Each dunk had a 90-second time limit, and although Lillard's first attempt failed, he still had plenty of time left.
He grabbed the ball and returned to the sideline, adjusted his position, and threw the ball towards the basket again.
Bang!!!
This time, as the ball bounced up, Lillard caught it and performed a mid-air half-spin, successfully dunking the ball.
"Oh yeah!"
The audience cheered.
The camera also panned to some of the watching players, like Durant, Curry, Wade, and Bosh, but their reactions were rather淡. The dunk was impressive, but in the context of the Dunk Contest, it was nothing special.
The judges held up their scorecards, giving Lillard 9, 8, 9, 7, and 9 points, for a total of 42 points for his first dunk.
Next up was Wall.
Wall called for the mascot, who stood under the basket with both hands holding a basketball on top of his head.
Before the dunk, Wall did a few trial runs to get a feel for it, then pulled the mascot to adjust his position and the height of the ball. The mascot was about 6'3", and Wall seemed to be planning a leap over the mascot.
After some adjustments, Wall ran to the sideline and jumped a few times to loosen up. Then, he quickly sprinted towards the basket.
With one step left to reach the mascot, Wall jumped and grabbed the ball in mid-air, leaping over the mascot's head.
Bang!!!
After leaping over the mascot, Wall still had some gliding distance in the air before he reverse-dunked the ball.
A successful dunk!
"Oh yeah!"
The audience erupted in cheers.
Even Curry, who was watching, started swaying along, as this dunk was indeed spectacular.
After landing, Wall placed one hand behind his head and the other on his lower abdomen, about five centimeters below his navel, as he shook his hips and improvised a dance.
Wall seemed very pleased with this dunk.
Not only did he leap over the mascot, but he also executed a reverse dunk, making it a high-difficulty dunk.
This year's Dunk Contest was highly anticipated due to the presence of James and Dong, so the other participants were also well-prepared. Everyone in the league was competing for a spot, and when it came to dunking, no one wanted to back down.
The judges gave Wall's dunk 10, 9, 9, 10, and 10 points, for a total of 48 points.
"Amazing!"
Wall's friends rushed to celebrate with him.
Next up was George.
George stood at the baseline, dribbled towards the basket, and jumped from one step away. He performed a mid-air spin, followed by a between-the-legs windmill. When the ball reached his left hand, George attempted a reverse dunk.
Bang!!!
Unfortunately, the ball hit the rim and bounced out.
"Oh..."
The audience sighed in disappointment.
The host also commented, "What a pity! If he had made that dunk, it would have been a perfect score!"
Jordan added, "Whether it's a perfect score or not is up to the judges."
"Hahaha..."
The host joked with Jordan, "If it's not a perfect score, then there's a problem with the judges."
The host's name was Bruce, a well-known figure in M Country's hosting industry. He hosted basketball programs and several popular variety shows, and he had good relationships with many NBA stars, so he could even joke with Jordan casually.
George's first attempt failed.
He returned to the baseline and adjusted his state, preparing for his second attempt.
The audience fell silent, anticipating George's next dunk.
Dribble!
Jump!
Mid-air spin!
Between-the-legs windmill!
Dunk!
G~~~
This ball also hit the rim, and George still couldn't complete the dunk.
"Oh..."
The audience sighed again.
George's third attempt failed!
George's fourth attempt failed!
With only a few seconds left in the 90-second time limit, George had one last chance.
As George prepared, everyone in the audience wondered, "Will George lower the difficulty of his dunk?"
"Huff..."
George took a deep breath, dribbled towards the basket, and jumped from one and a half steps away.
This time, his rhythm was perfect. He performed a mid-air spin and a between-the-legs windmill from one and a half steps away.
Bang!!!
This time, George successfully dunked the ball!
"Wow!"
The audience erupted in cheers.
"Huff..."
After landing, George wiped the sweat from his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief.
The judges gave George 10, 9, 9, 10, and 10 points, for a total of 48 points.
George's score was slightly lower due to the multiple dunk attempts, as he could have scored a perfect score if he had made it on the first try.
...
Hua Xia Live Stream.
Zhang Zhidao: "This year's Dunk Contest is interesting. George and Wall didn't hold back on their first dunks."
Yu Jia: "These two dunks could even be used in the finals."
Zhang Zhidao: "The problem is getting into the finals with James and Dong still to come."
Yu Jia: "I wonder what surprises Brother Dong will bring to the fans."
...
Compared to George and Wall's dunks, Terrence's dunk was also quite gimmicky.
Before the dunk, Terrence wore a royal robe, and one of his teammates was dressed like a pastor, holding a scroll.
"Gibberish..."
The teammate recited something in English, which seemed to be a declaration of succession.
Then, a worker brought a throne-like chair and placed it under the basket, with O'Neal sitting on it facing the basket.
Terrence was planning to leap over O'Neal.
"Ahahaha..."
This entire setup amused Dong, who burst into laughter.
Terrence picked up the ball, rubbed it between his hands, patted it twice, and then dribbled towards the basket. He spread his legs and leaped over the chair.
G~~~
His first attempt failed.
The camera immediately panned to O'Neal, who remained calm.
This situation was different from a regular leap-over dunk, as O'Neal was sitting on the chair, so even if the dunk failed, it wouldn't hit him.
"Ah..."
The audience sighed in disappointment after the first failed attempt.
Then, Terrence returned to the starting point and dribbled towards the basket again. With one step left to reach the chair, he jumped.
Bang!!!
This time, Terrence powerfully dunked the ball with one hand.
But the dunk wasn't over yet. After completing the dunk, O'Neal stood up from the chair, and a worker handed him a crown.
Terrence kneeled on one knee.
O'Neal placed the crown on Terrence's head, symbolizing a coronation.
"Ahahaha..."
Dong couldn't help but laugh, leaning on Durant's shoulder. "This guy really knows how to have fun."
"Hahaha..."
The audience also burst into laughter.