one of the few players tonight who received extra points for scoring...
In fact, if he could, LeBron would rather have been eliminated in the preliminaries.
Because Zack’s two dunks in the preliminaries...
Had already left LeBron completely despairing.
LeBron knew very well that the development of this dunk contest had already exceeded his prior expectations.
The upcoming finals would definitely not be a "great defeat"...
But rather Zack’s personal show, where everyone else would serve as a backdrop and stepping stone!
Before the finals began, LeBron looked at Green, who was about to go on stage, with a wry smile, thinking, "Where’s the great competition?"
LeBron, who usually found easy scoring opportunities on the court due to his historically talented physique, had already personally felt the insurmountable gap between him and Zack.
Moreover, as that gap became clearer and clearer...
LeBron even had the urge to escape the Thomas & Mack Center.
A king who, in desperate times, still dared to draw his sword against that behemoth?
On the court, LeBron completed his first dunk in the finals with a tomahawk dunk from one step inside the free-throw line.
Due to some rhythm issues during his run-up, LeBron’s dunk, which he had originally intended to start from the free-throw line, only scored 45 points.
And Zack?
As the last player to appear in the finals, under LeBron’s extremely complex gaze, Zack, running from the backcourt, took off from the spot where Michael Jordan performed his "Air Walk" back in the day, and completed his first dunk in the finals with an astonishing free-throw line windmill dunk!
In the NBA, compared to more agile perimeter players, taller interior players are inevitably constrained by gravity.
Whether it was Dwight Howard, who in the future could only barely manage his "Superman dunk" with a "power jam," or all those legendary interior beasts...
None of them could "air walk" on the court like Michael Jordan.
In Zack’s past life, Zack himself had only seen Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama, leveraging their height and wingspan, violently dunk the ball from near the free-throw line.
Undoubtedly, without the hang time granted by the [Air Jordan] badge, even Zack couldn’t escape the limitations imposed by his physique.
But since he had that hang time...
Of course, he had to fully display it in front of all the fans!
A free-throw line gliding windmill!
Zack performing this dunk in the Slam Dunk Contest was purely to showcase his talent!
And to conveniently close the "safety door" on Howard’s misleading "Superman jam" in the future.
Still want to be Superman in this life?
No way!
At this moment, Howard, sitting courtside dumbfounded, clearly didn’t know what impact Zack’s free-throw line gliding dunk, performed by an interior player, would have on his future.
However, noticing that the five judges had all given Zack 10 points...
LeBron had a feeling that Zack was specifically targeting him.
Because Zack’s talent-filled dunk formed a stark contrast to his own failed long-distance tomahawk dunk just now.
"Nowhere to speak of sorrow" perfectly described LeBron’s true feelings when he performed his second dunk in the finals tonight.
But at the Thomas & Mack Center, which fans still cared how this young king would end his performance with a dunk?
After receiving a high lob from his Cavaliers teammate Mo Williams, LeBron, leaping with all his might, ended his first, and likely last, Slam Dunk Contest journey with a furious tomahawk dunk performed purely out of frustration.
It was an incredibly exaggerated tomahawk dunk.
Although it lacked any technical skill, when LeBron jumped, most of his head cleared the rim.
This dunk earned LeBron a total of 89 points in the finals.
Then, LeBron, who returned to the sidelines without a word, heard the deafening cheers erupting for Zack from the entire "Gambling City!"
Zack’s final dunk in the finals concluded perfectly with a baseline run-up, receiving a pass from Paul, and then a super windmill dunk between his legs!
While dunking, Zack, who had more power than even the later Derrick Jones Jr., seemed to be on the verge of destroying the entire hoop.
This was a dunk Zack specifically chose to pay tribute to Tim Duncan.
To prevent future fans from thinking that players from Wake Forest could only do stationary windmills, Zack, as the tallest mountain of Wake Forest, felt he had both the obligation and the responsibility to clarify this.
However, this dunk, which should have received a perfect score, only got 9 points from Jordan.
The reason was that Jordan, who was already in a bad mood, could only be described as "crushed" after watching Zack’s four dunks.
"I gave him one point less because I was afraid he’d get too arrogant," Jordan said with tears in his eyes during an interview.
As for Jordan’s 9 points, Zack responded, "I completely understand the profound meaning behind Michael giving me 9 points.
I will carry his encouragement, be down-to-earth, and avoid shortcuts, striving to become a great player like him one day."
