156. NBA All-Star Game MVP

Vancouver, somewhere.

When Avril saw Li Chen leap from the free-throw line like a flying man, she covered her mouth in shock.

She truly couldn't believe that the man who had broken free from the pull of gravity was actually her boyfriend.

Immediately afterwards, she felt a surge of pride, and then she thought that it didn't really matter if she couldn't create with her boyfriend.

Just then, a clear female voice rang out, "Avril, I've finally found you."

"Kelly, what's up?" Avril asked without turning her head.

Kelly Klay didn't reply; instead, she moved closer to Avril.

"Huh? Avril, don't you like ice hockey? Why are you watching basketball, which is my favorite sport?"

"Hey! Isn't that my idol? Oh my God! He's jumping so high, is he flying?"

Kelly Klay couldn't help but cover her mouth.

"Hehe! Chen, you're pretty amazing, aren't you!" Avril laughed proudly.

Hearing Avril's proud expression, Kelly Klay was shocked. "Hey! You're not serious, are you?!"

"They've all been eaten, how could it not be real?" Avril thought to herself.

But what he said was quite serious, "We've been dating seriously, okay?"

Kelly Klay pursed her lips, not bothering to ask about the matter, and instead complained, "I really don't know how you two got together, he's my idol!"

Meanwhile, at James Harden's home, Harden and DeRozan were also stunned by Li Chen's between-the-legs dunk from the free-throw line.

"Demar, save me, I'm about to be conquered by the boss!"

Yes, he was about to abandon Kobe; he was completely won over by Li Chen.

DeMar DeRozan was also shocked, thinking to himself, "I can't save you, James, because my idol is already the boss."

On the NBA All-Star Game court.

Li Chen began his second dunk.

Li Chen executed the same crossover dunk from the free-throw line as he had just done.

However, this dunk was a double between-the-legs dunk.

Li Chen's double-between-hand dunk from the free-throw line left both fans and judges in disbelief.

Such a magical performance gave them a sense of unreality; could this really be done by a human being?

But the next moment, they became excited. The 20,000 fans in the Staples Center stood up excitedly, cheering and applauding.

Li Chen's dunking moves were nothing short of extraordinary, and he captivated the city's fans.

At this moment, all the fans' eyes were focused on him; he became the center of attention, receiving countless adorations and cheers.

The judges were also impressed by such an outstanding dunking performance.

They all praised Li Chen's extraordinary ability, believing that such a dunk was truly unprecedented.

Every dunk he made defied conventional wisdom; they knew another Michael Jordan was about to emerge.

"Oh my God! Avril, I have this urge to steal your boyfriend right now," Kelly Klay blurted out.

"Chen loves me very much, and you can't take him away from me," Avril said smugly.

At this point, Harden had officially succumbed to the temptation.

Kobe was unaware that his two young fans had betrayed him. His eyes widened, his mouth formed an "O," and his face was filled with disbelief. His mind was now filled with only one thought, "This is possible?"

"Haha! Amazing, absolutely amazing, Chen, no wonder you're Barkley's idol."

Kenny Smith nodded and said, "Li Chen's dunk will become a classic, and no one will surpass it."

Meanwhile, Richardson, Li Chen's opponent in this Slam Dunk Contest, expressed his despair.

Finally, he underperformed, scoring only 80 points with two penalties.

Li Chen became the champion of this Slam Dunk Contest.

With that, all the NBA All-Star activities concluded, and the climax of All-Star Weekend, the NBA All-Star Game, began.

Western Conference starting lineup: Li Chen, Kobe Bryant, Yao Ming, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett.

2. Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference starting lineup: Jermaine O'Neal, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Ben Wallace, Allen Iverson

The Western Conference head coach is Alvin Gentry.

The head coach of the Eastern Conference is Pacers Coach Carlisle.

The All-Star Game officially began in 2004.

Li Chen's random S-rank Skill in this match is [Ball Control Master].

[Ball Control Master: Increases ball control ability by 50%.]

Li Chen smiled when he saw this skill; it really suited the All-Star game perfectly!

The two teams started the jump ball. Ben Wallace won the jump ball against Yao Ming, but Li Chen reacted quickly and gained possession of the ball.

