A Performance That Saved the Slam Dunk Contest

"Vince, you want me to help?"

The day after the All-Star Game, the events were the Slam Dunk Contest and the Three-Point Contest.

Before the competition, Carter found Kobe.

"Yes, Kobe. I'd been practicing with Chauncey, but you know, he got traded." Carter's face showed a trace of helplessness.

"My honor." Kobe smiled faintly.

Dunking was the first reason countless fans fell in love with basketball!

Defying gravity, soaring through the air, stretching their bodies, and completing all manner of unbelievable moves!

It was human instinct!

Countless fans had fallen in love with basketball after watching the dunks of Dr. J, Wilkins, Clyde Drexler, Ice Man, Jordan, and Kobe!

Yet the Slam Dunk Contest, an event that should have set people's blood boiling, had been canceled for a year last season.

The reason was simple: none of the big-name players had signed up. Who wanted to watch a bunch of benchwarmers and undrafted players dunk?

The stars believed the Slam Dunk Contest had been nearly exhausted.

Every difficult move had already been done by someone before them.

Recreating them again would just be copying others, with no meaning at all. So they refused to participate.

Kobe and Jordan had already taken in-game dunks to a new height. If the Slam Dunk Contest was less exciting than Kobe's actual game dunks, then people might as well just watch highlights!

It had nearly ruined the Slam Dunk Contest. The league had even introduced laughable events like mixed-gender shooting.

But this year!

Vince Carter, North Carolina's latest high-flying star, known as UFO! In a freezing place like Memphis, he had completely ignited the fans' passion with his dunks! Now, vast numbers of fans believed he would become the next generation's flying man!

Tracy McGrady, Red Auerbach's final disciple! Having entered the league straight