NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

After Lin Tian easily, steadily, and almost effortlessly lifted the 3-point contest championship trophy again, the Knicks players had already swept the first three events, or rather, all the individual trophies in the individual competitions tonight.

And next, there is only one last event left, which is also the individual competition that normally attracts the most attention and is most anticipated and will stimulate the adrenaline of fans.

Slam Dunk Contest.

Lin Tian was too lazy to look at the details of this year's dunk contest. What kind of dunks could Howard and Nate possibly produce?

As for the remaining two...

It's not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning at all.

The only dunk contest that can pique Lin Tian's interest these days is one of LaVine versus Gordon; anything else is really hard for him to watch.

Although he wasn't interested in the dunking performances of these players, Lin Tian, ​​as the leader, still gave Nate some instructions.

"If Howard pulls out a move you can't match, come find me. I have a sure way to deal with him!"

After calling Nate over and saying that, Lin Tian patted Nate's butt, signaling him to keep going, and then leaned back comfortably, waiting for the game to end.

Sitting next to him were, of course, his staunch underlings Anthony and Stoudemire.

"Boss, do you think Nate is a sure thing? Can he handle it?" Anthony asked with some anticipation. "In NBA history, there has never been a year in which a team has won all the individual championships!"

“Of course there are,” Little S pointed out. “Back then, he won three championships by himself.”

"But we didn't have a Shooting Stars championship back then!" Anthony chuckled. "And that was the first one I ever won. This year, it was all thanks to our collective wisdom and hard work!"

"Why don't you pass a few to Nate? I won the championship back then thanks to your passes!" Little S was eager to try, thinking of getting Lin Tian to play on his shoulders.

"Don't worry, you two." Lin Tian waved his hand and said, "I've already told Nate that as long as he can maintain his form and not slack off, he's a slam dunk champion tonight!"

"Amazing!"

"As expected of the leader."

"Turning the world upside down!"

"Stirring up the universe!"

"Strategic planning!"

"Winning a decisive victory from afar!"

……

These two academically challenged individuals, who hadn't even completed two years of university combined, somehow learned a bunch of obsequious terms and flattering words, and they showered Lin Tian with compliments. Lin Tian, ​​too lazy to pay attention to these two sycophants, simply sat there and relaxed, watching the game.

In the first round, Nate and Howard each dunked a 50-point dunk.

Nate's short stature and high jumping height make it easier for him to perform dunks, which is an advantage for him. Scoring 50 points is not particularly impressive.

But it's really quite frightening that a strong man like Howard, who is nearly 210 centimeters tall and has muscles all over his body, can jump so high and make all sorts of moves in the air.

This guy's physical abilities are truly freakish!
He really relied on his physical attributes. Even though his skills were still incredibly rough towards the end of his career, he was still able to become the best center in the league during his peak, without a doubt!

The fact that Howard became the best center simply because of his physical attributes and skills that even dogs would dislike shows just how amazing his physical attributes are!

And it was this very first spike from both sides that immediately made the outcome of the preliminary round a foregone conclusion.

Howard and Nate both scored 50 points, while the other two minor characters, whose names Lin Tian didn't even bother to remember, only scored a little over 40 points.

Unless Howard and Nate make a serious mistake in the second dunk, and both of those supporting players have an exceptionally high-level performance.

But how could he possibly have a breakthrough when he's just a minor character whom Lin Tian doesn't even bother to write down?

Of course not!
Both Howard and Nate opted for ordinary dunks in their second attempt, which were neither particularly difficult nor visually appealing, and would only earn them a score of 44-45.

Although their score wasn't high, it was enough for them to secure a spot in the finals!

As for those two extras?
Nobody cares, everyone is already looking forward to the finals!
The finals are coming soon!
Howard, who was one point behind in the preliminary round, was the first to take the stage. He unleashed his signature move: tossing the ball behind the backboard onto the backboard, then leaping up to catch it from behind the backboard, gliding to the front of the backboard, followed by a windmill dunk with one hand!
48 points!
Because Howard is so tall, the play lacked aesthetic appeal, so even though it was quite difficult and creative, two judges did not give it a perfect score of 10.

