The judges raised their signs. Except for Shawn Kemp, all four gave perfect scores of 10, while Kemp scored a 9.
Kemp, known for his eccentric personality, later explained his decision to give Li Feng a 9.
He stated it was because he disliked Michael Jordan's dunking style after Jordan defeated him in the NBA Finals.
Of course, Kemp was joking. He knew that his 9 wouldn't affect the outcome since everyone else scored a 10.
49 points!
Li Feng achieved the highest score in the first round!
According to the rules, the top two scorers would advance to the second round.
Therefore, Shannon Brown, Gordon, and Wallace were eliminated.
Li Feng and Nate Robinson advanced to the final round!
This year's dunk contest was exceptionally exciting, with two relatively short players making it to the finals.
In the second round, Nate Robinson chose to bounce the ball off the floor, catch it in mid-air, and then execute a spinning dunk.
While not an extremely difficult move, it required a bit of luck for a player of his 5'9" stature.
The ball had to bounce from the floor at the precise height and force for him to successfully catch and dunk it. Even a slight miscalculation wouldn't work.
As the audience watched with anticipation, Nate Robinson ran towards the basket.
Unfortunately, the first attempt at bouncing the ball wasn't high enough, and Nate Robinson failed to complete the dunk.
The crowd let out sighs of disappointment.
Li Feng walked over, high-fived Nate Robinson, and shouted words of encouragement, "Come on! You can do it!"
On his second attempt, he finally succeeded.
However, his execution was a bit stiff.
It was understandable. This was his second chance, and failure would mean immediate elimination, forcing him to complete the dunk with sheer determination.
The judges awarded him 47 points.
If Li Feng performed as usual, he was likely to win the championship.
However, instead of playing it safe with an ordinary dunk, Li Feng opted for an extremely difficult move.
He decided to throw the ball off the side edge of the backboard, catch it on the rebound, and then dunk it.
It's important to note that the side edge of the backboard is very thin, meaning the rebound path could be unpredictable.
Furthermore, it was a considerable distance from the basket. When Li Feng announced his intention before the dunk, the entire arena erupted in a murmur.
"Is that even possible? That's so creative!"
"Li Feng is only 6'3", can he pull it off?"
"If he fails, Nate Robinson will get his second consecutive win. That would be a shame for Li Feng."
"Maybe Li Feng does this kind of thing often?"
...
Under the anxious yet hopeful gazes of the audience, Li Feng walked onto the court.
He took a deep breath and threw the ball towards the side edge of the backboard.
Unfortunately, the rebound went in the wrong direction. Li Feng jumped to catch the ball in mid-air, but he was too far from the basket.
Dunk failed!
A collective sigh of regret echoed from the audience and the judges.
If this creative dunk had succeeded, it would have been a classic move, undoubtedly etched in history.
Li Feng was still a bit nervous. He stood still for a moment to compose himself and threw the ball again.
*Thwack!*
This time, the ball hit the side edge perfectly and bounced straight out. Li Feng soared into the air, caught the ball, and with a mighty swing, slammed it towards the hoop!
To be honest, even with the perfect trajectory, the catch position was still too far from the basket.
Without exceptional leaping ability and hang time, it would have been impossible to complete.
But Li Feng, under the intense gaze of thousands, managed to dunk the ball!
*Bam!*
The entire stadium erupted in a roar!
"Li Feng is awesome!"
"Long live Li Feng!"
"That was so electrifying!"
...
Not only the audience, but even the five legendary dunkers on the judging panel stood up involuntarily, applauding Li Feng's spectacular dunk.
Li Feng was also immensely excited. He had only managed about a 50% success rate during practice before the event.
But today, he performed admirably, making the second attempt a perfect slam!
Nate Robinson and the other dunk contestants rushed over to hug Li Feng in celebration.
Although the judges hadn't given their scores yet, everyone knew Li Feng was the champion. This dunk had captivated everyone!
Finally, the judges revealed their scores: a perfect 50!
As a rookie, Li Feng not only became the leading vote-getter for the All-Star game but also won the Slam Dunk Contest!
While the dunk contest championship wasn't a hardcore honor, Li Feng, a 6'3" guard, winning it demonstrated his incredible physical prowess!
Following the dunk contest was the Three-Point Shootout.
Li Feng had already registered for the Three-Point Shootout because he wanted to compete against Stephen Curry.
In another parallel universe, Curry lost the Three-Point Shootout to Paul Pierce, which Li Feng found unbelievable later on.
