Basketball miracles

Chapter 94 [Half-Man, Half-God]

Celtics All-Stars Larry Bird and Robert Parish were watching from the sidelines, and they didn't look too happy.

They didn't cheer for Xiao Tu, and unanimously expressed pessimism about the team's chances of defending their title this season.

Last season, the Celtics won on the boards and were not successful in defending Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The skyhook averaged 25.7 points, 9 rebounds and 5.2 assists in the Finals, with a field goal percentage of 53.8%.

Parish is at a disadvantage against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as he lacks the energy to help defend the power forward. How could the Celtics' two white, floor-bound power forwards possibly contain a monster like Xiao Tu?
McHale is a skilled inside player, 208cm tall and only 95kg, with physical attributes that are not even as good as Bird's.

If the Celtics' power forward can't defend Xiao Tu, they can't beat the Lakers. Last season, the Celtics' power forward dominated the Lakers, but they still had to go to a Game 4 to narrowly win.

Bird lacks confidence in guarding Xiao Tu; physical strength is his weakness, and he usually relies on his height for defense and rebounding. He's under immense pressure right now, and fans are eager to see the two face off in the All-Star Game.

The Nike CEO was also watching the game, and at that moment he just hoped Jordan's final dunk would be something special. He'd love for another 50-point dunk, or even just another free-throw line dunk.

As a result, Jordan chose to perform a one-handed reverse dunk two steps in front of the free-throw line, a very ordinary dunk he had done before.

Xiao Tu sensed that Jordan was too exhausted to complete the free-throw line dunk and just wanted to finish the game quickly and go back to the hotel to rest. His face was grim, and after the dunk, he kept his head down and didn't even acknowledge the audience.

The judges gave him another 40 points, feeling that Jordan was just going through the motions. He did nine dunks in total, repeating similar layup moves five times.

Jordan had never scored high before, and his last dunk was this thing. He probably didn't even expect to score high.

Xiao Tu's final dunk prompted him to call Magic Johnson, who was watching from the sidelines in sportswear, onto the court. With two of the most popular stars on the same stage, the audience's applause grew even louder, bringing the atmosphere to its peak for the night.

They first waved to the fans together, then began their coordinated attack. Johnson dribbled the ball from midcourt towards the basket, with Xiao Tu following behind, mimicking a Lakers fast break.

Johnson tossed the ball towards the backboard with one hand, and Xiao Tu caught it in mid-air with both hands, executing a windmill dunk, then switched the ball from his left hand to his right hand and finished in one fell swoop!
At first glance, it looks like just an alley-oop windmill, but it's actually much more difficult. Xiao Tu and Johnson high-fived in celebration, enjoying the applause from the fans in the arena.

Many viewers didn't see what happened clearly, and only realized after watching the slow-motion replay on TV that Xiao Tu had performed a between-the-legs dunk that no one had ever done before.

In the 80s, Xiao Tu's dunk was like flying out of the atmosphere and looking down on everyone else.

The judges were stunned, and they all gave him a perfect score. Xiao Tu finished the "competition" with a perfect score after nine deductions.

No judge dared to go against the grain and give Xiao Tu a score of 9, fearing they would be cursed by fans for life. Xiao Tu's dunks were beyond their comprehension; every dunk challenged the limits of human endurance.

Heinson exclaimed, "Shaw pulled off another dunk that no one has ever done before, a between-the-legs alley-oop windmill dunk!"

Stockton said, "He jumped so high. Each of his nine dunks today would be the best on its own compared to any other player. Only Jordan's free throw line could barely compare."

Heinson said, "Shaw is the greatest dunker in NBA history, and his performance tonight will go down in history. I now suspect he's not an ordinary person, but a demigod like Perseus from Greek mythology."

One comment from the commentator earned Xiao Tu a catchy nickname.

This should have been Vince Carter's nickname, very imposing. If this version of Carter participated in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest, he could only be paying homage to Sebastian Shaw; he could never surpass him.

Xiao Tu was completely immersed in the joy of victory, because after winning the dunk contest, he received a golden treasure chest. His previous highest reward was a silver treasure chest, and today he had finally achieved another breakthrough.

The quality of the treasure chest is related to Xiao Tu's performance; his performance today clearly exceeded the level of the silver treasure chest reward.

