Chapter 62: Tang Lei Rules! Slam Dunk Champion
Under the spotlight, Tang Lei stepped back to the three-point line, adjusted himself with a few small hops, and exchanged a quick glance with Curry before charging toward the hoop. As he reached the free-throw line, Curry lobbed both basketballs high, one to the left and one to the right.
Timing it perfectly, Tang Lei reached the paint, pushed off powerfully, and launched into the air. To Curry, Tang Lei seemed like a giant bird soaring to heights only few could reach.
"Thud! Thud!"
Tang Lei grabbed both balls mid-air, slamming them into the hoop one after the other with a powerful double-handed finish. The crowd exploded with cheers. Curry clapped wildly, screaming with excitement as if he had been the one to make the dunk.
Tang Lei flashed a smile, released the rim, and dropped to the floor, celebrating with a chest bump with Curry. The five judges, without hesitation, awarded him a perfect score. The double alley-oop was no easy feat.
In his second attempt, Diallo tried to showcase his jumping skills, teaming up with Westbrook for an alley-oop. After catching the ball, he performed a kiss-the-rim motion before dunking it. While impressive, the instant replay showed he hadn't actually touched the rim, which left some fans disappointed.
Diallo scored 48 points with two judges awarding him a 9, effectively ending his chance at the title.
The spotlight returned to Tang Lei. Knowing he didn't need anything too complicated to secure the win, he executed a smooth gliding reverse dunk, drawing another round of thunderous applause. Once again, he received a perfect score, clinching the dunk contest title.
Throughout the contest, Tang Lei earned only perfect scores, thrilling the audience with each dunk and cementing his victory as well-deserved. With the trophy in hand, the Tencent live chat erupted with excitement:
"Thunder King 666! Thunder King is unbeatable! Tang Lei YYDS!"
"Every dunk was flawless, every attempt was a success—this has to be one of a kind in NBA history, right?"
"Absolutely! No doubt about it!"
"Ever since Thunder King dominated that Japanese player, it's like his inner potential has been unleashed, turning him into an unstoppable force."
"Thunder King is incredible! Even if the dunk contest isn't a major accolade, I'm sure the media back home will be all over this!"
…
After the dunk contest ended, the celebrity performers took to the stage, giving Tang Lei a chance to rest and prepare for the three-point contest.
Unlike the dunk contest, the three-point lineup was packed with star power, featuring:
• Stephen Curry
• Seth Curry
• Kemba Walker
• Dirk Nowitzki
• Damian Lillard
• Joe Harris
• Buddy Hield
• Devin Booker
• Khris Middleton
• Danny Green
• Tang Lei
Each participant had a three-point shooting percentage of over 35% this season, making it a showdown of the league's elite shooters. In this contest, consistency was key, as a single off night could mean elimination in the first round.
An hour later, after the celebrity performances concluded, the announcer introduced each player, kicking off the largest three-point contest lineup in history, with a total of eleven contestants.
After the introductions, the players drew lots to determine the shooting order. Tang Lei drew the fourth spot, a solid middle position. Sitting back in his seat, he recalled that, without his involvement, this season's title would have gone to Joe Harris from the Nets in an unexpected upset, as favorites like Curry, Lillard, and Booker were all eliminated early.
Both the dunk and three-point contests test fundamental skills and on-the-day performance. When players are in rhythm, it feels like practice, with each shot falling effortlessly. But an off night could lead to embarrassing misses and even record lows.
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