Li Chen dribbled the ball up the court.

Tracy McGrady came to defend Li Chen.

Facing Tracy McGrady's defense, Li Chen showed no fear. He pulled up for Pull-up Jumper over Tracy McGrady, his movements as beautiful as a painting.

Swish! The basketball goes through the net cleanly.

The Western Conference team leads 3-0.

Seeing Li Chen shoot him over with his signature Pull-up Jumper, Tracy McGrady raised an eyebrow.

In the next round, Tracy McGrady retaliated.

3 to 3.

Western Conference offensive.

The game continues.

Kobe inbounded the ball from the baseline to Li Chen, who then dribbled it up the court.

He quickly surveyed his teammates on the field, looking for the best passing opportunity.

The S-level [Ball Control Master] skill made Li Chen's ball control extremely stable, and Tracy McGrady's attempts to steal the ball failed several times.

Li Chen kept an eye on his teammates' movements.

Just then, Li Chen suddenly swayed his shoulder, making it difficult for Tracy McGrady to predict his next move.

This action drew the attention of other teammates and fans, intensifying the tense atmosphere on the field.

Just as Tracy McGrady was on guard against Li Chen's breakthrough, Li Chen's eyes darted around, misleading Tracy McGrady's judgment, and Tracy McGrady fell for it.

Without hesitation, Li Chen delivered a through ball, which was accurately passed to Kobe was in an open position ahead.

This pass was perfect, without any waste or error.

The ball flew through the air like an arrow and landed directly in Kobe's palm.

At that moment, the entire stadium erupted in cheers.

They cheered for Li Chen's accurate pass, and at the same time, they were eager to see just how strong the Los Angeles duo really were.

"Hahaha! If Li Chen joins the Lakers, I can be sure the NBA season is over," Barkley said confidently.

"Charles, I won't argue with what you say. Indeed, the teamwork between Li Chen and Kobe is amazing. Their mutual trust and understanding make them unpredictable to their opponents."

"However, the league and team owners will not allow this to happen."

Throughout the rest of the first quarter, Li Chen, with his unrestrained style and Assist Master, contributed valuable scoring opportunities for the team.

With his teammates among the world's best basketball players, Li Chen's [Unrestrained] doping buff was triggered extremely easily, making this NBA All-Star game seem bizarre.

Even without the doping buff, a 10% increase in shooting percentage is a huge boost for these All-Star Player.

Therefore, 80% of the time, Western Conference All-Star Player who receive a pass from Li Chen will make the shot.

So when the first quarter ended, the Western Conference led the Eastern Conference 50-35 by 15 points.

This made Eastern Conference head coach Rick Carlisle look very unhappy.

After the first quarter, all of the starting players in the Western Conference scored 10 points, thanks to Li Chen's deliberate efforts.

However, there was an exception. Kobe scored 14 points out of a total of 50. Since Kobe scored more, someone else scored less, and the one who scored less was Li Chen, who only got 6 points.

However, his assists were truly terrifying; he recorded 12 in the first quarter alone.

Li Chen did not play at the start of the second quarter. After all, it was an All-Star game, and Alvin Gentry couldn't show too much favoritism.

Meanwhile, seeing the starting lineup all score in double figures, O'Neal got anxious. You know, he was determined to win this year's All-Star MVP. At the start of the second quarter, he showed the Big Diesel's dominance.

If no one passes him the ball, he'll steal it himself. If he misses a shot, it's okay, he can still steal it again.

However, Alvin Gentry became restless after seeing O'Neal score 8 points in just half a quarter.

It's important to know that he's determined to win the All-Star MVP title; that title must belong to Li Chen.

So he substituted Li Chen into the game, replacing Francis, who had just scored 2 points.

Francis retorted, "I've only been on the field for a short time! Coach, we can't go too far."

When Li Chen entered the game, O'Neal received a pass from Li Chen and suddenly realized what was going on.

No wonder those bastards shot so fiercely; the root of the problem lies with this lucky kid.

That pass was so perfect; it gave him the feeling that there was a 90% chance the ball would go in.

