Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 443 A Three-Point Contest with Kenny Smith
The following morning, Kogure got up very early and went to the Rockets' training facility.

Before the Toyota Center was built, the Rockets rented a venue at the Space Dome as their training facility.

As expected, Kogure was stopped by security personnel.

Despite Kogure's best efforts to persuade him, the security personnel refused to let him in and were quite rude.

This is America, where black and white is the mainstream!
It is undoubtedly extremely difficult for people of Asian descent to prove themselves in such a discriminatory country.

It was at this moment that Ni Ge, who was not much shorter than Kogure, walked over.

Perhaps because of his skin color, he subconsciously glanced at Kogure.

"Hey, you're player number 88, buddy! You had a great game yesterday!"

He exclaimed in surprise and instinctively stopped in his tracks.

He was also watching yesterday's game live, but he watched it with his family.

Kogure turned his head and immediately recognized the face, then quickly realized who it was.

That's Kenny Smith!

Kenny Smith looks much younger now than he did a few years later when he became a TNT commentator.

“I recognize you, you’re Kenny Smith!”

"Hey buddy, do you recognize me?"

Kenny Smith couldn't help but show a surprised expression.

He was the sixth overall pick in the 1987 draft and was the Rockets' starting point guard.

He played only nine seasons in the NBA, but his accolades were unremarkable.

Perhaps the most impressive moment came a few months later in the Finals, where Kenny Smith hit a record seven three-pointers in the first game, ultimately helping the Rockets defend their championship title.

Simply put, Kenny Smith is a role player, and if he hadn't become a TNT commentator in the future, probably not many people would know him.

His bet with Charles Barkley about Yao Ming's donkey butt became a classic media topic in the NBA.

"Of course, Mr. 'Jet,' your three-pointer really impressed me!"

Kenny Smith was incredibly fast and had an accurate shot, which earned him the nickname 'The Jet'.

This season, the Rockets have two aircraft: a glider and a jet.

At the same time, he is also one of Kogure's targets.

In terms of ability, Kenny Smith can only be considered a qualified starter, but his future fame is so great that he may actually earn the nickname "The Jet".

Upon receiving Kogure's praise, Kenny Smith let out a hearty laugh.

"By the way, what are you doing at our team's training facility?"

Kogure directly explained the reason. After learning that Olajuwon and Drexler had invited Kogure to train together, Kenny Smith couldn't hide his shock.

"Oh my God... From now on, you're my brother!"

Kenny Smith put his arm around Kogure's shoulder and led him into the training facility.

This time, the security personnel not only dared not stop them, but also showed uneasy expressions.

He initially thought that Kogure had infiltrated the training facility under the names of Olajuwon and Drexler, something that had happened many times before.

To my utter surprise, the other party actually knew them.

Because of his attitude, he was afraid that the two Rockets superstars would make things difficult for him.

However, he overestimates himself. What makes him worthy of the attention of two superstars?

A single word from them to management would be enough to get him fired.

After entering the training hall, the two began to warm up.

The NBA's three-point line is different from FIBA's; the top of the three-point line is 7.24 meters, and the baseline is 6.71 meters.

FIBA's three-point line was a complete semicircle, about 6.25 meters long, until it was expanded to 6.75 meters in 2010.

However, in the three seasons from 94 to 96, the three-point line was shortened to 6.70 meters.

This significantly increased three-point production, and the three-point line wasn't changed back until the 97-98 season.

This is the main reason why Jordan had such a high three-point shooting percentage in those three seasons.

For Jordan, that's equivalent to two extra points! It's currently the 94-95 season, and the NBA three-point line isn't much longer than the FIBA ​​line, so Kogure wasn't affected.

Because his three-point shooting range is based on the FIBA ​​standard since 2010, which is 6.75 meters.

This is also the main reason why Kogure often shoots from a distance of one step beyond the three-point line.

During the warm-up, Kogure shot three-pointers from various angles.

Because of his "golden touch," his three-point shooting is virtually flawless.

Swish~swish~swish~
Kogure was on fire, sinking dozens of three-pointers in a row, which caught the attention of Kenny Smith on the opposing half.

bang~
When Kogure finally missed his shot, Kenny Smith clapped and applauded, showing an expression of amazement.

"Dude, your three-point shooting is even better than I expected!"

"No, if the NBA still used last year's three-point line, I definitely wouldn't be able to maintain such a high three-point shooting percentage."

"Want to have a competition?"

Kenny Smith had never encountered such a good high school shooter before, and he was thrilled.

Kogure did not refuse; he wanted to try and see if he could get the title of 'Jet' from Kenny Smith.

"Then let's use the NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest rules!"

The rules of the NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest are as follows: Each player has 70 seconds to shoot from five shooting spots outside the three-point line (two corners, two 45-degree angles, and the top of the key). Five balls are placed at each spot. Four regular balls make one point, and one fancy ball makes two points.

During this period, the Three-Point Contest did not yet have two ultra-long-range three-point shooting spots (three points per shot).

Soon, the two brought over iron racks filled with basketballs, with four regular basketballs and one fancy ball on each rack.

Kenny Smith went to the bottom right corner and said, "I'll go first, and I'll show you how."

Kogure naturally wouldn't refuse Kenny Smith's offer.

Just then, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler walked into the training facility together.

Looking at the props on the field, Olajuwon asked in confusion, "What are you two doing?"

Upon learning that Kogure and Kenny Smith were having a three-point shooting contest, both of them showed expressions of interest.

Drexler volunteered to time the two of them.

"start!"

As Drexler pressed the stopwatch, Kenny Smith quickly grabbed a basketball and flashed a confident smile.

Three-pointers have always been his most important weapon.

Over the past three seasons, Kenny Smith has maintained a three-point shooting percentage of over 40%, placing him among the top shooters.

By the time the Finals come around this season, he will also become the record holder for most three-pointers made in a single Finals game.

Aside from the championship, this is Kenny Smith's most notable achievement.

Swish~swish~swish~
Kenny Smith has a very rhythmic shooting style, especially his quick release.

Kenny Smith sank five consecutive shots into the two corners, his best positions, for a total of six points.

After shooting, he quickly moved to the nearest shooting spot.

Secondly, perhaps the rhythm changed, and I missed two shots.

The third point: another ball is lost, and it's a fancy ball again.

However, he seized the last two shooting opportunities and made both.

As Kenny Smith threw the last money ball, Drexler immediately pressed the stopwatch; only 60 seconds had passed.

In this round, Kenny Smith has 26 points.

However, Kenny Smith was not very satisfied with his performance.

This is not a three-point contest, so it won't be affected or interfered with by off-court factors.

Without hesitation, Kogure walked toward the first shooting spot.

It's worth mentioning that Kogure didn't hear the cue when Kenny Smith took the shot.

(End of this chapter)