Chapter 114: Chapter 113: A Great Rivalry
Every time he visited Staples Center, Zack would tell Lakers fans "Good night, Los Angeles," wishing them sweet dreams. And in the City of Angels, he truly had a wonderful night.
He didn’t contact Khloe Kardashian after the game because, among the Kardashian family, he was only interested in Kendall Jenner. But Kendall Jenner was only 11 years old at the time, a rebellious teenager. Zack didn’t want to be investigated by the FBI, nor did he have a fetish for dating minors.
So, after leading his team to victory over the Lakers, Zack’s date that night was someone else entirely—an Asian girl who looked a lot like the future Suzuki Airi. They met at a Japanese fried beef cutlet restaurant in Los Angeles called "Kobe-Gyukatsu." Zack effortlessly got her contact information and, through his actions, once again proved that not all Angelenos hated him. At the very least, Zack thoroughly enjoyed that delicious "Kobe fried beef cutlet."
The next morning, when Zack returned to the team’s hotel, he quickly saw a similar sense of satisfaction on his teammates’ faces. Evidently, even the fringe players on the Warriors had a great time in Los Angeles last night.
Zack wasn’t interested in his teammates’ private lives, but Jack proactively reported to him: "Last night, Andris invited everyone to a party."
Zack chuckled, "From now on, you don’t need to report things like this to me." In the NBA, every player has their own private life. Zack was indeed the Warriors’ star player, but he couldn’t possibly meddle in his teammates’ personal affairs.
However, Jack clearly wasn’t trying to report the details of the party to Zack. "You mean you think Andris is being a bit unscrupulous in his attempt to move up?"
Jack nodded, "Ever since Kwame got injured, Andris has been trying to curry favor with his teammates."
Zack patted Jack on the shoulder and said, "It’s not a bad thing to have a good relationship with teammates. Andris isn’t doing anything wrong." Zack knew very well that Biedriņš, who would become the Warriors’ captain in the future, must have his exceptional qualities. This handsome Latvian young man was always generous and open-hearted. Just take last night’s party as an example—Biedriņš, still on a "child labor salary," spent a full two hundred thousand dollars to make sure his teammates had a blast. With that kind of generosity and extravagance, how could his teammates not like him?
Zack knew that Jack had a deeper friendship with Kwame Brown, but in the NBA, you eventually have to back up your talk with skill. If Brown didn’t even have the confidence to suppress Biedriņš, then whoever was next in line for the position, would get it.
A Different Kind of Challenge: Celtics & Gerald Green
A day later, the Warriors returned to their home court at Oracle Arena to face the Boston Celtics. "Red Auerbach" had passed away last October. This made Zack very curious: what kind of moves would the Celtics make this summer to honor Auerbach’s spirit? But no matter what the Celtics did in the future, it couldn’t change the fact that they were currently ranked last in the Eastern Conference.
Zack didn’t take many shots in this game, only attempting 11 shots in total. Since entering January, as Davis, Brown, and Murphy were successively sidelined due to injuries, Zack’s corresponding game load as the Warriors’ star player also increased. Since he rarely encountered a weak team, Zack naturally had to leave the opportunity to shine to his teammates.
However... Gerald Green, on the Celtics, was very dissatisfied with Zack’s "wellness basketball." The reason for Green’s dissatisfaction was that as the "dunking master" Zack had predicted would compete for the runner-up title in the Las Vegas All-Star Weekend Dunk Contest, Green really wanted to prove Zack wrong with his performance in the game. But Zack’s "wellness mode," which he activated from the start of the game, always made Green feel like he seemed to look down on these Celtics.
So, after coming off the bench, Green actively called out to Zack: "Show me what you’ve got! Otherwise, you won’t get my approval!"
Your approval? Who do you think you are?
Green wasn’t wrong; Zack did look down on these Celtics. Because the Eastern Conference’s top team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, had already been thoroughly beaten by all six of the top teams in the Western Conference in previous games... so what right did these last-place Celtics have to make Zack look at them in a high regard?
Admittedly, respecting every game and every opponent is a necessary quality for a professional player. But in the NBA, where you play 82 regular season games a year, if Zack respected every single game, what would the Warriors have left to defend their championship in the playoffs?
However, considering the opponent’s active request... Zack didn’t mind putting in a little more effort on defense.
On the court, it was the Celtics’ offensive possession. Guided by the pass of the legendary "Supreme Emperor" Delonte West, Gerald Green finally got the chance to attack the Warriors’ paint. In that moment, Green, after receiving the ball, put all his strength into it... he vowed to tell the overly arrogant Zack with an elegant yet powerful windmill dunk that in the NBA, especially when it comes to dunking, there’s always someone better!
When he participated in the draft combine in 2005, Gerald Green, with a vertical leap exceeding 110 centimeters (approximately 43 inches), always had absolute confidence in his jumping ability and quickness. Although Green was forced to have a finger amputated due to an infection in childhood, this "nine-fingered dunker" never believed he was inferior to anyone when it came to dunking! In Green’s eyes, Zack’s dunks were simply violent slams; he didn’t understand the beauty of dunking at all.
