After the game, surrounded by a throng of reporters in the locker room,Zacksurprisingly remained the only one who kept his cool.

Zackcame from a future where someone likeLuka Donciccould drop a mind-blowing 73 points in a single game on just 33 shots (25-for-33). He’d personally witnessed the miraculous 60-point, 21-rebound, 10-assist performance of the 198 cm tall Doncic.

Even though the NBA of this era was a completely different beast from the future’s NBA, on the court, as the Suns kept pushing the pace, turning this game into something very close to the "small-ball era,"Zackknew exactly what he’d proven: the sheer power of a primary ball-handler when the entire team’s tactical resources are focused on him.

Of course, a night like this wouldn’t happen every day. But after settling into the "sewers" (a metaphor for the grind of the season) this season,Zackalso discovered his current weaknesses. AsJerry Westhad pointed out, despiteZack’splaystyle giving him a scoring explosiveness that traditional superstar big men lacked, his overall production was still unavoidably limited by his height and weight.

Optimizing his scoring structure further might helpZackbreak through this bottleneck on some nights. However, compared to the rapid growth of his other attributes since entering the league,Zack’sslow evolution in three-point shooting even made him suspect he was cursed by the Warriors’ #30 jersey.

WasZacka good three-point shooter? If you only looked at the stats, in this era, his three-point shot was already quite reliable. ButZack, who always found easy three-point looks in games, knew better than anyone that to turn the three-point shot into a regular weapon for increasing his production, he still had a very long road ahead. At least compared to the future’s primary ball-handlers who averaged 8 or more three-point attempts per game,Zackstill needed a lot of "violent" pull-up two-pointers to support his scoring.

"After leading your team to a incredibly convincing 50+ super triple-double victory on the road against the Suns, many people believe you’ve already locked up this year’s regular season MVP. What are your thoughts on that?"

"I’m delighted that so many insightful people share my view. The NBA truly has more and more fans who understand the game."

"After tonight, you’ve become the fourth player in NBA history to achieve a 50+ super triple-double in a game. What do you think was the most crucial factor?"

"The key is to take your job seriously and give your all on the court."

Zack’s50+ super triple-double in Phoenix not only ignited the entire basketball world but also helpedBarkleywin his bet again. This successfully upgraded his[Boar Rush]badge to Superstar level.

The upgraded[Boar Rush]now boostsZack’sinstant explosiveness by 4 points when successfully triggered. Since acquiring this badge,Zackhad enjoyed its benefits countless times. So, despite its not-so-flattering name, it was definitely one ofZack’sfavorite badges.

And as forPippen, who had to wear a maid outfit and kissBarkley’sbutt because he lost the bet? That was, without a doubt, the most eye-watering scene in the basketball world in the 21st century. The day the "GOAT of second bananas,"Pippen, showed up in a maid outfit... only God knows how many people’s perceptions were shattered in that moment.

However,Pippen, who always had a "making money isn’t shameful" attitude, seemed unbothered by it. In fact, right after kissingBarkley’sbutt, still in that maid outfit,Pippenimmediately brought up a topic that was sure to pique people’s interest: "Michael Jordanor the Messiah, who’s better? I think I’d vote for the Messiah, because he doesn’t needScottie Pippento win a championship."

Pippen’sremarks on the day he fulfilled his bet caused a massive uproar throughout the basketball world. Many members of the Bulls dynasty who hadn’t yet fallen out withJordancame out to criticizePippen, saying he shouldn’t compare a young player who had just become an NBA icon toJordan.

Steve Kerrcommented, "In this world full of noise and impatience, some people seem to have forgotten the purest essence of basketball – passion, dreams, and legacy.Michael’sgreatness shouldn’t be defined by simple statistical comparisons or shallow public opinion.Michael’sbrilliance is enough to illuminate the entire river of basketball history."

Chicago media gleefully mockedPippen, saying, "One championship better thanJordan? According toScottie Pippen, if the Warriors can repeat this year, should we then crown that Oakland Messiah as the GOAT?"

Before the All-Star break,Zack, who was busy leading the Warriors to win as many remaining games as possible, never expectedPippento slap that "one championship better than Jordan" label on him.

On the 14th, after leading the Warriors to a victory over the Knicks at home, when reporters asked him about this,Zackreplied, "I’m very grateful forMr. Scottie Pippen’sevaluation. However, I must state that I don’t agree with his statement. Because basketball has never been a sport just for superstar players; the Warriors have always been a united team. Without my excellent teammates, I would never have achieved what I have today."

As someone who’d been there and done that,Zackknew very well thatPippen, who was currently willing to sacrifice everything for money, seemed to be praising him but was actually just trying to take a jab at his former teammate,Jordan. After all, since retiring,Pippen’sattitude towardJordancould, at the very least, be described as estranged, if not outright hostile.

