Chapter 118 - 117: Time to Go Home, Everyone!

Chapter 118: Chapter 117: Time to Go Home, Everyone!

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

Zack came from a future where someone like Luka Doncic could 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," Zack knew 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, Zack also discovered his current weaknesses. As Jerry West had pointed out, despite Zack’s playstyle 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 help Zack break through this bottleneck on some nights. However, compared to the rapid growth of his other attributes since entering the league, Zack’s slow evolution in three-point shooting even made him suspect he was cursed by the Warriors’ #30 jersey.

Was Zack a good three-point shooter? If you only looked at the stats, in this era, his three-point shot was already quite reliable. But Zack, 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, Zack still 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’s 50+ super triple-double in Phoenix not only ignited the entire basketball world but also helped Barkley win his bet again. This successfully upgraded his [Boar Rush] badge to Superstar level.

The upgraded [Boar Rush] now boosts Zack’s instant explosiveness by 4 points when successfully triggered. Since acquiring this badge, Zack had enjoyed its benefits countless times. So, despite its not-so-flattering name, it was definitely one of Zack’s favorite badges.

And as for Pippen, who had to wear a maid outfit and kiss Barkley’s butt 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 kissing Barkley’s butt, still in that maid outfit, Pippen immediately brought up a topic that was sure to pique people’s interest: "Michael Jordan or the Messiah, who’s better? I think I’d vote for the Messiah, because he doesn’t need Scottie Pippen to win a championship."

Pippen’s remarks 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 with Jordan came out to criticize Pippen, saying he shouldn’t compare a young player who had just become an NBA icon to Jordan.

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

Chicago media gleefully mocked Pippen, saying, "One championship better than Jordan? According to Scottie Pippen, if the Warriors can repeat this year, should we then crown that Oakland Messiah as the GOAT?"

Before the All-Star break, Zack

On the 14th, after leading the Warriors to a victory over the Knicks at home, when reporters asked him about this, Zack replied, "I’m very grateful for Mr. Scottie Pippen’s evaluation. 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, Zack knew very well that Pippen, 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’s attitude toward Jordan could, 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 fight Zack for the biggest piece of the pie, that didn’t mean Artest, Richardson, and Davis would just sit idly by and not strive for their own fame and fortune. Therefore, the latter half of Pippen’s evaluation – where he said Zack didn’t need Pippen to win a championship – was essentially planting a bomb within this Warriors team. Zack was confident, that was true, but he understood the saying "when hearts scatter, the team becomes hard to lead" even better.

Zack knew 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 would Zack need 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, Zack arrived in Las Vegas with his teammate, Dunleavy. Dunleavy was set to participate in this year’s Three-Point Contest.

However, unlike Dunleavy, who had ample time to relax after arriving in Sin City, Zack was practically whisked away by various sponsors to one event after another as soon as he got off the plane. Although Zack voluntarily 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 of Foye and Gay, expressed great confidence in beating the second-year team without Zack.

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."

Zack greatly admired the "newborn calf not afraid of the tiger" spirit of this year’s rookie team. So, after the media availability, Zack didn’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. In Zack’s opinion, as long as they decisively executed the strategy of isolating and attacking Chris Paul in the game, they had a complete chance to pull off an upset.

"What were you just telling those rookies?" At the media availability, Paul asked curiously, seeing Zack chatting 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."

Paul asked curiously, "What kind of strategy are they planning?"

Zack patted Paul’s shoulder and said, "They said they have to avoid Chris Paul tomorrow because you’re just too strong."

Hearing this, Paul laughed, "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, Paul had a rather unpleasant night, being constantly isolated and attacked by the rookie team throughout the game. In this game, where Deron Williams went off, dropping 38 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists for the sophomore team and earning the Rookie Challenge MVP, Paul couldn’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 to Paul, was at least one where Paul purely 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 for Paul, 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, Zack watched the rookies team up to beat Paul with immense pleasure. "What a truly beautiful day," Zack thought to himself while sitting courtside.

The next day, considering that Zack was 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 required Zack to 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. Besides Zack and LeBron James, the participants included the defending champion Nate 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 in Zack’s memory, 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 from Zack had 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, Kobe specifically sought out Zack and 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 with Zack, faced a lot of skepticism from the media and fans, especially Zack’s fans. They were quite worried that Kobe would intentionally give Zack low scores due to their antagonistic relationship. Therefore, to avoid any misunderstanding, Kobe, knowing that Zack was even more petty than himself, felt it was necessary to state his stance and position to Zack before the contest.

But actually... even if Kobe hadn’t promised him, Zack wasn’t worried he’d give him a low score. As Kobe’s arch-nemesis, Zack knew Kobe’s character well. In fact, among the five judges this year, the one Zack really needed to watch out for was Jordan, who had just celebrated his 44th birthday. Perhaps it was because his birthday in Las Vegas hadn’t been very enjoyable, but if Zack remembered correctly, historically, Jordan would 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 Green looked astonished as he saw Zack perform just a few simple tomahawk dunks and then retreat to the side to rest. Green

However, the very next second, in front of LeBron James, who had just walked into the training facility, and the other contestants, Zack calmly 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, even LeBron James frowned, looking at the incredibly confident Zack. Unlike others, LeBron knew 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, and Jason 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, nor LeBron 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. Howard and Green’s first dunks also only received 43 and 44 points, respectively. As for Thomas? Jordan’s 7-point score for him proved just how terrible Thomas’s first dunk was.

If, before the dunk contest began, the state of basketball fans worldwide was excitement, even frenzy, then at this moment, even Zack, 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, Zack addressed Jordan, 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?"

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

Then, taking a deep breath. With the ball firmly in his right hand, Zack suddenly 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 was Aaron Gordon’s amazing dunk from the future! It was even the best dunk of his career! But at this moment, Zack did it absolutely more perfectly, more bloody, and more violently!

Seven years! Since Vince Carter personally 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 for Zack to 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, and Carter all immediately raised their 10-point cards.

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

And in the Las Vegas arena, as Michael Jordan gave his 10, from the broadcast booth, Charles Barkley, woken from his sleep by Zack’s dunk, frantically pounded Kenny Smith next to him and declared, "Go home! Everyone, go home! Ladies and gentlemen, this year’s Slam Dunk Contest is over!"

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