Chapter 164: One Ball, Two Dunks
"Beep!!!"
As the referee's whistle sounded, the 2013 All-Star Game officially began.
Coaches Popovich and Spoelstra did not give the players specific tactical instructions. The entertainment-focused All-Star Game allowed the players to freely showcase their skills and provide an exciting performance for basketball fans around the world.
Howard and Garnett jumped for the tip-off.
Howard tipped the ball to Wade Dong. The feeling of the All-Star Game was great, as Wade Dong had such top-tier teammates for the first time.
The lineups on the court were:
East: James, Wade, Garnett, Anthony, Rose.
West: Kobe, Wade Dong, Durant, Griffin, Howard.
Wade Dong dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, breaking past Rose's defense. Anthony came to help, but Wade Dong passed the ball behind his back, faking a pass to Howard with his left hand, but using his right elbow to pass the ball to Griffin.
The elbow pass was one of White Chocolate's signature moves.
"Huh?"
Griffin didn't expect to receive the ball like that, but the pass was so smooth that he took the ball and rushed towards the basket.
"Boom!!!"
Griffin slammed the ball into the hoop.
"Hey, Griffin!"
After Griffin's dunk, Wade Dong ran over to give him a high five.
Right from the start, Wade Dong delivered a perfect assist to Griffin for a dunk.
The East responded with a dunk from the James-Wade connection.
In the All-Star Game, unless it's the fourth quarter and the score is close, most players won't defend too seriously. One reason is to avoid injury, and another is that if the opponent has a brilliant play, they will appreciate it.
Enjoying the process is the most important thing.
After the James-Wade connection, Kobe responded with a three-pointer from Wade Dong's pass.
Both sides exchanged spectacular plays, with each score being exciting.
Four minutes into the game, Rose passed the ball to Wade, but Wade Dong intercepted it from the side and quickly dribbled to the frontcourt.
All the players stopped and watched Wade Dong bring the ball down the court alone.
The bench players also stood up, as this open-court opportunity was perfect for Wade Dong, who had just won the Slam Dunk Contest, to deliver another spectacular dunk.
A windmill dunk?
A free-throw line dunk?
A between-the-legs dunk?
Many dunk moves flashed through the minds of the players and fans, as they wondered what kind of dunk Wade Dong would perform.
Wade Dong rushed to the basket and jumped.
At this moment, some fans were already disappointed because Wade Dong was too close to the basket. At this distance, the most he could do was a powerful tomahawk dunk.
But the fans were all wrong.
They saw Wade Dong dunk the ball with his right hand, then grab the rim briefly for balance, and with his left hand, he scooped the ball back up and dunked it again.
"Swish!!!"
"Swish!!!"
Two clear sounds, one ball, two dunks!!!
This was a move from the legendary streetball player, The Goat.
Wade Dong recreated this dunk, and his version was even more difficult. He didn't cut the net, and he did it in a real game. Plus, Wade Dong's right hand only grabbed the rim for a moment to balance himself, not holding onto it the whole time.
"Wow!!!"
The arena erupted instantly.
The celebrities in the front row also stood up excitedly.
"Beep!!!"
At this moment, the referee blew the whistle, indicating that Wade Dong's basket did not count, and even gave him a technical foul with a smile.
"Huh???"
Wade Dong looked at the referee in confusion and joked, "Shouldn't this count as 4 points?"
"Hahaha..."
The arena burst into laughter.
The referee who gave Wade Dong the technical foul walked up to him and gave him a high five, asking, "Surprised? Unexpected?"
"Hahaha..."
Kobe and James also laughed loudly, giving the referee a thumbs-up.
Wade Dong's one ball, two dunks was indeed spectacular. Even in yesterday's Slam Dunk Contest, it could have scored a perfect 10. However, using this move in a game was a bit over the top. The referee gave the first technical foul in All-Star history and then went to high-five Wade Dong, adding more fun to the All-Star Game.
In many future All-Star Games, this moment would be remembered and talked about by fans.
...
Anthony and Wade returned to the backcourt for the free throw. Wade also executed the technical foul free throw.
After Wade dribbled to the frontcourt, he tried to pass the ball to Anthony again, but Wade Dong intercepted it once more.
Similarly, the other players stood still.
The fans in the arena stood up again, anticipating what kind of spectacular play Wade Dong would bring next.
The referee who had just given Wade Dong a technical foul shook his whistle vigorously and then put it back in his mouth.
He had already made up his mind that if Wade Dong performed the one ball, two dunks move again, he wouldn't give him another technical foul and would even award him 4 points.
Getting a technical foul in the All-Star Game was a first for Wade Dong. If he were to be ejected for two technical fouls, it would be the referee's lack of understanding. Moreover, in this entertainment-focused game, there was no rule about ejecting players.
However, this time, Wade Dong dribbled to the midcourt line and turned to face the East players, asking, "Aren't you going to defend me?"
"Please go ahead," James said, making a welcoming gesture. "This is your showtime!"
"In that case," Wade Dong said, standing at midcourt and launching a super long three-pointer.
"Swish!!!"
The ball went through the net.
17:14!!!
The West led the East by 3 points.
"Wow!!!"
The fans in the arena cheered again. Wade Dong's perfect jump shot from the midcourt line was even more thrilling than a dunk.
...
After 7 minutes of play, Paul substituted Wade Dong.
In the All-Star Game, the coach also had to allocate playing time well, giving each player a chance to perform. This was not the first substitution of the game. Before Wade Dong was taken out, the East had already made substitutions, with Bosh replacing Garnett and Irving replacing Rose. On the West side, Kobe had also been substituted after playing for 4 minutes.