Currently, there was a very delicate balance within the Warriors. While no player would fightZackfor the biggest piece of the pie, that didn’t meanArtest,Richardson, andDaviswould just sit idly by and not strive for their own fame and fortune. Therefore, the latter half ofPippen’sevaluation – where he saidZackdidn’t needPippento win a championship – was essentially planting a bomb within this Warriors team.Zackwas confident, that was true, but he understood the saying "when hearts scatter, the team becomes hard to lead" even better.

Zackknew that the fundamental reason the Warriors could stick together was that everyone recognized his leadership. So, how could he possibly break the Warriors’ current balance with his own hands? Besides, in this life, why wouldZackneed others to crown him? Just like what he did in his rookie season, he was confident he would claim that GOAT crown himself in the future.

On the 16th, as the brightest superstar in the dazzling sky of the All-Star weekend,Zackarrived in Las Vegas with his teammate,Dunleavy.Dunleavywas set to participate in this year’s Three-Point Contest.

However, unlikeDunleavy, who had ample time to relax after arriving in Sin City,Zackwas practically whisked away by various sponsors to one event after another as soon as he got off the plane. AlthoughZackvoluntarily withdrew from the Rookie Challenge to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest, he still attended the traditional media availability before the Rookie Challenge.

In recent years, the second-year players, who never backed down in the Rookie Challenge, only had an unexpected outcome last year. However, since the absolute core who led the first-year rookies to upset the sophomores last year would be sitting out this year, both the Rockets’ trade-acquired No. 1 pick,Bargnani, and the Grizzlies’ backcourt duo ofFoyeandGay, expressed great confidence in beating the second-year team withoutZack.

This season, "Little King"Brandon Roy, who was averaging 17.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists for the Bobcats, said in an interview, "I know they have more experience than us, but in a basketball game, experience doesn’t mean everything."

Zackgreatly admired the "newborn calf not afraid of the tiger" spirit of this year’s rookie team. So, after the media availability,Zackdidn’t forget to remind the rookie team who the softest target on the sophomore team was.

This rookie team had quite a few skilled players on the wings. InZack’sopinion, as long as they decisively executed the strategy of isolating and attackingChris Paulin the game, they had a complete chance to pull off an upset.

"What were you just telling those rookies?" At the media availability,Paulasked curiously, seeingZackchatting and laughing with the group of rookies.

Seeing this,Zack, without batting an eye, replied, "I was asking them about their game plan for tomorrow."

Paulasked curiously, "What kind of strategy are they planning?"

ZackpattedPaul’sshoulder and said, "They said they have to avoidChris Paultomorrow because you’re just too strong."

Hearing this,Paullaughed, "They’re a lovely bunch of young men. Don’t worry, I won’t go all out tomorrow like some others."

Go all out?

On the evening of the 17th,Paulhad a rather unpleasant night, being constantly isolated and attacked by the rookie team throughout the game. In this game, whereDeron Williamswent off, dropping 38 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists for the sophomore team and earning the Rookie Challenge MVP,Paulcouldn’t understand why all the wing players on the rookie team seemed to be on fire, like they’d eaten "dinosaur whip" (a reference to something that boosts virility and strength in Asian culture).

This was a game that, if not entirely unrelated toPaul, was at least one wherePaulpurely got a free ride. The second-year veterans, seasoned by a year in the NBA, consistently dominated the first-year rookies on the court. Except forPaul, who played a total of 24 minutes and only managed 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, he perfectly exemplified the phrase, "everyone else is showing off, but I’m the only one getting beaten."

From the sidelines,Zackwatched the rookies team up to beatPaulwith immense pleasure. "What a truly beautiful day,"Zackthought to himself while sitting courtside.

The next day, considering thatZackwas about to team up with his good buddy and several other dunking masters to put on a "great competition" that night—a competition with the highest level of attention since the 2000 Oakland All-Star Weekend—even the Slam Dunk Contest’s sponsor, Coca-Cola, unusually only requiredZackto attend the pre-event warm-up.

How would one describe the level of attention for this year’s Slam Dunk Contest?

Firstly, judging by the participant list, this year’s Slam Dunk Contest was absolutely stacked. BesidesZackandLeBron James, the participants included the defending championNate Robinson, "Nine-Fingered Dunk God"Gerald Green, "Superman"Dwight Howard, and the Blazers’ pick from last summer,Tyrus Thomas.

Secondly, the NBA also invited five former Slam Dunk Contest champions to serve as judges. They were: "Dr. J"Julius Erving, "His Airness"Michael Jordan, "Human Highlight Film"Dominique Wilkins, "Half-Man, Half-Amazing"Vince Carter, and "Black Mamba"Kobe Bryant.

Although inZack’smemory, the NBA had originally planned to invite these five legendary Slam Dunk Contest champions to be this year’s judges, the pre-contest trash talk fromZackhad elevated the attention for this year’s dunk contest to an unprecedented level. The presence of these five former champions undoubtedly added another layer of hype to this upcoming "great competition."

