Chapter 181 -  The same applies to the All-Star stage.

Guys there is already content on patreon, if anyone wants to become a chunin jonnin, hogake or God Shinobi.

patreon.com/Chuga320 (Have than 50 additional chapters)

—————————————————————————————————————————————

Wang Chong's style is not flashy or spectacular; in fact, his offensive moves are straightforward, resembling the smooth three-pointers of Tracy McGrady. He may not be an explosive athlete, but his height and wingspan make it easy for him to create space for his shot without needing to fully utilize dynamic talents like jumping and hang time.

 In this regard, Wang Chong's game appears relatively ordinary. He lacks the elegant jumpers of Kobe Bryant or the lightning-fast dribble drives and dunks of players like Iverson, Wade, and James. Yet, you'll find that, under normal circumstances, Wang Chong can effortlessly score over 30 points.

 The same applies to the All-Star stage.

 Wang Chong's offense may be less eye-catching than that of James, Kobe, or Wade, but his mid-range shots are as consistent as clockwork, giving him a stable and lasting scoring output.

 In the first quarter, Wang Chong scored 15 points, making 6 out of 8 shots. In the second quarter, he sank 3 out of 5 shots, with all points coming from beyond the three-point line.

 By halftime, Wang Chong had already racked up 24 points, though the crowd seemed unaware. Only after checking the stats on the big screen did they realize how effortlessly Wang Chong had accumulated such a high score. 

In stark contrast to Wang Chong was Kobe. 

Kobe took the spotlight on the court, with several picturesque but difficult jump shots. Despite some spectacular successes, Kobe's shooting rate was less effective. He finished the half shooting 5 for 17 with only 12 points. 

Meanwhile, with Kobe taking so many shots for the Western All-Stars, the gap between the teams continued to grow. 

In the third quarter, the Eastern All-Stars presented a fascinating lineup: Billups as point guard, Wade as shooting guard, Wang Chong at forward, Bosh as power forward, and O'Neal as center.

James, seated on the sidelines, watched this setup with a complex expression, glancing frequently at the head coach, Scott Skiles, who had naturally favored his own Bulls players for the All-Star lineup, particularly since Wang Chong was playing exceptionally well and aiming for the All-Star MVP.

Az this point, the Eastern and Western teams were separated by nearly 20 points, making a comeback seem unlikely for the West. The only serious competitor for Wang Chong's MVP title was James, who had recorded 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists by halftime, inching towards a triple-double.

A triple-double of 30+ points from James could still challenge Wang Chong's MVP odds, even if Wang Chong were to score 40. Yet Skiles introduced a lineup of players close to Wang Chong. Billups was a teammate of Wang Chong, and Wade and O'Neal were former teammates. Bosh didn't have a strong relationship with Wang Chong but was a passive presence in the game.

With this lineup, Wang Chong naturally became the team's focal point, receiving most of the passes and scoring 10 consecutive points within just five minutes, pushing his total above 30.

In the sports studio, Director Zhang's excited voice echoed as he addressed fans watching on TV: "At 5 minutes and 27 seconds into the third quarter, Wang Chong received a pass from Billups and made a mid-range jump shot, bringing his score to 34. If he keeps this pace, he could break Wilt Chamberlain's single-game All-Star scoring record of 42 points!"

"This record has held for 45 years. In nearly half a century, countless superstars, including the legendary Michael Jordan, have come and gone, but no one has surpassed this scoring record."

"Now, Wang Chong is only 8 points away, with about 18 minutes remaining. It all depends on whether he's willing to break the record."

Everyone knew that the single-game All-Star scoring record wasn't too hard to break—after all, it was just 42 points, not 52. But the All-Star Game isn't meant to be a solo showcase. Even the biggest stars share the ball and respect the contributions of their peers.

Initially, Wang Chong had planned to take it easy, but since Kobe had decided to challenge him, he had no choice but to step up. Thanks to Wang Chong's high offensive efficiency, despite scoring 34 points, he hadn't taken many shots, far fewer than Kobe.