If there's no perfect score, then Nate's chance has arrived!
The short guy came on again, and beyond the three-point line, Nate tossed the ball high into the air and threw it towards the basket. Then he quickly rushed into the paint, jumped to catch the ball, and with a crossover swerve, slammed the ball into the basket!
49 points!
This play was one point higher than Howard's dunk, and only one referee did not give it a 10, meaning Nate only lost one point.

Thus, the first round is almost a tie! Now it all comes down to the second dunk to decide the outcome!
Both sides have a chance; they are almost on equal footing!
Then, Howard, who was the first to appear, started to cause trouble!
The guy, who always had a smile on his face, suddenly waved, signaling the staff to come in. Amidst a loud rumbling sound, a phone booth was carried into the stadium by an engineering vehicle.

Then, amidst cheers from the crowd, Howard excitedly ran into the phone booth.

Inside the phone booth, Howard took off his white Celtics jersey, revealing a blue, tight-fitting Superman suit underneath. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he produced a red cape and draped it over himself.

Superman!

The entire stadium erupted in excited chants of Howard's nickname.

As the No.3 comic book superhero in the United States and even the world, Superman's iconic scenes are almost universally known. Howard's transformation not only allowed the fans at the scene to enjoy some interesting new gadgets, but also brought joy to everyone!
He didn't even need to execute a particularly difficult spike for this ball.

If you can get the ball in, you'll almost certainly get a perfect score!

The most important thing about the dunk contest is always having fun!
Howard brought joy to everyone, so how well he dunked in the end didn't really matter.

Just snap it in!

After a series of fancy moves, Howard, still smiling, grabbed the basketball, put on his cape, and sprinted towards the basket.

Then, with one foot in the free-throw line, Howard took the ball with one hand, jumped high, made a classic Superman pose in the air, and then slammed the ball into the basket with one hand!

Yes, it was thrown in!
Slow-motion replay showed that this wasn't a dunk at all!
Howard's hands did not touch the rim, and no part of his body made contact with the rim.

From any perspective, this is not a dunk, but a layup!
However, on the stage of the Slam Dunk Contest, sometimes, whether you dunk or not is not important!

As I always say: happiness is the most important thing!

The entire stadium went wild, showering Howard with endless cheers and shouts, giving him all their passion.

The five referees were completely hyped, singing, dancing, and laughing, and without hesitation, they raised their 10-point signs.

50 points!
Howard scored 50 points in the dunk contest with a layup!
It might sound a bit strange, but judging from everyone's expressions and reactions, there's absolutely no problem with getting 50 points!
Happiness!
After Howard finished celebrating, he sat happily on a bench in the players' rest area, still managing to crack a joke and chat with Nate.

However, it was clear that Nate's expression was somewhat unpleasant after Howard's dunk.

too difficult!
It's too difficult to beat Howard's dunk!

It's not that this shot was particularly difficult, but rather that it had already cultivated the fans' tastes.

Unless Nate pulls off an incredibly difficult and spectacular dunk, he won't be able to score 50 points!
A spectacular dunk can't compare to the joy of the audience.

Even as Nate walked towards the stadium, he was already making plans.

Howard scored 98 points with two dunks, and my goal with this dunk is 49 points!
Then they would defeat Howard in a tiebreaker.

After all, while turning a phone booth into a superhero is fun and interesting, you can only do it once!

Transforming into Superman once shows creativity, playfulness, and a sense of humor.

Changing the dunk twice would be incredibly boring, lazy, and unthinking, only focused on taking shortcuts. Howard will definitely have to put on a good dunk next time.

So now, Nate's problem is how to dunk a dunk that's spectacular enough to not be overshadowed by Howard's superhuman dunk and that will earn him a high score from the judges!
Nate mentally went through all the moves he knew, figuring out which move would be the best way to pull everyone out of Howard's 'Superman Dunk' and bring them back to reality.

