Chapter 61: Flawless Execution, Dunk Contest Duo with Curry

With the end of the first round, Miles Bridges was the first to be eliminated. The rules of the dunk contest were simple: one player would be eliminated each round until only two contestants remained in the finals. In the case of a tie in the final round, an additional dunk-off would determine the winner.

In the second round, Tang Lei was up first again. As he stepped onto the court, the crowd erupted into applause, eager to see what he would do next after his spectacular opening dunk.

Tang Lei took his position at the center circle, mimicking a shooting stance. The audience and sideline celebrities wore puzzled expressions—after all, this was a dunk contest, not a three-point competition. What was he planning?

Just as confusion spread, Tang Lei launched a deep shot from half-court. But he didn't just stand still; he sprinted toward the basket as soon as the ball left his hands.

Thud! The ball hit the backboard with a heavy thump, then ricocheted perfectly off the glass.

As the ball bounced high, Tang Lei arrived just in time, leaping effortlessly into the air. In one swift motion, he caught the ball and threw down a powerful dunk, hooking his arm around the rim to hang briefly. It wasn't an ordinary alley-oop; it was a hanging-arm dunk.

The arena erupted once again, and the five judges, without hesitation, awarded perfect scores. Even without the initial three-point shot, the dunk would have been impressive enough, but Tang Lei's seamless integration of the long-range shot added a unique flair. The whole sequence was executed flawlessly, leaving everyone in awe.

After Tang Lei's turn, the remaining contestants took their shots. Dennis Smith Jr. performed exceptionally, managing to stay in the competition and eliminate John Collins.

This brought the dunk contest to the third round.

For his next dunk, Tang Lei opted for a simple yet elegant 180-degree windmill, a straightforward move executed with perfection. Ultimately, he and Thunder's Hamidou Diallo advanced to the final round.

Thanks to his impressive performances in the preliminaries, Tang Lei was given the advantage of going last in the final round. Diallo started, teaming up with Shaquille O'Neal, who stood near the three-second area. Diallo ran from beyond the three-point line, leaping over the towering Shaq and finishing with a powerful arm-hook dunk, paying homage to Vince Carter.

Though the dunk was somewhat similar to Tang Lei's earlier dunk, the judges awarded Diallo a perfect score due to its nostalgic tribute and technical difficulty.

All eyes turned to Tang Lei. After Diallo had called on Shaq for support, Tang Lei's gaze fell on Curry. It had always been a dream of his to team up with Curry for a dunk contest move.

Without hesitation, Tang Lei approached Curry, who initially appeared shocked and a bit bashful, shaking his head in playful reluctance. After all, they hadn't practiced this at all—could it really work?

But with the crowd egging him on, Curry couldn't refuse. Eventually, he joined Tang Lei on the court.

Tang Lei put Curry under the basket, handed him two balls, and quickly explained his plan. Curry's expression transformed into one of excitement and admiration, clearly impressed by the audacious move Tang Lei had envisioned.

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