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Wang Chong and the spectators on the sidelines were astonished.Who are these people? Like hidden masters, rising from obscurity.
Those who scored only 6 or 8 points—are they here to embarrass themselves?
Oh, no, wait. Even his idol, Durant, once scored just 6 points in his only three-point contest. He was just one point away from becoming a basketball god.
Wang Chong thought that if it were him, why bother scoring 6 points? He'd aim for 5, skip the last one, and say he was paying tribute to Jordan.
But this was good news for him. If his competitors were underperforming, didn't that mean his chances just increased? So far, Korver had scored 14 points, Joe Johnson had 8, and Radmanovic only 6. This meant that as long as Wang Chong could score at least 15 points, he'd advance to the finals.
That wasn't too difficult. The maximum score in a three-point contest is 30, and 15 points is only half of that—not exactly a passing mark.
However, in the high-pressure environment of a three-point contest, hitting 25 three-pointers in a limited time is much more challenging than in regular practice.
After Radmanovic, it was Wang Chong's turn.
The contest organizers carefully scheduled the appearances. Last year's defending champion, Walsh Leonard, would go last, and the era's greatest three-point shooter, Ray Allen, would go second to last. Wang Chong was right before those two.
Standing at the three-point line in the corner, Wang Chong took a deep breath and nodded slightly.
With the sound of the whistle, the game began.
Wang Chong grabbed the first ball and fired toward the basket.
"Bang!"
The ball hit the rim, causing Wang Chong's heart to skip a beat.
He missed the next three shots in a row, leaving the audience shaking their heads.
"Oh, Wang Chong seems a bit nervous. This is his first time in the three-point contest, so it's understandable. Hopefully, he can adjust moving forward."
Meanwhile, across the ocean, Chinese fans watching live on CCTV Sports were growing anxious as Wang Chong continued to miss his shots.
But on the court, Wang Chong remained composed. He stabilized, sinking the last two shots, including the money ball, scoring 3 points from the first rack.
Moving to the second spot, the left-wing 45-degree angle, Wang Chong found his rhythm, sinking three shots, including the money ball, for 4 more points.
At the top of the arc, Ray Allen, sitting on the sidelines, was startled.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but Wang Chong's aura seemed different once he reached the top of the key.
Allen couldn't explain it, but as an elite shooter, his instincts told him something was up.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
As if confirming Ray Allen's suspicion, Wang Chong suddenly caught fire, draining all five shots from the top of the arc and scoring 6 points in one go.
After the first three racks, Wang Chong had racked up 13 points, just one point shy of Korver's 14. If he made two more shots at the remaining racks, he was guaranteed a spot in the finals.
At the fourth rack, on the right-wing 45-degree angle, Wang Chong stayed red-hot, hitting 4 of 5 shots. Although he missed the money ball, he still added 4 points, bringing his total to 17 points!
"Huh?" Ray Allen, still marveling at Wang Chong's sudden surge, frowned.
At the final corner, the sharp focus Wang Chong had exhibited vanished. His shooting percentage dropped drastically, making just 1 of 5 shots, though he sank the last money ball, ending with 19 points.
"What's going on?"
Ray Allen was puzzled. Two different spots on the floor, two completely different outcomes. How did this guy pull that off?
Curious, Ray Allen stood up, walking toward the court.
As Wang Chong stepped off, he let out a sigh of relief.
He was grateful, knowing the "Hot Zone Hunter" badge from his system had saved him.
The badge, which had been described many times before, essentially boosted his shooting accuracy in certain hot zones. At the gold level, it lit up six shooting zones. Wang Chong had chosen two beyond the arc—the top and the right-wing 45-degree angle.
Those were the spots where Ray Allen had sensed the shift in Wang Chong's performance.
In those zones, Wang Chong's shooting had been on point. His accuracy was incredible, and outside interference barely affected him. Uncontested, he made 9 out of 10 shots—an impressive statistic, highlighting the badge's effect.
However, once he moved outside these hot zones, his shooting percentage dropped, and he only made 1 of 5 shots from the right corner.
Still, the foundation laid by his earlier success gave him a solid 19 points, securing first place and advancing him to the finals.
