Basketball miracles

Chapter 90 [This isn't a competition, it's a dimensional attack]

Xiao Tu checked into the officially designated hotel on Friday and gave a media interview with the other All-Stars that evening.

During this period, there are fewer activities at the NBA All-Star Weekend, so the players don't have to work too hard; they mainly come to perform.

Friday features media interviews, while Saturday includes player practice and fan meet-and-greets. The NBA officially introduced the All-Star Weekend concept after David Stern took over.

The All-Star Game dates back to 1951; before that, star players simply played one game with little impact.

The NBA didn't introduce the Rising Stars Challenge until 1994, and similar events like the NBA All-Star Game came even later. Currently, rookies can only showcase their talent at All-Star Weekend by participating in the Slam Dunk Contest or being selected for the All-Star Game. The Three-Point Contest was first held in 1986 and will only be held the following season.

Xiao Tu dispelled all doubts with just a quick glance, proving himself to be the most popular star, completely outshining Magic Johnson. A large number of female fans were waiting outside the hotel, screaming upon seeing Xiao Tu.

Asking for autographs and photos was a minor matter; many people bluntly stated they wanted to have sex with Xiao Tu in a hotel. Some of the women were too ugly, and Xiao Tu felt it was sexual harassment, but he still had to smile and politely decline, otherwise he would be seen as acting like a diva.

Xiao Tu has an excellent image and temperament, and tomorrow's dunk contest is sure to be a huge hit. The league keeps promoting the idea that the NBA has a superhero, and even if it's just this one event, it's scheduled to be held on two separate days from the All-Star Game.

Holding the dunk contest on the same day as the All-Star Game is inappropriate and would overshadow the main event. Holding the event during halftime of the main game is too rushed and would make it difficult to create a lively atmosphere.

The introduction of the three-point contest next year is actually Stern's way of making Saturday's challenge longer and more engaging. Since not many players in the league shoot three-pointers, it naturally won't attract much attention; it's more of a warm-up for the dunk contest.

The most reporters interviewed Xiao Tu, taking turns asking questions.

One person asked, "You had many spectacular dunks in the regular season. Are you confident of winning the championship tomorrow?"

Xiao Tu laughed and said, "I will definitely win the championship. The others are here to compete for second place. I watched the last dunk contest. Considering that level, I can't imagine how I could lose."

The reporters in the back row immediately felt that squeezing into a spot there was well worth it, even though they couldn't take pictures. Xiao Tu's opening remarks were always big news, while the other stars' speeches were utterly boring, offering little to interview.

Xiao Tu was too arrogant today; even Larry Bird, known for his trash talk, wasn't this arrogant. But when it comes to dunking, Bird has no say; he should just stay out of the way.

The reporter asked, "Aren't you afraid of offending the other contestants with such a high-profile statement?"

"If I'm in a class of my own but keep a low profile, the fans will think I'm hypocritical after the game. Anyway, by tomorrow night, everyone will know that I'm not on the same level as the others. This isn't a game, it's a dimensional attack."

Reporters exclaimed in amazement, "Wow, Xiao Tu has really made the dunk contest a huge hit!"

They felt there was no need to interview the other contestants; no matter what anyone else said, it couldn't possibly be more eye-catching than Xiao Tu's words.

If Xiao Tu just keeps saying those things, Bird might not be the king of trash talk anymore in a few years. Xiao Tu has a ton of classic trash talk in his head, and he never repeats himself when he's being sarcastic.

In a parallel universe, during the 1988 Three-Point Contest, Bird reportedly looked around at the contestants and asked them, "Are you here to compete for second place?"

It was this trash talk that gave the otherwise uninteresting Three-Point Contest a buzz. It led many to mistakenly believe that Bird was a historically great three-point king, ignoring the fact that he only averaged 1.3 three-pointers per game in his peak season, and 0.7 three-pointers per game throughout his career, with a 37.6% success rate.

Xiao Tu's words before the dunk contest were incredibly cool. Everyone knows that becoming the dunk champion is much harder than becoming the three-point champion. The former relies entirely on skill, while the latter has a high element of luck and depends on performance on the day.

Xiao Tu chose a better time to speak; he couldn't say this to his seniors in the locker room.

Bird's words were very impolite. Fans only thought the trash talk was classic, but they didn't know how awkward the atmosphere was when no one in the locker room said a word.

