Buckle

The game officially began.

David Lee stepped up for the jump ball, but despite his efforts, the towering presence of Shaquille O'Neal gave the Cavaliers the advantage. Even though O'Neal's prime years were behind him, his sheer height and experience still made him a formidable force in situations like these.

The Knicks, with their relatively undersized frontcourt—David Lee being just 2.06 meters tall—often found themselves at a disadvantage when it came to jump balls. This time was no different, and the Cavaliers secured the first possession.

Mo Williams, controlling the ball, swiftly crossed half-court and passed it to LeBron James. Unlike his time with the Bucks, where he rarely passed to Yi Jianlian due to the latter's low tactical priority, Williams understood the significance of getting the ball to James.

Mo Williams, known for his scoring prowess rather than his playmaking, was a different type of guard compared to someone like Chris Duhon, who prioritized defense and facilitating over offense.

With the ball now in James' hands, Lian Dao moved in to defend him. The Cavaliers' strategy was straightforward: get the ball to LeBron and let him orchestrate the offense. However, the Cavaliers' head coach had yet to fully unlock the potential of this approach. LeBron's style wasn't ideally suited to playing alongside traditional, low-post big men, yet the Cavaliers continued to pair him with such players.

O'Neal, while a legend in the post, was no longer the dominant force of his prime and lacked a reliable shooting range.

His preference for operating close to the basket—65.4% of his plays were in the low post—often clogged the lane, restricting James' ability to drive and finish. In contrast, players like Zydrunas Ilgauskas ("Big Z"), who could stretch the floor with long two-pointers, complemented James much better by creating space for his drives.

In fact, statistics from this season highlighted the mismatch: when O'Neal was on the court, the Cavaliers' offensive efficiency dipped to 105.7, whereas it surged to 110.2 when he was off. The team's winning percentage was significantly higher in games O'Neal missed.

This became glaringly evident during the playoffs when the Cavaliers, despite high expectations, were eliminated by the Celtics in the second round—without even facing Dwight Howard and the Magic. In hindsight, the acquisition of O'Neal proved to be a misstep for the Cavaliers, disrupting their offensive flow more than it aided them.

James held the ball outside the arc, his eyes locked on Lian Dao, who was tasked with guarding him. He attempted to shake off Lian Dao with two quick crossovers, but the rookie wasn't fooled. Frustrated, James turned his body sideways, lowering his left shoulder as he prepared to charge. With a sudden burst of power, he drove forward, intending to bulldoze his way through.

The moment James made contact, Lian Dao braced himself, meeting the force head-on. The impact sent a sharp pain through Lian Dao's chest, and the overwhelming strength of the collision bore down on him. Yet, he refused to yield, standing his ground with determination.

James was caught off guard—this rookie wasn't backing down. The sheer audacity of Lian Dao to confront him, the league's "King," sparked a flash of irritation. In James' mind, this rookie needed to be taught a lesson.

But things didn't go as James expected. Instead of overpowering Lian Dao, the force of their collision disrupted his own dribbling. Struggling to regain control, James found himself fumbling with the ball. Seizing the opportunity, Lian Dao's large hand shot out and slapped the basketball away, sending it skidding toward midcourt.

"Smack!"

The ball ricocheted off Lian Dao's hand, and Wilson Chandler was quick to react. He sprinted forward, securing the loose ball and charging toward the open court.

James, recovering from the shock of losing the ball, immediately took off in pursuit. He closed the gap rapidly, catching up with Chandler just as he reached the paint. As Chandler prepared for a layup, James, with a determined roar, launched himself into the air, ready to swat the attempt away.

But Chandler anticipated this. Instead of completing the layup, he altered his motion mid-air, transforming his shot into a high-arching pass.

The pass was far from perfect—it was too high and seemed destined for a turnover. Chandler felt a pang of embarrassment; normally, this would have been a costly error.

However, Lian Dao, relentless in his pursuit, soared into the air, his body extending like a majestic roc. With perfect timing, he snatched the ball from the sky. In one fluid motion, he twisted his body and launched himself toward the basket. His momentum carried him directly over James, and with a thunderous force, he slammed the ball through the hoop.

"Boom!"

The dunk echoed through Madison Square Garden, momentarily silencing the crowd. James staggered backward, stunned by the sheer power of Lian Dao's play.

No one could believe what they had just witnessed. Not only did Lian Dao salvage a pass that seemed doomed to fail, but he also dunked over LeBron James himself. It was a statement, loud and clear.

Then, as if a switch had been flipped, the arena erupted into a frenzy. Deafening cheers reverberated through the stands, and Madison Square Garden came alive with excitement. Even Spike Lee leaped from his seat, pumping his fists and chanting in exhilaration.

On the Knicks' bench, the players were in awe, looking at Lian Dao as if he were a deity. They erupted into wild celebrations, waving their towels and shouting at the top of their lungs.

Even Coach D'Antoni, usually composed, was caught off guard. He stared at Lian Dao in astonishment, unable to hide his surprise. He hadn't expected this kind of brilliance from the rookie.

James was momentarily stunned by the unexpected dunk. The cheers from the crowd quickly brought him back to reality, and his expression darkened, his face resembling smoldering charcoal.

"Oh, my goodness, Kenny! Did I just see that? Haha, that's a dunk for the ages! Sickle just dunked on James—it's unbelievable!" Barkley exclaimed, his excitement palpable.

"Kenny, did you see how high Sickle jumped? It's like his legs are loaded with springs! I've never seen anything like this from him in previous games. This guy is still evolving—it's incredible!"

Barkley was so shocked that he clutched his head with wide eyes and an open mouth, his disbelief plain as day.

Kenny, equally bewildered, added, "Are all the rookies these days growing up on springs? Or has Lian Dao been eating a lot of spring chicken lately?"

"It's absolutely unbelievable—James just became the ultimate poster!" Kenny finally muttered to himself, still processing what had happened.

"This might just bring out the strongest version of James we've ever seen," he added, nodding seriously.

Barkley, now back to his senses, nodded in agreement.

As for how Lian Dao managed to leap so high and catch what seemed like a lost pass, it was thanks to the completion of a previous task: "Win NBA Rookie of the Week."

The reward for that task was a random increase of one attribute to its upper limit, and Lian Dao had lucked out—his bounce attribute was the one that increased, reaching its maximum value of 94.

Without that boost, Wilson Chandler's pass would have ended up as just another turnover, not a highlight-reel play.

The significance of a highlight is often determined by the strength of the opponent and the degree of difficulty created by a teammate's mistake. With James as the unwitting backdrop, this play was destined to be a historic moment.

However, the downside was that this incredible dunk also fueled James' competitive fire, pushing him to play even harder.