Lian Dao's opening dunk set an impossibly high bar, leaving subsequent performances feeling flat. To the fans, Shannon Brown and Gerald Wallace's efforts were like stale bread—tasteless, yet too wasteful to discard. The crowd's response was tepid, and even the judges, reluctant to be too harsh, awarded conservative scores. Lian Dao had unwittingly raised the bar for everyone.
Last up was Nate Robinson, the defending dunk champion, carrying the weight of fans' expectations. At an official height of 5'9" (though whispers pegged him closer to 5'6"), his first attempt—a high toss and slam—failed. On his second try, he nailed it, earning 43 points from the judges. A respectable start, but the shadow of Lian Dao loomed large.
The second dunks of the first round began, with Shannon Brown, the lowest scorer, up first. He enlisted Kobe Bryant to pass him the ball, catching it mid-air for a 180-degree, two-handed dunk. Creativity? Zero. The only novelty was Kobe's involvement, as if the superstar's presence demanded respect. Is Kobe out here vouching for his little brother? The judges, perhaps swayed by the Black Mamba's aura, gave a generous 42 points.
Gerald Wallace, under pressure after narrowly outscoring Brown last round, called on teammate Stephen Jackson to assist. He caught a bounced pass, soared over the basket, and dunked backward. It was an improvement but still fell short of dazzling. The judges awarded 40 points, unimpressed.
Nate Robinson, the third to go, faltered on his first attempt but recovered with a pass from Rajon Rondo, spinning 180 degrees for a two-handed slam. Cleanly executed, it earned the round's highest score: 45 points.
Lian Dao closed the first round, and his entrance alone sparked a frenzy. Superstars on the sidelines rose to their feet. For his second dunk, he pulled an excited Curry from the bench, positioning him under the basket to hold the ball overhead. Lian Dao meant to ease Curry's nerves, but the "elementary schooler" was practically vibrating with enthusiasm—no reassurance needed.
Lian Dao sprinted from the three-point line, leaped over Curry, and slammed a crotch-switching dunk mid-air. The arena erupted, fans leaping from their seats. Curry, despite knowing the plan, gaped in disbelief. He actually did it.
Most players rehearse such risky moves with partners, but Lian Dao had improvised, inspired by others' use of teammates. The dunk, a nod to Aaron Gordon's 2016 mascot-sitting slam, was a masterstroke. The judges flashed five 10s, giving Lian Dao a perfect 100 points for the round.
Lian Dao and Robinson advanced to the final, while Brown and Wallace were eliminated.
In the final round, Robinson, with the lower first-round score, went first. His plan—a side-run, 360-degree dunk after a rebound toss—failed twice. He switched to a simpler three-point-line run-up, but the reduced difficulty cost him. The judges awarded 45 points.
Now it was Lian Dao's turn. The crowd's cheers hit fever pitch, and the judges leaned forward, expecting magic. In the final, fan votes via text and the NBA's website would determine the champion, though judges' scores still factored in.
Lian Dao opted to go solo. For his first dunk, he took off from the free-throw line, switching hands under his crotch mid-air. The arena froze. A free-throw-line dunk with a crotch switch? Even legends like Michael Jordan and Vince Carter had stuck to gliding slams from that distance. Lian Dao's added flair was a game-changer.
"Who uses that in the first dunk?" fans whispered, stunned. "What's he got left?"
The judges, floored, gave a perfect 50. Robinson, watching from the sidelines, could only shake his head. Lian Dao's performance was suffocating. Deep down, he regretted signing up for this year's contest.
Hoping for a miracle, Robinson poured everything into his second dunk: a self-tossed board hit, caught mid-air, and finished with a two-handed reverse slam. Elegant and well-executed, it would've earned 48 points in a normal year. But Lian Dao's brilliance had skewed the judges' standards, and they gave just 46 points—one more than his first.
Robinson's only hope was a Lian Dao mistake. Would he falter?
Not a chance.
For his final dunk, Lian Dao unleashed a 360-degree, double-crotch-switch slam, landing it on the first try. The crowd gasped—Newton's laws seemed to bend. The move demanded insane bounce, hang time, and core strength. Lian Dao's ability to nail it flawlessly spoke to his freakish athleticism.
Landing, he raised his arms and roared, igniting the arena. He'd only pulled off this dunk once in practice, but on the All-Star stage, he was unstoppable. Kobe, watching, summed it up: "That's an epic dunk."
Female fans swooned. With that core strength, being his girlfriend must be… wow.
Caught in the moment, Lian Dao sprinted to the sidelines, bypassing Curry's high-five to sweep his girlfriend, Guo Yuwei, into a passionate kiss. Curry, left hanging, muttered, Dog abuse, huh? He glanced at Ayesha, who watched the couple with envy.
"We could be that romantic," Curry ventured.
Ayesha shot back, "Where's your trophy?"
Curry mimed vomiting blood. Ouch.
The camera lingered on Lian Dao and Guo Yuwei, shattering hearts across the arena. Though media had spotted them together before, many assumed Guo was just his manager. Seeing them kiss, some female fans donned "pain masks," while others offered blessings. Male fans were torn—jealous that Lian Dao snagged "the juicy cabbage," but relieved he'd chosen one over "the whole vegetable field."
The judges confirmed the dunk's validity, awarding another 50 points. After tallying fan votes, Lian Dao won the 2010 All-Star Slam Dunk Contest with a commanding 89% to Robinson's 11%. The remaining votes? Likely from Lian Dao's haters.
Lian Dao's All-Star haul was historic: an MVP trophy from the Rookie Challenge, the Three-Point Contest title, and now the Slam Dunk Contest crown. Curry eyed the dunk trophy with longing, prompting Lian Dao to hand it over for a moment, chuckling. "Just don't kiss it," he teased, wary of Curry's rumored foot fetish and Ayesha's presence in Dallas. Who knows what he's been up to?