But... just as Green swung his arm, preparing to educate Zack with that jaw-dropping windmill dunk, the next second, Zack effortlessly reached a height that Green needed to jump with all his might to achieve. Was a 110-centimeter vertical leap astonishing? It certainly was. But given Zack’s standing reach and his jumping ability, he only needed a slight jump to reach a height that Green would struggle to ever achieve in his lifetime. This was the absolute gap in talent between the two, and it couldn’t be reversed.
Slap!
In the Warriors’ paint, Zack swatted Green and the ball out of bounds, then casually said to Green, who was lying on the floor: "If this is all you’ve got, I’ll ask for a children’s hoop for you in the Dunk Contest."
Final score: 94-121.
After the game, Zack, who easily put up 18 points, 17 rebounds, 14 assists, 6 blocks, and 1 steal for the Warriors, felt that his "killer block" on Green during the game ultimately cost him a chance at a quadruple-double. Because after that shocking block, no Celtics player dared to drive to the basket for the rest of the game!
As the backdrop for Zack’s "murderous block" in the game, Gerald Green was not convinced afterwards: "I know he can easily touch over 380 centimeters (approximately 12 feet 5 inches), but dunking isn’t about who can touch higher. I admit he blocked me terribly tonight, but at the Las Vegas All-Star Weekend, I’ll show the world with my performance that his claim that we’re only fit to compete for the runner-up in the Dunk Contest is a bit too arrogant."
Green was a dunker with ambition. This made Zack look at him with new respect. Zack always appreciated players with ambition. Because of them, the NBA was so exciting.
The All-Star Dunk Contest: A Looming Clash
In January, the harsh words Zack had unleashed after his third "Good night, Los Angeles" night had become a major topic of conversation among fans after dinner. People were extremely curious about what dunks Zack would perform in the Dunk Contest.
"Will he take off from the free-throw line?" "I think he’ll win over the crowd with a 360-windmill." "Since he dared to say that everyone else only deserved to compete for runner-up, he must have some original moves planned."
For the NBA, Zack deciding to participate in the Dunk Contest was undoubtedly the sight the league most wanted to see. For many years, the Dunk Contest had lacked star power and creativity, so much so that many even believed the NBA should cancel this traditional All-Star Weekend event. "No Dunk Contest after Vince Carter"—this was the long-standing consensus among people about the dull and uninspired Dunk Contest.
Therefore, when Zack, the flag-bearer of the NBA, decided to participate in January of this year and issued a challenge before the event, hoping more dunkers would join to compete for the runner-up title... all of a sudden, the Las Vegas All-Star Weekend instantly became a hot topic among basketball enthusiasts, and quite possibly the most anticipated All-Star Weekend in recent years.
"LeBron, many fans hope you can participate in the Dunk Contest and compete against the Messiah. What are your thoughts on this?"
Ever since Zack decided to participate in the Dunk Contest, his good brother LeBron James had been asked by reporters whether he would participate in the Dunk Contest after five consecutive games. This infuriated James. As early as his rookie season, James had told Coca-Cola executives who wanted him to participate in the Dunk Contest that his dunks were only suitable for in-game situations, not for a dunk contest.
Contrary to what many people imagined... in fact, as early as his senior year of high school, James realized he wasn’t suited for the Dunk Contest. In that McDonald’s All-American Dunk Contest held in Cleveland, his dunk performance was far inferior to Shannon Brown, who had been drafted by the Cavaliers the previous summer. If it weren’t for the home-court advantage giving James extra points in his dunks, Shannon Brown would undoubtedly have been the champion that night. This less-than-perfect McDonald’s Dunk Contest made James fully aware of his deficiencies in the skill of dunking.
So, although people were curious every year since James entered the league whether he would participate in the Dunk Contest, James always chose to decline. After all, as Nike’s "Chosen One," why would he be a backdrop for others in a Dunk Contest? He only needed to use "maybe" to generate enough buzz, sparking endless speculation about his participation in the Dunk Contest.
The Pressure Mounts on LeBron
However, compared to previous seasons, people clearly couldn’t accept James’s "maybe" this year. Because Zack had already decided to participate in the Dunk Contest. And this NBA flag-bearer had openly challenged all the dunking masters in the league. Even Nike executives were eagerly anticipating a great rivalry between Zack and James in the Dunk Contest.
Perhaps last year’s Cavs-Warriors series had already clearly shown the world that the still-young James needed more time to grow before he could truly begin that great rivalry with the already-peak Zack on the court.
But... as long as James was willing... Nike could absolutely hype up the dunk showdown between Zack and James at the upcoming Las Vegas All-Star Weekend into a 21st-century "Human Highlight Film vs. New Air Jordan" battle. As a sponsor of the Dunk Contest, Coca-Cola also eagerly awaited Zack and James joining forces to "revive" the dying Dunk Contest.
Undoubtedly, this was definitely the most pressure James had faced since entering the league. Because compared to only having to deal with fans who wanted him to participate in the Dunk Contest in the past, now the whole world hoped... he would participate in that damn Dunk Contest. Even within James’s own team, there were differing opinions.