Swish! The batter hits the tray and goes into the basket.

Meanwhile, when Li Chen returned to the court, the score in the Western Conference steadily improved.

The Eastern Conference teams have no choice but to step up their game, because if they don't, the score gap will only widen.

Because those bastards in the Western Conference are too accurate.

After 20 minutes and a half of all-out effort, the Eastern Conference finally tied the score at 100-100.

Starting in the fourth quarter, players from Western Conference Conferences began to exert their strength.

In the TNT broadcast room.

"It has to be admitted that Li Chen's passing has disrupted the balance Western Conference. His passing is too sharp. I've calculated that 80% of Li Chen's passes result in a goal."

"Haha! Look at Rick Carlisle, he's jumping up and down in a panic," Barkley said gleefully.

Yes, he can't help but be anxious! The score is now 125 to 115, the gap has widened to ten points.

In contrast, Alvin Gentry appeared completely unfazed, acting as if he were just a substitute player, a mere tool. It's true what they say, there's no harm in comparison.

In the end, the Western Conference Eastern Conference 148-125 to win this All-Star series.

The fans gave them a warm round of applause.

In this game, O'Neal scored 26 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and blocked 2 shots.

Although O'Neal scored two more points than originally planned, he didn't get a double-double because of Li Chen's presence, which resulted in very few offensive rebounds.

It's worth mentioning that Kobe also scored 26 points, while the other starting players scored around 20 points each.

Li Chen played 30 minutes, shooting 6-for-8 from the field, scoring 20 points, 28 assists, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 blocks, including 4-for-7 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.

As expected, Li Chen deservedly won the MVP award at this All-Star Game.

After the game, O'Neal went up to Li Chen and bluntly said, "Shaq hates you. You stole my MVP."

Li Chen raised an eyebrow and curled his lip, saying, "Fatty, half of your goals come from my passes. Aren't you ashamed to say that?"

O'Neal was slightly taken aback; he never expected Li Chen to call him "fatty."

However, O'Neal didn't want to dwell on that now, confidently stating, "I can do it without you."

Yes, I certainly believe that; you did manage to do it in the original timeline, but now...

"Stop bragging. If I didn't pass you the ball, you wouldn't even get a rebound, and you still scored 26 points? You'd be lucky to get 16."

O'Neal was stunned, thinking to himself, "That really makes sense."

At that moment, O'Neal felt like, "You're absolutely right. I'm speechless." It was a really terrible feeling.

Unable to vent his frustration, O'Neal declared, "See you in the Western Conference Finals."

"My Clippers is fine, my only concern is that you guys will lose to the Spurs again."

O'Neal "..."

At that moment, O'Neal must have felt a pang of heartache.

After a speech, David Stern smiled and handed the MVP trophy to Li Chen.

"Chen, your performance today was truly outstanding."

"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Stern," Li Chen said with a smile.

"However, I believe you can perform even better, for example, by adding some offensive moves, which would make it even more perfect," David Stern suggested.

Li Chen thought to himself, "I never even thought about winning this. It's the All-Star MVP!"

But he nodded and said, "I'll try my best to score points next year."

David Stern nodded, secretly looking forward to the scene of Li Chen versus James.

After the All-Star game, Li Chen received a call from Avril.

Avril happily congratulated Li Chen on winning the All-Star MVP award.

Li Chen hadn't seen Avril for over a month, and he was starting to feel restless.

So he asked, "Avril, when are you coming back to Los Angeles? I miss you so much."

Avril a little shy, but secretly delighted. She thought for a moment and said, "Chen, I'll spend Valentine's Day with you."

Two days later, on Valentine's Day, Li Chen and Avril had a very pleasant Valentine's Day.

When Avril is drunk, she's as wild as a wild horse, but Li Chen is a super groom who tames this spirited steed in just one hour.

On February 19th, Li Chen will play against the Grizzlies, led by Pau Gasol, on the road.

At this time, Pau Gasol's playing style was somewhat soft, earning him the nickname "Gasol."

He was completely outmatched by the newly recovered Karl Malone, who was relentlessly beaten.

Li Chen kept passing the ball to Karl Malone, causing the Old Malone to frequently trigger the doping buff.