He surmised that Curry, in his early years in the league, likely lacked sufficient confidence, which led to the three-point title slipping away.
...
The players participating in the Three-Point Shootout were Li Feng, Paul Pierce, Stephen Curry, Channing Frye, and Daequan Cook.
Daequan Cook was the defending champion from the previous year.
Before the competition, Li Feng and Curry embraced and had a quiet conversation.
Many in the audience focused their attention on the two of them.
The Splash Brothers!
Their three-point shooting ability displayed throughout the season was breathtaking.
Fans eagerly anticipated them showcasing even higher levels of skill in this year's shootout!
Paul Pierce was the first to compete. He only made one shot from the first spot, but his accuracy improved as he progressed.
Unfortunately, he missed the final money ball, scoring a total of 17 points.
Chauncey Billups went second. He started off hot, making his first four shots!
However, he also missed the money ball.
From the final shooting point, Billups missed his first two shots but then made consecutive baskets, ultimately scoring 17 points as well.
Curry was third. He made his first four shots from the initial spot, but missed the money ball. It was the same for the second spot, where he made all shots except the money ball.
Although Curry only managed to make one money ball at the end, his high accuracy on the other shots allowed him to score 18 points, temporarily taking the lead!
Li Feng was the fourth participant.
He started with a cold hand, missing his first two shots. However, he found his rhythm on the third attempt and began making shots consecutively, including the money ball.
The second spot was also good, with Li Feng making 4 shots, including the money ball.
The audience became excited, believing Li Feng would score highly today!
Unexpectedly, Li Feng completely lost his accuracy at the top of the arc, making only one shot, and missing the final money ball.
Li Feng's heart sank. If he faltered further, he would be in trouble.
However, Li Feng possessed exceptional adjustment capabilities.
From the fourth spot, Li Feng made 4 shots, including the money ball.
He had already scored 14 points.
If he could score 5 points from the last spot, he would definitely advance to the next round.
Li Feng did not disappoint, sinking 4 shots from the final spot, earning 5 points.
19 points!
He surpassed Curry and was temporarily in first place.
Li Feng raised his arms high, acknowledging and thanking the audience.
Curry also walked over, laughing, and hugged Li Feng in celebration. The "Splash Brothers" lived up to their name, securing the top two spots in the first round.
However, the defending champion, Daequan Cook, had yet to compete.
The reigning champion, Cook, went last. He had a frigid shooting hand at his first and fourth spots, making incredibly poor shots.
Ultimately, he only scored 15 points and was eliminated early.
This meant Li Feng and Curry advanced to the finals.
Paul Pierce and Chauncey Billups both scored 17 points, forcing a tiebreaker between them, as only three players could advance to the finals.
As a result, Paul Pierce scored another 17 points, while Billups faltered, scoring only 14 points and being eliminated.
Li Feng, Curry, and Pierce made it to the final round.
Naturally, all eyes were on Li Feng and Curry.
Everyone wanted to know who among the "Splash Brothers" was the superior three-point shooter!
Paul Pierce was aware of the audience's expectations and felt a surge of competitiveness.
So, as the first competitor, he unleashed his full firepower.
*Swish, swish, swish!*
Pierce made all five of his money balls, ultimately scoring an impressive 20 points!
The crowd erupted in cheers, with most believing Pierce was destined to be the champion!
Li Feng and Curry exchanged glances, their expressions serious.
If the "Splash Brothers" were defeated by Pierce, it would be quite embarrassing.
Their nickname would become a subject of ridicule.
...
Curry competed second. He initially maintained his poor shooting touch, sinking only one money ball.
However, starting from the second spot, he began a magical performance.
*Swish, swish, swish!*
In the end, Curry scored 21 points, surpassing Pierce and temporarily taking the lead.
After making the final shot, Pierce clutched his head, looking incredulous.
Upon making the basket, Curry let out an excited roar, seemingly venting his frustrations from the first half of the season.
The audience's attention shifted back to Li Feng.
Li Feng was under immense pressure.
Li Feng had just scored 19 points, and now Curry had shot a 21, almost forcing Li Feng to deliver an extraordinary performance.
Li Feng stood at the first spot, warming up his wrist, and started the timer!
*Swish, swish, swish!*
Li Feng's touch was good at the first spot, making all five shots!
The audience became ecstatic, and Curry applauded and cheered for Li Feng.
