What is the most eye-catching thing in the information age? Live events! And what's more captivating than live events? Official live events!
The number of viewers in the live broadcast room surged again, and by the time LaVine had finished warming up, the viewership had surpassed 1.5 million.
"Don't miss this! You're about to witness a sneak peek of the All-Star Slam Dunk Contest!" Jake said, approaching the camera with the energy of someone on a mission. "And don't forget to vote for me after you watch this—I'm watching you!"
CJ, standing beside him, seemed to be recalling some uncomfortable memories and kept his head down, avoiding eye contact with the camera. LaVine, meanwhile, turned his back while continuing his warm-up, clearly not thrilled by the situation.
"Alright, enough with the delays, let's get started!" Jake shouted at LaVine.
The broadcast equipment was repositioned along the court. LaVine took a deep breath, clearing his mind. Grabbing the ball, he exploded forward from beyond the three-point line. Just as he stepped into the free-throw line, LaVine leaped into the air. He soared gracefully like a rocket, the time in the live stream seeming to slow down as he swung his arms and flew toward the rim.
"Bang!" The ball smashed through the hoop in a breathtaking windmill dunk from just inside the free-throw line!
For a few seconds, the live chat fell silent, then was immediately flooded with comments:
"????" "Did I just see a man fly?" "Is this dunk even humanly possible?" "How is this free?!"
The male host, usually full of words, was left speechless, taking a moment to process what had just happened. "Oh my God, that was unreal! That's a contest-winning dunk right there!"
"Of course it is!" Jake had already appeared beside him without anyone noticing. "Why would we even enter if we weren't planning to win the championship?" He flashed a victory sign to the camera. "And don't forget to vote for CJ and Cousins, and be sure to watch out for LaVine during the All-Star Game. We're going for that title!"
"#￥%&*（%?#" Mike Malone mumbled as he walked into Jake's office. Jake, who was reading some documents, suddenly cringed in pain, raising the materials to cover his face.
"Why are you laughing at me too?" Jake raised his hands in mock surrender.
Mike Malone, usually the serious type, couldn't hold back his grin. "I can't help it. People might never get such a chance in their life. You had to go for it!" Malone leaned in closer with a mischievous smile. "What were you thinking? You looked like a shopping channel host in front of millions!"
Truthfully, what Jake did during the live stream was part of his job. After all, a general manager is responsible for boosting the team's profile. But unlike the typical 99% of GMs who maintain a polished, elite image while working behind the scenes, Jake's antics in front of the camera made him stand out in the most unconventional way. Some even criticized him, saying he turned the role of general manager into a joke.
But for every critic, there were also supporters. Overnight, the All-Star votes for Cousins and CJ skyrocketed. Even Rudy Gay, who wasn't featured as much, saw a significant increase. The team's owner, Vivek Ranadivé, couldn't help but laugh as he called Jake, giving him a well-deserved pat on the back for his sacrifice in the name of team growth.
This also sparked a wave of memes in US, where fans joined in on the fun:
"Brother Jake is really out here grinding. Everyone, post your tears on the chat screen!"
"Feels like my boss is doing a K-pop dance to motivate me at work."
"If Jake doesn't win GM of the Year, who else deserves it?"
Reading through the flood of comments, Jake was mortified, half-wishing he could crawl through the internet and make everyone stop talking.
"But seriously," Mike Malone said, interrupting Jake's inner turmoil, "I've been thinking..."
The smile faded from Malone's face as he looked at Jake earnestly.
"I feel like this team is becoming more and more dependent on you."