In the first half, Old Malone triggered the doping buff three times, unleashing a series of explosive performances. Li Chen drained Old Malone of his last bit of fuel, and then Malone simply couldn't keep going in the third quarter.

However, he scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the first half alone.

Most importantly, Malone put immense psychological pressure on Gasol, Pau Gasol subsequently failed to perform at her best.

The Clippers ultimately defeated the Grizzlies 110-100.

Pau Gasol played 32 minutes, shooting 6-for-15 for 15 points, 1 assist, 5 rebounds, and 3-for-6 from the free-throw line.

Li Chen played 45 minutes, shooting 10-for-16, scoring 28 points, 11 assists, and 5 rebounds, including 3-for-5 from three-point range and 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.

The Clippers then went on to defeat the Trail Blazers Celtics, Celtics, Bucks, Pelicans, Knicks.

It's worth mentioning that Knicks owner Dolan really tanked.

Marbury, who was supposed to go to the Knicks at this time, did not transfer to the Knicks.

Instead, he went to the Cavaliers, and surprisingly, Marbury was willing to be James's second-in-command.

But James does have some tricks up his sleeve; after all, Marbury is All-Star Player now!

Marbury's arrival allows James to achieve a similar feat as Li Chen, making the Playoffs in his rookie year.

This shows how much the Cavaliers' owner likes James. Keep in mind Stephon Marbury's contract is huge, a whopping $13.5 million a year! But James is a complete ingrate.

In March, Avril was leaving because her new album was going to be released in 2004, and she needed to do promotions.

Having tasted the sweetness of love, the two were reluctant to part, but they knew they should separate for a while.

Li Chen has been slacking off in his training these days, and so has Avril.

On March 1st, the Clippers hosted the Pistons at home.

Li Chen knew that this Pistons was the one that had upset the Lakers. Although he had many trump cards up his sleeve, he didn't dare to underestimate the Pistons' starting five.

In a domestic live streaming room.

"Coach Zhang, what are your thoughts on the Clippers' home game against the Pistons?"

This time, Zhang Weiping unusually refrained from praising Li Chen. Instead, he solemnly stated, "Teams like the Pistons, known for their defense, are extremely difficult to deal with."

Sun Zhengping nodded and said, "Yes, in the first half of the 2003-2004 season, the Pistons only allowed their opponents to score over 100 points in four games. Two of those games were against the Dallas Mavericks, one against the Celtics, and the last one against the Miami Heat. This shows how strong their defense was."

Zhang Weiping nodded. "The Pistons' defense is practically Iron Wall and Bronze Barrier. If the Clippers' other players can't provide Chen with offensive support, this game... is in jeopardy!"

Sun Zhengping nodded, then said, "Let's take a look at the starting lineups for both sides today."

First, let's take a look at the Pistons' starting lineup:

Billups (Point Guard)

Hamilton (Shooting Guard)

Prince (Small Forward)

Ben Wallace (Power Forward)

Rasheed Wallace (center)

Let's take a look at the Clippers' starting lineup.

Li Chen (Point Guard)

Korver (Shooting Guard)

Corey Maggette (Small Forward)

Elton Brand (Power Forward)

Karl Malone (center)

"Da Zhi has been dropped from the starting lineup by Coach Alvin Gentry," Sun Zhengping said with some regret.

"Although Da Zhi has improved a lot in his two seasons with the Clippers, his talent is still not as good as that of black players," Zhang Weiping analyzed.

Upon hearing this, Sun Zhengping thought to himself, "You really are a 'Chen' fanboy."

Before the game started, Alvin Gentry shook hands with Pistons head coach Larry Brown and said, "Teacher, it's been a long time."

At this moment, Alvin Gentry's expression was somewhat complicated. He knew that the reason his mentor took over the Pistons as coach was always to win a championship, but he also really wanted that championship!

Seeing Alvin Gentry's somewhat dejected look, Larry Brown laughed. "Alvin, I'm not afraid of your dissatisfaction with me. To be honest, your coaching talent is far inferior to Greg's..."

Larry Brown didn't continue after that, which was a way of saving face for Alvin Gentry.