His perfect score of nine dunks, overwhelming his opponents to win the championship, is an eternal classic in the NBA, full of legendary charm. As long as the video is preserved, people will still be discussing this dunk contest 50 years from now.

This is not just a simple "Slam Dunk King" honor; it can significantly elevate Xiao Tu's historical status in the NBA.

After all, Jordan's dunk with his body upright and standing on the free-throw line is considered a classic, and many casual fans say it's unsurpassable, given his maximum vertical jump of 122cm. Compared to Xiao Tu, Jordan's dunks are probably no longer discussed.

Xiao Tu suppressed his curiosity and did not immediately open the golden treasure chest, not wanting to lose focus in front of everyone.

He first accepted a small trophy, and then gave a speech to reporters on site. "I've loved dunking since I was a child, so I've always worked on my jumping ability. I'm very happy to prove here today that white people can fly too. I was in great shape today, and my dunks were very well executed. I don't usually get this smooth in practice; I usually have to try several times. The applause from the audience gave me an adrenaline rush, and I performed beyond my usual level."

Xiao Tu reiterated that "white people can fly too," hoping to appeal to white fans. Stern's intention to create a new "black and white duo" is seen as beneficial for the league's future publicity.

The reporter asked, "You got perfect scores for all nine of your dunks today. Which dunk was your favorite?"

Xiao Tu replied with a smile, "Of course it's the alley-oop with the Magic Johnson. That's why I put it as the last dunk because it's my favorite."

The cameraman immediately zoomed in on Johnson on the sidelines, who smiled, stood up, and waved. Johnson's own dunks weren't fancy, but he could certainly help with the passing; participation was key.

The reporter asked, "And what's your second favorite?"

"That dunk with Schwarzenegger, the Terminator. He agreed immediately after I suggested it; he's really easy to talk to. I want to thank Schwarzenegger again here; I'll remember that dunk for the rest of my life." Xiao Tu also waved to Schwarzenegger.

Schwarzenegger stood up and returned Xiao Tu's greeting, which drew another round of applause from the audience.

The cameraman gave Schwarzenegger a five-second close-up shot, which viewers at home found very entertaining. The interaction between the NBA star and the Hollywood actor was a treat for fans; these two are tough guys in their respective fields.

The reporter asked, "Do you know each other?"

"We know each other. We met at a party and exchanged contact information. Madonna and I are both Arnold Schwarzenegger fans, and the movie we watched on our first date was Terminator."

When Xiao Tu mentioned Madonna, the reporter had a new topic. "Why didn't Madonna come to watch your match today?"

"She was too busy preparing for her tour to come to All-Star Weekend with me. I don't blame her because I know she doesn't like basketball at all, she just likes me as a person."

The fans in the arena burst into laughter. News reports had stated that Madonna never attended Lakers games in person, and Xiao Tu said she didn't like basketball—mystery solved.

Xiao Tu deliberately took a deep breath and added, "It's okay, actually I wasn't a fan of hers at first either."

His words drew another burst of laughter from the audience.

Is this a stand-up comedy show? Why are you even competing?

Jordan, the runner-up, was forgotten on the sidelines; there were no cameras, no interviews.

I was twenty-two that year, in the dunk contest, standing there like a nobody.

Jordan's envy of Xiao Tu was useless; he couldn't do anything like dunking or interacting with star players.

Jordan suddenly had a thought: he never wanted to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest again, never wanting to be Xiao Tu's foil again. This was a butterfly effect; the absence of Jordan in the Slam Dunk Contest was bad news for Xiao Tu.

This is the person he most wants to torment. How much fun would it be without Jordan?
The reporter asked, "Will you participate in the dunk contest again in the future?"

"I'll be back." Xiao Tu shouted the Terminator's classic line, earning applause from the fans once again.

As the applause subsided, Xiao Tu continued, "I have a dunking move that I particularly like, but I didn't use it today. It's because the move is very difficult, and the success rate of dunking it is too low. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to complete it. If I improve next year, I will definitely show it to everyone."

Xiao Tu was referring to Vince Carter's signature move, the clockwise 360-degree windmill dunk. His turn wasn't smooth enough; the chances of him successfully dunking were 30/70.

He planned to save this ultimate move for the future, knowing that his jumping ability still had room for improvement. It would be difficult for him to improve further in this world, while training in other worlds could be cumulative.

The audience applauded, saying that the dunk contest would be boring if Xiao Tu didn't participate next year.

(End of this chapter)