That afternoon, during rehearsal,Kobespecifically sought outZackand said, "I will never intentionally give you a low score for personal reasons." Before the contest,Kobe, who was known to have a strained relationship withZack, faced a lot of skepticism from the media and fans, especiallyZack’sfans. They were quite worried thatKobewould intentionally giveZacklow scores due to their antagonistic relationship. Therefore, to avoid any misunderstanding,Kobe, knowing thatZackwas even more petty than himself, felt it was necessary to state his stance and position toZackbefore the contest.

But actually... even ifKobehadn’t promised him,Zackwasn’t worried he’d give him a low score. AsKobe’sarch-nemesis,ZackknewKobe’scharacter well. In fact, among the five judges this year, the oneZackreally needed to watch out for wasJordan, who had just celebrated his 44th birthday. Perhaps it was because his birthday in Las Vegas hadn’t been very enjoyable, but ifZackremembered correctly, historically,Jordanwould have an extremely strict scoring standard for this year’s Slam Dunk Contest.

"You’re going to compete with just these few moves?" On the practice court,Gerald Greenlooked astonished as he sawZackperform just a few simple tomahawk dunks and then retreat to the side to rest.Green, eager to showZackwhat dunking was all about, couldn’t believe thatZackwould be so nonchalant during the warm-up. Because usually, even if players didn’t want to reveal their dunk contest moves, they would still perform some difficult dunks during warm-ups to make sure their bodies were loose.

However, the very next second, in front ofLeBron James, who had just walked into the training facility, and the other contestants,Zackcalmly stated, "Instead of worrying about me, you should think about how you’re going to beat them to compete for second place."

What kind of moves did he have planned that made him so arrogant? In that moment, evenLeBron Jamesfrowned, looking at the incredibly confidentZack. Unlike others,LeBronknew his good friend well. He would only be this confident when he had absolute certainty.

That night, amidst the endless spin of roulette wheels and the clatter of chips in "Sin City,"Dwyane Wade, who had successfully navigated the Skills Challenge, andJason Kapono, who had shot his way to the Three-Point Contest championship with a high score of 24 points in the final, both became afterthoughts.

Perhaps that description is an exaggeration, but the "great competition" about to unfold had already, inevitably, stolen the spotlight from all the other All-Star Weekend events this year.

However, the bigger the hope, the greater the disappointment for the live audience, who only snapped out of their monotonous state when the grand finale,Zack, finally took the stage.

With the NBA’s deliberate arrangements, neither the defending champion,Nate Robinson, who came out first, norLeBron James, who came out second to last and scored 45 points with a far-away between-the-legs tomahawk dunk, could make the audience feel the true magic of the dunk contest.HowardandGreen’sfirst dunks also only received 43 and 44 points, respectively. As forThomas?Jordan’s7-point score for him proved just how terribleThomas’sfirst dunk was.

If, before the dunk contest began, the state of basketball fans worldwide was excitement, even frenzy, then at this moment, evenZack, about to make his grand entrance, couldn’t stir a ripple in the hearts of these thoroughly disappointed fans.

In that moment,Zack, fully sensing the low energy in the arena, had to temporarily change his strategy.

The next second, walking directly to the judges’ table,ZackaddressedJordan, who was giving stricter scores than anyone else tonight, "Michael, wanna make a bet?"

Hearing this,Jordan, who was almost falling asleep, forced himself to perk up and opened his sleepy eyes, "What do you want to bet on?"

Zackreplied, "I bet you’ll give me a 10 on this dunk."

Then, taking a deep breath. With the ball firmly in his right hand,Zacksuddenly charged towards the paint. After a full 360-degree spin in the air, he unleashed a powerful, single-arm aerial 360-degree spin dunk, explosively slamming the ball into the hoop!

This wasAaron Gordon’samazing dunk from the future! It was even the best dunk of his career! But at this moment,Zackdid it absolutely more perfectly, more bloody, and more violently!

Seven years! SinceVince Carterpersonally killed the dunk contest seven years ago in Oakland, the NBA hadn’t seen such an explosive dunk in a full seven years!

Courtside,Carmelo Anthony, who was filming with a camera, loudly exclaimed, "My God, how did he do that?!"

Underneath the basket,Paul, who had been waiting forZackto complete his dunk, simply punched that damned basketball towards the ceiling, "Why are we still competing? The game’s over!"

At the judges’ table.Kobe,Erving,Wilkins, andCarterall immediately raised their 10-point cards.

AndJordan? Slowly picking up each scorecard from the table and slamming them down one by one, soon, only one card remained in front ofJordan. That card... was the 10, which filledJordanwith immense joy, yet also made his heart stop.

And in the Las Vegas arena, asMichael Jordangave his 10, from the broadcast booth,Charles Barkley, woken from his sleep byZack’sdunk, frantically poundedKenny Smithnext to him and declared, "Go home! Everyone, go home! Ladies and gentlemen, this year’s Slam Dunk Contest is over!"

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com