Wang Chong now saw this as an opportunity and intended to break Chamberlain's record in one go.

Meanwhile, Kobe was struggling on defense. He couldn't guard Wang Chong effectively due to the considerable difference in their height and wingspan. Though Kobe had been named to the All-Defensive First Team multiple times, Wang Chong didn't feel any real pressure from Kobe's defense.

Wang Chong easily made two more mid-range shots, and by the time he was subbed out, his personal score was up to 38.

Scott, understanding Wang Chong well, allowed him sufficient rest and reintroduced him to the game with five minutes remaining in the final quarter.

During this time, led by James, the Eastern All-Stars faced a scoring surge by the West, narrowing the lead to single digits. Observers noticed James's uninspired play, causing Wang Chong's fans to angrily shout out accusations of deliberate underperformance.

Wang Chong, meanwhile, seemed unfazed, saying that this was typical of James. In later years, James would reveal his full acting skills, sometimes seen as "military explanation" or eight-point scoring ability, earning him both admiration and criticism.

However, just as it looked as if the Western All-Stars might overtake, Scott pulled James out and put Wang Chong back on the court.

Rested and ready, Wang Chong resumed play with a pick-and-roll with Billups, a key Bulls tactic, and immediately stabilized the game by scoring back-to-back.

With 2 minutes and 30 seconds remaining, Wang Chong hit a shot to match Chamberlain's record of 42 points. In the last minutes, he added a three-pointer, a long-range jumper, and a slam dunk.

At the final buzzer, Wang Chong had scored 49 points, with 7 rebounds and 2 assists, shooting 67% from the field and 48% from three-point range.

The Eastern All-Stars defeated the Western All-Stars 141-134, clinching the 2007 All-Star Game in Las Vegas.

Unsurprisingly, Wang Chong, who broke the All-Star single-game scoring record, successfully won his second All-Star MVP.

 In contrast, Kobe's 10 for 26 shooting yielded him 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. 

Although both had battled for dominance, it became clear who had the upper hand. When Wang Chong attacked, Kobe couldn't stop him, and when Kobe took his turn, Wang Chong's height and reach were a challenge Kobe couldn't overcome. 

At their peak, Kobe's skill rating was 98, and Durant's was 97. While Kobe had an edge in terms of physical fitness, speed, agility, and jumping, Durant excelled in shooting skills, making him a tough competitor for Kobe. The static talent difference alone would add at least 3 to 4 points to a player's overall rating. 

Durant's young scoring feats placed him as a rising star, second only to Kobe, even considered a threat to break James's youngest-scoring records. 

As players, they each had their strengths, but in this All-Star Game, Kobe was completely outdone. 

When Wang Chong held the AMVP trophy, James, despite his 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, could only look on. 

In any case, with the All-Star weekend over, the season returned to its regular pace.

For the Bulls, little pressure remained as their record far outpaced the rest of the Eastern Conference. The Pistons traded Billups for Ellis, whose average of 20+5 points per game hadn't managed to match Billups's impact. O'Neal's injuries had stunted the Heat, and James's Cavaliers, with their 60% win rate, were no real threat.

With their top seed in the East secure, the Bulls only had to maintain focus to finish with the best record in the league. Their competition, the Dallas Mavericks, aiming for a record of 67-15, posed a higher challenge than any Eastern team.

Fortunately, Billups had fully adapted to his role with the Bulls, and his synergy with Wang Chong's pick-and-roll offense continued to improve, making the team more cohesive.

In their last six games of February, the Bulls went 5-1, bringing their season record to 51-9, leading the league.

End of this chapter

Note: Hi if you really like NBA novels, you can support me either in this pg with stones, reviews etc, or in patreon since the niche of sports and specially NBA is very small is Webnovel since people prefer to read Naruto, Pokemon, comics etc.

Hi guys this is Chuga. If you read this far and liked it you can leave comments, stones and reviews which is very important for a new translator / author.

Love you.

patreon.com/Chuga320