Wang Chong's above-average performance surprised many. He was almost the least favored player in the contest, more known for his mid-range shooting. His participation was seen as more of a gimmick, yet here he was in the finals.
But the surprises didn't end there.
The fifth contestant, Ray Allen, the favorite to win, had a lackluster performance, scoring just 13 points. It seemed his mind was elsewhere during the competition.
His score was low enough that if Leonard, the final contestant, scored 14 points like Korver, he would knock Allen out of the finals.
Leonard, last year's three-point champion, displayed his prowess by scoring 17 points.
As a result, Wang Chong with 19 points, Leonard with 17, and Korver with 14 advanced to the finals, while Ray Allen, the top contender, was eliminated.
In the finals, the order of appearances changed, based on the preliminary scores.
Korver went first, scoring an impressive 18 points. Leonard followed, underperforming with just 16 points.
Finally, it was Wang Chong's turn.
This time, any nerves Wang Chong had earlier were gone. He felt calm, methodically planning his shots.
In addition to the "Hot Zone Hunter" badge, Wang Chong now had another badge activated—"Rhythm Shooter."
This badge increased his shooting accuracy as he made consecutive shots.
At the first rack, Wang Chong hit 3 shots, including the money ball, for 4 points. The second rack added 2 more points.
At the top of the arc, in his hot zone, he made all 5 shots again for 6 points and did the same at the fourth rack, adding another 6 points.
With these two racks alone, he scored 12 points. Combined with the 6 points from the first two racks, his total reached 18, tying Korver.
Fans rose to their feet. Wang Chong needed just one more shot at the final rack to win the championship.
Even without the hot zone bonus at the last spot, his rhythm shooter badge was fully activated, and he was in top form. He made 3 of 5 shots, including the money ball, scoring 4 more points.
With his final score at 22, Wang Chong surpassed Korver and won the 2005 Three-Point Contest.
Wang Chong himself hadn't expected this outcome. Although his three-point ability was solid, his 90 rating hadn't improved despite a month of hard training.
It was clear his digitized abilities worked differently from regular players.
Even someone like Ray Allen, who once had a perfect 99 three-point shooting ability, had underperformed. This showed the gap between simulations and real life.
But Wang Chong had a distinct advantage: badges. The gold-level badges he carried gave him significant boosts in open positions, allowing him to defeat strong opponents and win the contest.
"Ding—Mission complete. Rewards are now being distributed."
"Ding—Player Wang Chong has won the three-point contest. Badge upgraded from silver to gold."
As Wang Chong lifted the trophy, the crowd roared, and a system notification chimed in his mind.
He checked his badge wall in his consciousness space and saw the newly upgraded gold-level "Corner Three-Point Shooter" badge.
This badge enhanced shots taken from the corner, whether off the dribble or catch-and-shoot.
Though limited to corner positions, the badge offered one of the highest shooting bonuses.
Wang Chong wasn't typically a corner shooter, but having this skill meant he'd be even more lethal from the baseline when the opportunity arose.
Wang Chong's victory in the contest surprised many. Though he had shown flashes of three-point shooting prowess, he wasn't known for it. Most saw him as a mid-range specialist. But luck played a part, with several other top competitors underperforming, especially Ray Allen's shock elimination.
In any case, the three-point contest ended with Wang Chong's unexpected coronation, while the dunk contest awaited next.
The 2005 Slam Dunk Contest had its share of excitement, with competitors like Stoudemire, Josh Smith, JR Smith, and Birdman Anderson showing off their hops. However, fans were disappointed that LeBron James did not participate. James, often tipped to enter the contest, consistently opted out, perhaps to avoid the risk of losing.
Though the dunks were entertaining, the lack of novelty left fans somewhat underwhelmed. In the end, Josh Smith won the title after a tight contest with Stoudemire.
With the dunk contest over, the second day of All-Star Weekend concluded. Fans eagerly awaited the grand finale—the All-Star Game.
The starting five for the Western Conference were Kobe, McGrady, Wang Chong, Garnett, and Yao Ming.
The Eastern Conference's starting five were Iverson, Wade, James, Duncan, and Shaq.
For Wang Chong, the most important moment was about to arrive—the All-Star Game debut.
End the Chapter
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