The second spot didn't go as well; Li Feng missed two shots, but thankfully, made the money ball.
The third spot was better than in the first round, with Li Feng making three out of five shots.
The fourth spot also saw Li Feng make three out of five shots.
By this point, Li Feng had scored 17 points!
He needed to score 5 points from the last spot to defeat Curry and claim the championship!
Li Feng's eyes were fixed solely on the hoop, oblivious to any sound, completely focused!
*Swish, swish, swish*, Li Feng made his first three shots, reaching 20 points.
However, the fourth shot bounced off the rim.
If he made the final money ball, Li Feng would be the champion!
If he missed, the championship would go to Curry.
Seeing that he had 4 seconds left, Li Feng steadied himself, held his breath again, and calmly took the shot!
The entire audience stared at the arc of the basketball, anticipating a miracle.
*Swish!*
Nothing but net!
22 points!
Li Feng staged a comeback victory!
After winning the Slam Dunk Contest, Li Feng had surprisingly also won the Three-Point Shootout!
This was a first in NBA history!
Curry wasn't disappointed that Li Feng had overtaken him.
The moment Li Feng's shot went in, Curry jumped up excitedly, then rushed towards Li Feng and celebrated with a chest bump.
The bond between the "Splash Brothers" was that strong, and Curry showed great sportsmanship, genuinely happy for Li Feng's success.
Li Feng and Curry embraced tightly; they were both winners today!
...
The next event of the All-Star weekend was the Skills Challenge.
Li Feng did not participate in this event. Ultimately, Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns won the challenge.
...
The All-Star Game commenced.
Before this game, Yao Ming had cautioned Li Feng.
Yao Ming informed him that as an international player, and specifically a Chinese player, Li Feng had become the leading vote-getter in his rookie season.
This might cause dissatisfaction among many domestic players.
Therefore, Li Feng might face ostracization during the All-Star Game and not receive passes.
Heeding Yao Ming's advice, Li Feng was mentally prepared.
The coach for the Eastern All-Stars was Stan Van Gundy, the head coach of the Orlando Magic.
The coach for the Western All-Stars was George Karl, the head coach of the Denver Nuggets.
In reality, All-Star Game coaches were primarily honorary, rarely implementing complex strategies, and relying mostly on players' individual performances on the court.
Despite his prior preparation, Li Feng sensed an unusual atmosphere as soon as the All-Star Game tipped off.
After the opening tip-off, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade firmly controlled the ball.
Li Feng barely got a touch of the ball.
However, Li Feng didn't complain or get upset.
Firstly, he didn't view the All-Star Game as a formal competition. Secondly, everyone involved was an All-Star, and Li Feng was happy to let others showcase their skills.
Therefore, Li Feng didn't fight for the ball, instead positioning himself in the corner on offense to create space for his teammates.
On defense, Li Feng exerted about half of his usual effort.
All-Star Games weren't just about basketball; they were about relationships and unspoken understandings, which Li Feng understood well.
As a result, halfway through the first quarter, the Western Conference held a significant lead.
26:14.
Even though the All-Star Game wasn't a regular season match, the Eastern Conference players looked dejected with such a large deficit.
At this point, the entire crowd was chanting Li Feng's name.
This was because Li Feng had zero shot attempts in the first quarter, which was highly unusual.
At this moment, Van Gundy called the first timeout.
While he was hesitant to offend the star players, he subtly suggested that Li Feng should receive more passes.
James and Wade wore displeased expressions, but with the coach and fans supporting Li Feng, they couldn't go too far.
After the timeout, LeBron James passed the ball to Li Feng.
Li Feng lived up to expectations, driving the length of the court and dunking over Tim Duncan at the basket!
Poor Duncan once again became the highlight reel backdrop.
However, Duncan was known for his good nature and never got angry about being dunked on.
Instead, he would often protect the dunking player to prevent injuries.
Once Li Feng gained control of the ball, he began to dominate the game.
Although neither team was playing at full intensity, Li Feng was unstoppable.
By the 10-minute mark of the first quarter, the score was 36:34, with the West only leading by 2 points.
Li Feng had shot 6 times, making 5, leading the Eastern Conference in their comeback.
Subsequently, the main starters were substituted, and the bench players entered the game.
The bench strength of both the East and West was comparable, resulting in a closely contested game with the lead changing hands frequently.
About four minutes into the second quarter, Durant and Billups of the Western Conference suddenly went on a scoring spree, widening the gap again.