Chapter 561 Slam Dunk Contest
"Can you scream any louder?" Yang Mo turned around and leaped directly onto the podium. She grabbed the microphone from the DJ and said arrogantly, "I told you all a long time ago that I would win this championship. Who else still refuses to accept this?"
Yang Mo's words were presumptuous and arrogant, but no one dared to refute him. His strength was right in front of them, and he was just that awesome.
What greeted him was thunderous cheers. Those crazy girls were like fanatical believers. They loved Yang Mo's dominance.
There are many arrogant people in the NBA, but Yang Mo is the only one who can silence doubters and make supporters cheer.
Amidst the screams of the crowd, Yang Mo lightly leaped off the technical platform and headed straight for the center of the field. He was ready to accept the honor of winning the skills competition. In reality, this was just one step in his plan. He never doubted that he wouldn't win the championship, so as he passed by Chris Paul, he couldn't help but congratulate him: "Congratulations, you beat the other competitors and became the runner-up. You almost threatened me."
Yang Mo's congratulations came from the heart, but Chris Paul felt uncomfortable hearing it. He was also a very confident person, and he had never thought about getting second place, so he could not accept Yang Mo's condescending congratulations. To him, it sounded more like showing off.
But Yang Mo really didn't mean that.
Stern quickly presented the trophy to Yang Mo. Yang Mo accepted the trophy and, while giving his thank-you speech, said rather immodestly, "Well, I've accomplished two-thirds of my goal. Next up is the title of Slam Dunk King. Everyone, get ready for applause and cheers. It's time to witness a legend."
As cocky as ever, as arrogant as ever.
This seems to have become synonymous with Yang Mo.
Almost every NBA star was eager to slap Yang Mo in the face. If anyone could do that, no matter their previous experience, even a rookie, they would instantly become a top-tier star. But… Yang Mo had never been slapped in the face before; he was the only one who slapped others. Furthermore, he particularly loved slapping those superstars who refused to accept his defeat, like LeBron James. He had already slapped and slapped him, until his face was numb.
But now, James still refuses to accept.
He decided to challenge Yang Mo in a slam dunk contest. He'd never participated in slam dunk contests before, but when Yang Mo announced she was going for the Grand Slam, he rushed to sign up, hoping to stop her. He figured if he succeeded this time, all the previous shame would be erased, and from then on, Yang Mo would be the one being mocked.
"Be arrogant and complacent, but the higher you stand now, the harder you will fall later." LeBron James looked at the complacent Yang Mo and gritted his teeth secretly.
He was very confident in his slam dunk title, believing that with his strength and creativity, he would definitely be able to stop Yang Mo. After all, when it came to physical fitness, LeBron James was the best in the NBA.
At this time, the staff quickly cleaned up the venue and invited all the basketball legends out.
Drexler, Wilkins, Vince Carter, Michael Jordan and David Stern served as judges.
This judging panel is arguably the most impressive and influential in the history of the Slam Dunk Contest. Even Commissioner David Stern was personally present, demonstrating just how seriously the league took Yang Mo's statement. They've continually restructured the competition schedule, and even made such grand arrangements. It's undeniable that Yang Mo's position as the NBA's top player is now unshakable. James is long gone, a mere emperor who never quite reached the throne.
The judging panel was incredibly strong, and Blake Griffin made a big splash at the start of the dunk contest. He had someone drive a car in, and he planned to make his debut by jumping over the car.
"Griffin didn't give his predecessors any face at all. If he had dunked the ball, I think... the players behind him would have been under a lot of pressure. They were actually tricked by a rookie." TNT commentator Collins made a particularly malicious speculation.
"Do you think Iguodala, LeBron James, and Super Yang will be scared? This is the most gorgeous lineup since the 21st century. This year's slam dunk contest finally frees us from the nightmare of Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard. These two guys have won five slam dunk titles with their funny and boring performances. Oh my God! I almost despaired of the slam dunk contest. Fortunately, there have been earth-shaking changes this year, which have rekindled some of my confidence ." Kenny Smith said helplessly, holding his head.
"I suddenly realized that it is really difficult for Super Yang to defeat these three opponents. None of them is easy to defeat." Charles Barkley was also shocked and said somewhat ominously: "Although Super Yang is good at dunking, he is a practical player after all. He is not very good at this kind of performance game!"
In response to Charles Barkley's concerns, Collins on the side added a sour shot: "Are you trying to gain reputation for Super Yang again?"
"Haha!" Kenny Smith burst into laughter at this statement. They seemed to have gotten used to Barkley's deliberate self-deprecation. However...he hadn't expected that Barkley was serious this time.
Soon, Blake Griffin on the court began his first attempt. He took a step outside the three-point line, dribbling the ball and quickly heading towards the restricted area. When he reached the back of the car, he suddenly took off into the air. This guy's explosive power was indeed not to be underestimated, and his jumping speed and height were also extremely fast.
It’s just that... his jumping steps were a little unsatisfactory, but that didn’t hinder him too much.
When he soared in the air, like a big white bear, just when he reached the highest point and tried to dunk, Yang Mo subconsciously smiled slightly. Although it was not a mockery, he also saw Griffin's biggest flaw...his arm span was too short.
As his body fell due to gravity, Griffin had to retract his feet and then slam them hard towards the basket... Wow!
He slammed the basketball into the basket from a distance, and the huge noise made the whole audience scream and cheer. Everyone thought he had succeeded, and the angle of the camera above his head also showed that he had indeed succeeded in dunking.
But from the sidelines' perspective, he didn't succeed, he just smashed the ball into the net.
But this was already remarkable; he had, after all, leaped over a small car. If his wingspan were as long as Yang Mo's, he would have definitely succeeded.
9 points! 9 points! 9 points! 8 points, 10 points!
The five judges gave scores based on this. Except for Jordan who gave 8 points and Stern who gave 10 points, the rest of the judges gave 9 points, for a total of 45 points.
This result left some fans unsatisfied, as from the camera's perspective, it was a perfect move! Could the remaining contestants have done better?
Amidst the skepticism, Iguodala began his performance. He originally planned to dunk over his teammates, but now that Griffin can fly cars, his flying man would seem like picking up leftovers, and what he picked up would be rotten rice.
But he couldn't think of any good solution at the moment, so he could only rush forward and do a powerful windmill. He swung the windmill with great force and smoothness, but it lacked the gracefulness of a windmill .
9 points, 9 points, 8 points, 8 points, 10 points.
This time, Carter and Jordan each gave only eight points, while Stern still gave ten. He looked like he'd been drafted in at short notice, with all the other players giving ten just to make up the numbers. However, his presence as league president to make up the numbers also served as a great publicity stunt for the game.
Forty-four points would have been a safe score in previous slam dunk contests, but tonight, it seemed destined for a runner-up position. They weren't even eligible to enter the finals.
Iguodala didn't care much about this. When he left the court, he even high-fived LeBron James, who came on next.
James walked onto the court, full of confidence. He even raised his arms deliberately to encourage the fans to cheer even louder.
Then he waved to the cheerleaders behind the bench and personally went forward to invite three cheerleaders.
Wearing a Miami Heat jersey, a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey and... a New York Knicks jersey.
When he invited the three cheerleaders onto the field, Yang Mo immediately felt hostility.
Why drag the Knicks into this for no reason? Is it a provocation?
