The No.1 Anti-Fans in Basketball-Chapter 630 - 306: I Can Only Give This Dunk a 9_2

When Gordon got up, he took a deep breath; clearly, there was no escaping the pressure of such a competition.

But after taking that deep breath, determination was the only thing left in his eyes.

Then, his first dunk simply exploded.

He started with a baseline run-up, then, with his back to the basket, he caught the ball with both hands behind his head, pulled it down to his groin, and then whipped it back over to complete a reverse super-fold dunk.

The difficulty of this dunk was already high, especially when paired with his muscular build, it created an explosive visual impact.

And since this was the opening dunk, it left the entire panel of judges completely stunned.

The crowd, after a brief pause, erupted into explosive cheers for him.

This opening dunk not only lived up to his pre-competition declarations but was also a fitting start to this year’s slam dunk contest.

Ultimately, the judges awarded him a score of 48.

A chorus of boos rose from the crowd.

Obviously, it was a dunk worthy of a perfect score.

However, a score of 48 made sense because there were only two dunks in the preliminary rounds, and starting with a 50 would make scoring later dunks very difficult.

Gordon was at a disadvantage for going first.

Of course, a score of 48 was already quite high, which put substantial pressure on the subsequent competitors.

However, Raven looked relaxed when he took the stage, seemingly full of confidence in himself.

Raven’s choice for his first dunk was a self-lob, taking off with a left-handed catch then finishing with a behind-the-back switch to a reverse dunk from under his buttocks.

Though the move was extremely difficult, Raven executed it with such ease that the crowd was once again electrified.

The judges also directly awarded him a score of 50.

Watching Raven dunk was a visual treat; his effortless style instilled a strong sense of "I could do that too" in the audience.

One 48, one 50, the opening was explosive enough and, of course, it put tremendous pressure on James, who followed.

Because if he didn’t deliver a 50-point dunk now, he might miss the finals altogether.

Before taking the stage, he was constantly communicating with Kobe by his side.

Not until he finally stood up did it seem he had made his decision.

At that moment, Hansen’s gaze was fixed on James, curious to see which dunk he would choose for the contest.

James walked to the other side of mid-court, indicating that he was planning a long-distance dunk.

By then, Hansen had a hunch about what dunk James was going to do.

After a long speeding run-up, the moment he stepped on the free-throw line, James soared into the air and, after gliding for a distance, completed a free-throw line tomahawk dunk.

The arena exploded instantly.

Given James’s size, especially his current weight, the free-throw line dunk had quite a visual impact.

Starting with this dunk showed that James was really feeling the pressure.

The judges didn’t hesitate; another 50 was handed out.

Now the crowd’s cheers were a bit unstoppable.

Had Gordon not been scored lower at the outset, the first three dunks of the preliminary round would have all been perfect, an unprecedented feat!

This completely fulfilled the fans’ pre-game expectations and fantasies.

Now, the pressure shifted to Hansen’s side.

Hansen too looked relaxed.

But he didn’t take the stage alone; as he got up, Jokic also stood up from not far away.

Jokic’s entrance sparked great curiosity among the fans.

He held the ball in one hand near the basket, then placed it in front of him on the left side.

Clearly, Hansen was going for an alley-oop dunk.

The difficulty of this kind of dunk was naturally high, and the whistle sounds of anticipation rose from the crowd even before Hansen began.

Hansen just warmed up his elbow joint a bit, then broke into a sprint amid the restless noise of the fans.

When he was a step inside the free-throw line, he jumped, grabbing the basketball with his right hand and immediately started a windmill motion.

If there was a signature move for Hansen’s dunks, it had to be the windmill.

While the alley-oop windmill was difficult, it still seemed a bit underwhelming compared to the others.

Just as the fans were thinking this, the next second left them stunned.

Because Hansen’s jump was ridiculously high, achieving a dunk at head-rim level.

But what was even more exaggerated was Hansen’s dunk finish.

He didn’t complete the dunk with his hand, but with his arm, just like Carter did in the past, jamming his entire forearm into the hoop after the dunk! freeωebnovēl.c૦m

Performing such a dunk in Toronto instantly awakened deep memories in the fans’ minds, and the arena went wild.

Carter didn’t come to Toronto, but it was as if he had.

Moreover, this wasn’t just a tribute; it was a surpassing!

Because when Carter did it back in the day, he simply shoved his arm in after taking off, which was already explosive, but Hansen added an alley-oop windmill before that!

The judges quickly announced their scores, an unquestionable 50.

The first dunks of the four contestants in the preliminary round were complete, with three scoring perfect marks!

"This is definitely the craziest slam dunk contest in NBA history!"

Even Barkley in the commentary booth was stunned by the outcome.

Now, the ones likely under the most pressure weren’t the contestants, but the scoring judges!

With only two dunks in the preliminary and the need to eliminate two out of the four contestants in the second round, this multiple-choice question was not something just anybody could handle.

"I should feel happy because I’m sitting at the commentary table, not at the judges’ table."