Difficult, too difficult.

Nate regrets it!
He regretted not having put on any show or prepared any programs in advance.

This time, the odds are really against us.

"Nate, over here!" Just when Nate was feeling quite distressed and didn't know how to break the deadlock, the older brother spoke up.

Lin Tian stood up from his seat, waved to Nate, and gestured for him to come over.

Nate immediately remembered what Lin Tian had told him before the game: "If you need anything, ask your big brother!"

Without a second thought, he immediately ran over to Lin Tian.

"Boss, what's my next move?" Nate asked Lin Tian with great anticipation.

"Put this on." Lin Tian, ​​as if performing magic, took out a jersey and a pair of sneakers from a bag he carried with him.

A pair of bright green sneakers and a pure green Knicks jersey that the Knicks have never worn or played on any court, and which is much cooler than the Celtics jersey.

Besides its bright green color and Nate's number on the back, this jersey has another unique feature.

The place where the player's name is written does not have Nate Robinson's name on it.

Instead, it was written as Dru-Zod.

In other words, General Zod is Superman's mortal enemy!
As for sneakers, hehe, it's time to sneak in some personal stuff again. Since Nate didn't sign a sneaker contract, Lin Tian got him a pair of his own new AND1 sneakers, except that this flashy green colorway has never been released before!

Those sneaker collectors were instantly dazzled: a one-of-a-kind, limited-edition sneaker!

I absolutely have to find a way to get a pair! You're definitely going to release this new colorway after AND 1, right?
If you don't earn this money, are you even human?
Not only the jersey and shoes, Lin Tian then took out a bottle of fluorescent spray and sprayed it all over the basketball. After spraying, the originally orange basketball turned into fluorescent green, which is the color of Kryptonite, the thing that Superman fears the most and his only weakness!

"Go, go and defeat Superman!"

Lin Tian chuckled and patted Nate on the shoulder, saying, "You're going to win!"

The lighting technicians on site were particularly considerate at this moment.

With a 'bang,' most of the lights on the field were suddenly turned off, plunging the stadium into darkness.

What remained was the gleaming basketball and Nate's green jersey.

Yes, Lin Tian also added glow-in-the-dark powder to the jersey so that it can glow in the dark!
Seeing this, the fans at the scene erupted in a frenzy of shouts and cheers once again, and they got hyped up again!
Fans who were initially hesitant and curious about how Nate would offset and compensate for Howard's "Superman dunk" are now completely relieved.

Nate has come up with a perfect solution!

Many people even believed at this point that it was all pre-designed!
Howard's Superman outfit and Nate's Kryptonian disguise were all pre-arranged for the sake of the show!

Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence? How could Howard have just become Superman and then you get a Kryptonite?

Nobody would believe it wasn't premeditated!
But it doesn't matter whether you planned it in advance, whether it was a pre-arranged series, or whether you had good chemistry.

Most importantly, fans thought this scene was incredibly cool! They all thought it was such a fun moment!

Many people have already mentally assigned their scores.

50 points!
If this dunk goes in, it's guaranteed to be 50 points!
The work has been done to this extent, if I don't give it 50 points, am I even human?

Nate was full of confidence! But just as he was about to swagger onto the court to end the dunk contest, Lin Tian's voice rang in his ears again.

"Dunk over Howard! Let him come up here, fly over him!"

Wonderful!

As soon as Lin Tian said this, Nate's eyes lit up! He wasn't stupid; he knew exactly how to make it work.

So Nate jogged over, his clothes glowing in the dark, and quickly reached Howard's side, whispering these words in his ear.

Howard, all smiles, kept nodding. Then, he stood up decisively, pulled out his red cape again, and happily ran to the basket to stand firm.

Then, Nate started sprinting from the backcourt, running all the way behind Howard before leaping up, grabbing the basketball with both hands, and jumping over Howard's head before slamming the ball into the basket!

"boom!"