In the VIP box, Stern, who had witnessed the entire dunk contest, became even more determined to continue promoting Zack.
Although Zack wasn’t an American player, Stern had already foreseen Zack’s future influence on the entire basketball world.
Unlike Adam Silver in later generations, Stern, from the very beginning of expanding overseas, knew very well...
If basketball only had influence in the United States, then no matter how the NBA tried, it would only be a de facto third, or even potentially fourth, major sports league in North America.
Only by looking globally could the NBA, as the hegemon of the basketball world, attract more young people’s attention.
This year, even excluding votes from fans, Zack was still the All-Star vote leader, which clearly demonstrated his popularity throughout the basketball world.
It’s undeniable that Zack had indeed arrived in a wonderful era.
Because in the current era, the mental state of American fans, if not exactly the same as fans in later generations, was at least quite similar.
The consecutive losses in the 2002, 2004, and 2006 international competitions had left American fans almost despairing about the future of American basketball.
In such a mental state, they were obviously more receptive to a foreign superstar dominating the NBA.
And what’s more...
Since Zack came to the United States at the age of 15 and emerged from American college basketball, the acceptance of this new Asian NBA banner by American fans had always been considerable, right?
In short, Zack, who was at the height of his power, had completely solidified his position as the NBA’s top player after this year’s Slam Dunk Contest.
This Messiah from the Bay Area had already conquered all basketball enthusiasts, except for the unique group of "Zack-haters," with his awe-inspiring performance in Las Vegas.
And LeBron?
Sitting alone courtside, biting his thumb.
Watching Zack walk to the center of the stage after the contest to claim the championship trophy that had already been pre-ordained for him...
When all the glory of "The Chosen One" was utterly crushed by that "Doomsday Satan," when that great competition completely devolved into Zack’s personal solo act, when faced with that behemoth, the King didn’t even have a chance to draw his sword...
What LeBron was most worried about wasn’t this loss.
What he was most worried about was Zack taking everything that was originally his.
In the NBA, in everyday discussions, his proportion was getting smaller and smaller, while correspondingly, Zack was almost daily trending on news hot searches.
Previously, every time he faced those superstars...
Especially the attention he gained from playing against Kobe...
Couldn’t even compare to a fraction of the attention Zack got from playing Kobe.
Nike and the league, who would have originally started planning "23 VS 24" at this point in the timeline, now seemed intent on pushing Kobe to the forefront to continue the rivalry with Zack.
"The never-say-die Angeleno refuses to be ruled by the Doomsday Satan"—see, what a great story!
Becoming a savior in his first year, leading the Warriors to a championship after thirty-one years, and being compared to the "Basketball God" Michael Jordan in only his second year—isn’t this exactly the new NBA icon the league and all fans have been waiting for in the post-Jordan era?
He’s heroic and upright, handsome, and his playstyle is flashy yet passionate and tough—which fan wouldn’t be completely captivated by such a new league icon, except for the "Zack-haters"?
He’s constantly generating buzz on and off the court, not only breaking records but also providing gossip reporters with all sorts of news—which media outlet wouldn’t call such a human hot-topic machine a "god of wealth"?
It was only at this moment that LeBron finally understood...
He simply couldn’t coexist with his good brother.
Because Zack, while bringing about doomsday, would inevitably seize the glory and honor that originally belonged to all the stars of this era!
One general’s success is built upon the bones of thousands!
Once he reaches the summit, the entire NBA will be littered with bones!
Those always shrewd general managers, precisely because they foresaw the future, had no choice but to rack their brains to make those transactions.
After all, the last Satan who brought about doomsday in the NBA had already warned the world with the tragic experiences of all those "uncrowned kings" in the 90s.
In the center of the court, when asked by the host what special significance this Slam Dunk Contest trophy held for him, Zack replied, "I don’t think it has any special significance. I participated in the Slam Dunk Contest just to raise the audience’s aesthetic appreciation for the skill of dunking and to fulfill the wishes of fans who wanted me to participate in this event.
You know, I’m never one to be a spoilsport, so I hoped for more dunkers to contend for the runner-up, because even if it’s just a trophy presentation, I wanted this event to be more exciting."
Then, the host asked, "Will you participate in the Slam Dunk Contest again in the future?"
Zack shook his head and said, "No, I’ve completed my mission."
After a pause, Zack added, "Next, I’ll leave the championship of this event to the next generation."
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