A moment later, Alvin Gentry walked back to the rest area, somewhat dejected.

Seeing Alvin Gentry looking like a boiled crab, he guessed most likely what was going on, so he plopped down next to Alvin Gentry and said:

"Coach Alvin, whether it works or not isn't up to Larry Brown to decide. Whether you're a player or a coach, it's all about the stats. So, once you eliminate the Spurs, eliminate Larry Brown's Pistons, and win the championship, you'll prove everything."

Hearing this, Alvin Gentry felt a warmth in his heart, patted Li Chen's shoulder hard, his eyes were a little red, as if something was stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say anything else.

At this moment, he could only sigh, realizing he hadn't misjudged the boy! This Eastern Kid was truly a good kid.

At the same time, Li Chen sneered inwardly, "I refuse to believe that a cheater like me can't take Alvin Gentry to the skies."

Larry Brown, you dare to look down on your coach? I'll make sure you never win a championship! And that old geezer Popovich, if you run into the Spurs, I'll tear you apart! You can dream about winning a championship! If possible, I'll even get rid of Duncan for you. Oh, and Leonard. You dared to have Bowen step on my foot, humph!

The meticulous Li Chen had already guessed the general outline of the matter, so he always put in extra effort when playing against the Spurs.

Li Chen displayed his vindictive nature to the fullest extent.

The first quarter began with a jump ball between the two teams.

Meanwhile, Li Chen's random S-rank Skill arrived as expected during this match.

This is a skill that has never appeared before: [extortion].

Based on this skill, Li Chen suddenly thought of Harden, that bastard who spends his days figuring out how to fake an accident.

What left Li Chen speechless was that Harden in this world was inexplicably fat. Just imagining the chubby Harden collapsing to the ground with the slightest touch, his comical appearance made his lips twitch involuntarily.

In a flash, Li Chen began equipping his skills. First, [Unrestrained], [Miracle Shot], and [Pull-up Jumper] were the three essentials.

[Gorgeous] This skill that increases coordination is a must-have. Although it's only a C-rank skill now, even C-rank skill increases your coordination by 10%.

Finally, he chose [Ankle Killer]. This skill has appeared frequently in recent months and has now been upgraded to a B-rank skill with a 20% chance to knock down the opponent, which is quite good.

Just as Li Chen finished equipping his skill, the referee's whistle blew.

At this moment, Malone unexpectedly jumped to beat Ben Wallace, and Li Chen caught the ball and began to organize the offense.

Li Chen dribbled the ball up the court, constantly observing the positions of his teammates at the top of the arc.

At the same time, he secretly resolved to avenge his coach, as Larry Brown knew that his coach was no ordinary person.

As for what method to use? Of course, it's to dismantle Larry Brown's prized defense.

After observing for a moment, Li Chen made up his mind. Suddenly, he started moving and quickly cut into the restricted area.

With an added 10% improvement in coordination, his breakthrough rhythm felt like a fish in water. In the blink of an eye, Li Chen broke through to the basket.

The Wallace the Roaring Heavenly Venerate immediately stepped in to defend, blocking Li Chen's path to breakthrough.

Li Chen's eyes flashed like lightning. He leaped high two steps from the free-throw line, like a shooting star from outer space, hurtling towards the Wallace the Roaring Heavenly Venerate.

Seeing this, Wallace grinned maliciously. "You, a Point Guard, trying to outmuscle a power Power Forward? You're asking for trouble!"

So he decisively jumped up and crashed into Li Chen.

The next moment, a muffled thud of flesh colliding with flesh exploded.

Using the momentum of his run, Li Chen knocked Wallace away. Then he slammed the basketball into the hoop, hanging from the rim as he looked down at the dumbfounded, Wallace the Roaring Heavenly Venerate.

Wallace couldn't believe it; how could a Point Guard possess such strength? It was illogical!

At that moment, the Clippers fans in the Staples Center instantly turned into a sea of madness, their cheers shaking the entire arena.

The captain is truly the captain; right at the start of the game, he delivered a spectacular dunk over the Pistons' center from near the free-throw line. Absolutely awesome!