Maverick Carter, who had studied sports marketing at Nike, said: "I think Bron¹ should participate. This year’s Dunk Contest is far more popular than ever before. And a great rivalry in the Dunk Contest can make people temporarily forget what happened with the Messiah on the court earlier... In short, this is a great opportunity."
(¹: Bron, James’s nickname)
Randy Mims, who handled James’s personal affairs, said: "You guys don’t understand that jerk who only sees Bron as a stepping stone. He never fights a battle he’s not sure he can win. If Bron participates rashly, he’ll definitely become that jerk’s... In short, I think we should handle this year’s Dunk Contest like we always have."
Seeing this, James, feeling like Zack had stabbed him in the back again, immediately turned his gaze to Rich Paul: "Do you think I should participate in this year’s Dunk Contest?"
Hearing this, Rich Paul, who had studied under the famous agent Leon Rose, analyzed the situation for James: "We have to consider this from both short-term and long-term benefits."
After a pause, Paul continued: "From a short-term perspective, choosing to participate in this year’s Dunk Contest is undoubtedly a good thing. Nike executives intend to build this Dunk Contest into a great rivalry... so regardless of whether Bron wins the championship or not, this great rivalry can make people temporarily forget the previous Cavs-Warriors series."
"What about the long-term?" James asked, frowning deeply.
"From a long-term perspective, if Bron is unable to achieve greater success on the court than the Messiah in the future, then this Dunk Contest, as Randy said, will become another stepping stone helping the Messiah climb higher."
After listening to Rich Paul’s analysis, James said, "What do you think I should choose now?"
Paul replied, "I think you should participate in this year’s Dunk Contest."
At this moment, Rich Paul had many reasons for suggesting James participate in the Dunk Contest. But the most important one was that since Zack, in a way that surprised everyone, became the flag-bearer of the NBA in only his second season, and had previously shaken James’s "Chosen One" throne through public humiliation... Rich Paul believed that James had to prove his ambition to the world through a great rivalry.
"The NBA is a long marathon. Perhaps the Messiah is currently in the lead, but compared to the Messiah’s current lead, people are clearly more concerned about whether Bron even has the ambition to compete with the Messiah. We all know the Messiah never fights a battle he’s not sure he can win, but there’s still a whole month until the Dunk Contest. As long as we prepare carefully, even if we ultimately lose, fans will see a king who, in desperate circumstances, still dares to draw his sword against that giant."
A king who, in desperate circumstances, still dares to draw his sword against that giant—in Rich Paul’s description, James suddenly realized that in this league, where no one could stop Zack’s momentum... this image captivated him.
James knew very well that Zack was only the Messiah of the Bay Area. In fact, to the other twenty-nine teams in the league, what was the difference between him and the Satan who tried to destroy the world? If he were to draw his sword now... James believed that even if he ultimately became a tragic hero, he could still, from this great rivalry, become the only Chosen One who dared to wield his sword against the devil Satan.
"I’ve decided to participate in this year’s Dunk Contest."
In Zack’s previous life, LeBron James’s ambition had long been underestimated by outsiders—if James truly lacked ambition, how could he have scored over 40,000 points in Zack’s memory? And repeatedly remind the world that he was the NBA’s "GOAT" of the 21st century? Furthermore, James was by no means a player who couldn’t accept failure. It’s just that his failures had to be "great" and had to align with his interests. Since Zack was already unstoppable, as long as he could gain the benefits he desired from it, what did James have to fear in competing with Zack at the Las Vegas All-Star Weekend?
Just as James had told Zack before Zack began his NBA career: to achieve dreams in life, one must constantly strive for them. This famous quote, which James acquired from the front page of some book, had already taught James... that as long as he "read" (acted like he did), he could appear as a philosophical and well-read young man in public, without needing to repeatedly pore over classics.
News Flashes: The Stage is Set
"After leading the Cavaliers to a 97-90 victory over the Bulls, LeBron James has decided to participate in this year’s Dunk Contest. In an interview, LeBron stated: ’You know, my dunks are more suited for in-game situations than for show, but as a dunking master, I must choose to answer the challenge.’ Additionally, when asked if he was confident about winning the Dunk Contest, LeBron frankly admitted: ’I know my good brother is fully prepared for this. But that’s how life and basketball are; you can’t always be prepared before facing a challenge.’ Finally, when asked how he would face failure if he didn’t win, LeBron said: ’I’m never afraid of failure, because after every failure, I become stronger.’" — The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
"After the Messiah and LeBron both decided to participate in this year’s Dunk Contest, the upcoming Las Vegas All-Star Weekend has undoubtedly become the focal point of the basketball world. However, before the All-Star Weekend arrives, we must also pay attention to the trade just completed by the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers. After a complete fallout with the 76ers management, Allen Iverson will now wear a Knicks jersey. Stephon Marbury and Channing Frye will report to Philadelphia." — ESPN News Alert
"The Messiah, upon learning that LeBron James will participate in this year’s Dunk Contest, stated in an interview that his view remains the same: he hopes more dunking masters will participate this year and compete together for the runner-up title." — San Francisco Chronicle