After a loud bang, the scene was ignited once again!
"Zod! Zod! Zod! Zod!"

"Nate! Nate! Nate! Nate!"

The fans roared, shouted, and called out Nate's name wildly.

Nate himself was completely ecstatic, waving his hands excitedly and constantly greeting the fans. He also gave Howard a big hug, leaving two clear handprints on Howard's body.

There was no way around it; the fluorescent agent on the basketball was sprayed on temporarily, and there wasn't enough time to dry it. It's normal for Nate to get his hands all messy while holding the basketball.

But no matter how dirty it was just now, it's been wiped clean on Howard now.

As for the points deducted, there was naturally no suspense.

50 points!
The five referees and the fans in the stadium gave full marks almost without hesitation!
The fans at the scene were still completely absorbed in the 'show' that had just taken place.

"In terms of the difficulty, power, elegance, and gliding distance of the dunks themselves, this year's dunk contest is really not worth mentioning. I don't think they can even be ranked in the top five of the new century. They are definitely at the bottom."

After Nate finished his final dunk, Kenny began his commentary: "But in terms of fun, excitement, and my personal favorite, I would rank it second! Only behind the legendary battle between Lin and Carter in 2000!"

"Even more exciting than Richardson's challenge against Lin and Carter!"

"If that time was the pinnacle of technique, skill, and difficulty, then this time it's the pinnacle of fun and entertainment! That time it was an art film that could dominate Cannes and win the Palme d'Or, this time it's the king of commercial films that can win an Oscar!"

"I loved both dunks, and the styles were completely different! I really didn't expect that Nate and Howard could make such a fun dunk contest, which was nothing special and the dunks were just average! I love it! I love this dunk contest!"

“I love it too!” Miller said with a smile. “I think everyone who watched this round of the competition will love this dunk contest! This time, the dunk contest has developed a brand new way of playing, even though the moves and skills have reached their peak and have hit a bottleneck again.”

"This battle between Nate and Howard can also be recorded in history!"

"I think there's only one person who's unhappy tonight, and that's Shaq! Shaq will definitely hate tonight's dunk contest," Barkley added. "He'll hate that Howard stole his Superman nickname; he's always thought he was Superman."

"He's probably pouting and sulking right now!"

"Shaq, what's wrong? Don't you like tonight's show?" Even a relatively introverted guy like Nash really enjoyed tonight's dunk contest. He had already finished laughing when he turned around and realized that O'Neal didn't seem very happy.

"Superman was actually defeated by that damned General Zod! It's ridiculous! It's ridiculous! Superman would never lose to Zod in his life. He could take down Zod with one hand! It's outrageous!" O'Neal pouted and said, "That damn idiot is a disgrace to Superman!"

"He actually dared to let people fly over his head after calling himself Superman! That idiot, Steve, when are we going to face the Celtics? I'm going to kill him! I'll show him who the real Superman is!"

Aside from these very few exceptions, the atmosphere of the individual events tonight was generally quite lively and joyful.

Nate walked back to the center of the court with a grin, took the trophy, and picked up the microphone, saying, "Honestly, I really thought I was done for! After Dwight dunked that superhuman dunk, I thought it was all over! I couldn't beat him."

"At that moment, Lin found me, pulled me over, and told me he had a secret weapon! And then everyone saw what happened, everyone knows what happened! Lin took care of everything! Lin did something that was completely beyond my expectations and imagination!"

“I never dreamed that he could pull such a jersey and shoes out of his pocket! I will keep these two items in my safe for the rest of my life! This is the most unforgettable surprise of my life, and my favorite gift.”

"You little bastard!" Lin Tian muttered, shaking his head helplessly.

This Nate is short, and he's got so many tricks up his sleeve.

Mr. Lin even wanted to get his jersey and sneakers back for his own collection.

Surprisingly, this guy opened his mouth first.

Shameless! Utterly shameless!

After the All-Star game, we absolutely have to increase Nate's training volume by an extra 20%! No, 50%!

You'll work yourself to death! (End of Chapter)