After winning the dunk contest championship, Gordon was ecstatic and gave the delayed trophy a strong kiss.
The crowd cheered and applauded for him, for that final "because the full score is 50 points" dunk in the finals, he deserved this championship.
Hansen also applauded for Gordon, as the world gained a "true champion" and lost an "uncrowned king of dunking".
After the dunk contest ended that day, Hansen gave Little Jones a gift, a Mercedes worth 150,000 US Dollars.
Wade, with a score of 9, enabled Little Jones to win the dunk contest championship "in history", exhibiting his protective tendencies and earning himself the nickname "Captain 9".
But it’s not just about giving championships; for players like Little Jones, who now holds a two-way contract, solving life issues is more valuable.
Currently, Little Jones drives a used car and was planning to buy a new car to reward himself after the season, something Hansen preemptively made possible.
Little Jones was so excited he almost knelt down to Hansen on the spot, knowing that at this time, a two-way player’s season salary is only 70,000!
Perhaps he can understand why Hansen has such a great reputation in the league; no one, not even those who lived two lifetimes, understands human relations better than Hansen from East University.
Initially, some fans on social media complained that Hansen should have given Little Jones a score of 9 for his last dunk, but after Little Jones posted a picture with the car and thanked Hansen online, the narrative quickly turned to praise Hansen.
Not conflating teammate relationships with the game, Hansen’s role as a judge in this dunk contest not only gained popularity but also had a very positive impact.
According to those fans in the end: this was a perfect dunk contest.
By the end of the day’s events, the Cleveland All-Star Weekend had reached its final and most anticipated main event.
Quicken Loans Arena was unprecedentedly lively, with even the plaza outside the arena filled with a massive number of fans, akin to the scenes of a finals game.
The arena was buzzing with fans; in past years, there was a noticeable gap in strength between The East and The West, but the captain system avoided this problem.
Not expecting both teams to play seriously the whole game, but if they go all out in the last quarter, the suspense and excitement of the game would be maximum. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲·𝗻𝗲𝘁
By the time the opening segment of the game arrived, fans’ emotions were already hard to contain.
As it was the first time everyone saw The East and The West stars present in the starting lineup together.
James Team was the first to appear, with Irving leading the starters, followed by Durant, and then Antetokounmpo.
It initially looked year’s East Team starters, but when Curry was the next to take the court, it created a sense of surprise and freshness.
After the roster was completed, another reason Hansen wanted to win arose: if Antetokounmpo was replaced in the starting lineup with Embiid from the bench, it would replicate the American Dream Team lineup Hansen remembered before his crossing time-hopping.
Moreover, it was a peak version.
When warm-ups ended and amidst fan cheers, the game quickly began.
The first three quarters were no different from previous All-Star Games, with both sides playing an exhibition match.
On Hansen Team’s side, since Hansen was playing on home court, his teammates kept feeding him the ball.
In front of the home fans, Hansen did not disappoint, showcasing various skills, much to the delight of the audience.
Meanwhile, on James Team’s side, James, Curry, and Durant each gave their best.
During the summer of 2016, many fans fantasized about what kind of chemistry Durant would have if he joined the Warriors alongside Curry, but unfortunately, Durant chose to join the Celtics.
Something that couldn’t happen in reality appeared on the All-Star stage, and a pick and roll between two super scorers was simply unstoppable.
Apart from his threes, Curry even received a pass from Durant and executed a cutting two-handed dunk, lifting the crowd’s spirits.
Seeing his excited celebration after the dunk, it was clear that yesterday’s dunk contest had somewhat motivated him.
As for James, without Westbrook competing for ball possession, he treated Cleveland fans to a nostalgic series of fast-break tomahawk dunks, firmly showing what it meant to be the first in fast breaks.
With minimal defense, neither side could stop the other; by the end of the third quarter, the score was 118 to 112, with James Team leading.
In terms of pure performance firepower, James Team, with the fusion of James, Curry, and Durant, slightly had the edge.
In the substitution phase, both sides continued with a seesaw performance, and with 8 minutes left in the game, preparations for the main rotation began.
At this point, Stevens executed a unique move by rotating five players in and out, showcasing his presence in the All-Star Game.
Approaching the technical table, Hansen gathered the five starters around him and made a request:
"I need you guys to do me a favor and help me win this game."
Winning the All-Star Game at home court, this was a request that wasn’t overreaching.
Of course, everyone knew Hansen’s capabilities; this statement looked like a request, but in reality, Hansen hoped the others would truly play seriously in the next 8 minutes.