Xiao Tu guessed that some of the other contestants probably wanted to beat Bird up, or at least they couldn't be bothered with him; nobody liked him. The fact that this trash talk got out of control must mean Bird said it himself.

Xiao Tu's confidence comes from his vision; he is twenty years ahead of others in terms of dunking style.

The reporter asked, "Is this your first time participating in the All-Star Game? Are you nervous?"

"I'm not nervous, I'm just here to have fun. I see the All-Star game as an exhibition game. I was voted by the fans, so the most important thing is to show them my best skills. Since winning or losing doesn't matter, why should I be nervous?"

Some reporters felt that Xiao Tu was a bit cunning, using the interview as a way to relieve his stress. If Xiao Tu performed well in the main competition, it would give the impression that he was incredibly skilled even while playing casually. If he didn't perform well, he would have an excuse: he wasn't taking it seriously and was saving face for his seniors.

The All-Star Game these days isn't an exhibition game at all; the stars are mostly serious about playing basketball and don't try to entertain the masses. If Xiao Tu played in a way that would entertain the masses, he would definitely attract the most fans.

Xiao Tu expressed his opinion, and it didn't matter if other stars disagreed, as long as the audience liked it.

He'll put on a bold performance and interact with the fans. He's young, so it won't be surprising if he puts on a show.

The reporter asked, "What dunking move will you be using tomorrow night? Can you tell us?"

"It would be pointless if I told you, but I can say for sure that I will dunk from the free-throw line. I can say that because it's nothing fancy, just a little trick I'll be using in the preliminaries."

The reporter felt that tonight would be very exciting, and once Xiao Tu's original words were reported, fans would be even more looking forward to his performance.

Currently, only Dr. J in the NBA has completed a free throw line dunk, but Xiao Tu says that's just a minor move.

Dr. J once performed a free throw line dunk in the ABA when he was young and won the dunk contest! He didn't have many fancy moves, mainly just jumping high and far.

Xiao Tu was telling the truth; he had mastered far more tricks than anyone else combined.

When other star players were interviewed, their comments were particularly uninteresting compared to Xiao Tu's. In particular, none of the stars who were going to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest, including Jordan, stood up to refute Xiao Tu's claims or challenge him.

Before the game even started, Xiao Tu had already won in terms of momentum, and no one else had the confidence to beat him in dunking.

Isaiah Thomas, Moses Malone, Bernard King, and others are just calling for the All-Star Game, saying they want to have a real, hard-fought battle with their opponents.

Laimbeer, on the other hand, seemed a bit dim-witted, stating directly that he would do everything he could to defend the paint and not allow Western players to dunk.

If players don't dunk, what will fans watch? Regular jump shots and centers committing vicious fouls in the paint?

Magic Johnson, speaking to reporters, completely agreed with Xiao Tu's view, believing that the All-Star Game should be a show, a spectacular performance. Both men enjoy performing, which is why they get along so well.

After learning about Xiao Tu's interview, Commissioner David Stern secretly sighed that Xiao Tu was truly the most suitable star to be promoted. Players like Laimbeer shouldn't have been selected for the All-Star game; they only made the game less entertaining.

What Stern didn't know was that Laimbeer was now holding back his words and was simply focused on playing the All-Star game seriously.

In a parallel world, after retiring, Bill Laimbeer said in an interview that he didn't play basketball for any honors, but just wanted to find a place to vent his emotions, which, to put it bluntly, meant he wanted to intentionally hurt people and fight.

His exact words were: "You won't find another place in the whole of America. I mean, besides an NBA arena, is there anywhere else a white person can legally beat up those black people?"

If this guy stays in the NBA, he'll damage the league's image.

After the player interviews, Stern also spoke with Western Conference coach Pat Riley. "Don't reduce the Lakers' playing time tomorrow to conserve their energy for the regular season. The fans are here to see Shaw and Johnson."

Riley smiled and said, "So what do you mean?"

"Give them both more playing time and let them become the core of the tactics. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is getting older, so it's okay if he plays less. I hope the games will be more exciting than last year, and I'm optimistic about the West winning."

Riley nodded. "I understand."

He knew what Stern meant; the commissioner wanted a Lakers player to win the All-Star Game MVP. It didn't matter whether Xiao Tu or Johnson won; he just wanted them to get more shots.

This is a good thing. Riley certainly hopes his players will win awards, and the Lakers' goal this season is a grand slam.

If Xiao Tu wins the All-Star Game MVP, his popularity will continue to rise.

(End of this chapter)