It was the East's turn to attack. Iverson drove one-on-one, a lone spear piercing the West's entire defense. He charged into the paint alone, but the West had too many big men, the paint completely swarmed. At the last moment, Iverson abandoned the tough shot and passed to Mourning, who was cutting to the middle!
Mourning faced a paint full of players. A forceful dunk wasn't an option, so he chose a lob shot, beating the timing of both O'Neal and Duncan, successfully scoring two points for the East.
He Xi Meng quickly passed the ball from under the basket to Kobe. Kobe dribbled forward, emulating Iverson's coast-to-coast drive through the East All-Stars' defense. Facing Mourning, he attempted a reverse layup with a spin. However, he used too much force, and the ball slipped off the rim.
Seeing Mourning in a strong position, the East All-Stars surged forward, aiming for a fast break against the West. But the serious Duncan didn't give up. From behind Mourning, he gently tipped the ball upwards, flicking it into the air just as Mourning was about to secure it. He then jumped again for a hook shot, successfully hooking the ball down towards the basket...
As the East players surged forward and the West players retreated, He Xi Meng saw Duncan's movement and anticipated his intention. While everyone else seemed to be adapting to the All-Star game's rhythm and becoming less serious, the number 21 rookie was still immersed in his own world, playing with meticulous care...
So, He Xi Meng went against the grain, rushing from the three-point line towards the basket. He perfectly caught the ball that Duncan had hooked back and, with no one guarding him, intended to mimic Carter's move with a one-handed dunk after a 360-degree spin...
On the sidelines, Kaila jumped up excitedly, ready to cheer for He Xi Meng's spectacular dunk. But He Xi Meng missed the dunk!
Yes, he missed it! The 360-degree spin was smooth, but on the one-handed dunk, He Xi Meng was too relaxed. He lost his grip on the ball, and it hit the inside of the rim, bouncing out!
He Xi Meng, hanging on the rim and preparing for a celebratory pose, was stunned!
"Damn it! I've embarrassed myself completely! This is being broadcast worldwide! The most embarrassing dunk of the season is mine..."
Kaila, who was on the sidelines ready to cheer, was also stunned!
"Didn't you say you were going to imitate Carter? What's with missing the dunk?"
Under the basket, Duncan, who was preparing to rush up and ruffle He Xi Meng's hair to encourage him, was bewildered!
"Isn't it just about putting the ball in the basket? Why are you playing around so much? Is there some other meaning?"
All the fans in the arena, and all those watching on TV who had been expecting a spectacular dunk from He Xi Meng, were stunned!
"It... it can be missed like that?"
In the VIP box, His Airness Michael Jordan seemed to be the first to burst into laughter! Seeing He Xi Meng's bewildered expression after missing the dunk, Jordan laughed uncontrollably, bent over backwards.
Players who miss dunks in the league happen a few times every season; it's not that rare. But for someone like He Xi Meng to put on such a full performance, with such a stylish setup, and then miss the dunk, it's not just a few seasons, it's likely the league hasn't seen such a comical dunk in many consecutive seasons...
The players on the court, including O'Neal and Kobe, all laughed, revealing their pearly white teeth!
Only Duncan, suppressing a smile, maintained his usual serious expression. Dutifully, he retrieved the ball that He Xi Meng had missed and passed it back to He Xi Meng under the basket!
Still trying to figure out why he missed the dunk, He Xi Meng, in a daze, caught the ball, took off, and forcefully slammed it into the basket! It was a way to vent his frustration at being rejected by the rim.
After the put-back dunk, to alleviate his embarrassment, He Xi Meng comically mimicked the trajectory of the missed dunk, causing the entire arena to erupt in laughter again. Even the Western Conference All-Stars' head coach, Popovich, on the sidelines, squinted his eyes with laughter and playfully gave He Xi Meng a thumbs-up...
It was unclear whether Popovich was giving a thumbs-up for He Xi Meng's put-back dunk or the earlier missed one.
The game continued. In the subsequent play, He Xi Meng attempted to compensate for the "missed 360-degree spin one-handed dunk" with three-pointers and assists, but it was all in vain.
In the second half, under the strong demand of "one more dunk" from the crowd, He Xi Meng successfully executed a 360-degree spin one-handed dunk, redeeming the shame of missing in the first half.
However, years later, whether players or fans recall the 2000 All-Star Game, they would invariably ask: "Was that the All-Star Game where Simon missed the dunk?"
In the end, He Xi Meng scored 18 points, 14 assists, and 5 rebounds in this All-Star Game, his performance only surpassed by O'Neal, Duncan, and Iverson. What made He Xi Meng memorable to the fans was clearly not his scoring or his assists, but his dunk.
Iverson scored a game-high 26 points and 9 assists, but because the West team's overall strength far surpassed the East's, the East All-Stars lost 126-137, and Iverson was robbed of the All-Star MVP.
Duncan and O'Neal shared the All-Star MVP honors this year. Duncan had 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists, while O'Neal had 22 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks! With He Xi Meng's assists, it was impossible for Duncan not to score.
However, in the post-game media reports, rather than discussing "who was more deserving of the All-Star MVP between Duncan and O'Neal," fans were clearly more interested in the topic of "why did He Xi Meng miss the dunk?"
On forums, there were endless short videos and pictures of He Xi Meng missing the dunk. Following his assists and three-pointers, He Xi Meng's dunking ability also became famous in the league! However, compared to Carter, who was described as half-man, half-god, He Xi Meng's dunking fame clearly took a different direction.
Even Kaila, on the way home, laughed heartily for half the journey while hugging He Xi Meng, and after that day, she never again insisted on He Xi Meng dunking for her during games...
Well, this could be considered a blessing in disguise. At least, He Xi Meng could now dunk whenever he wanted, or not dunk whenever he didn't want to.
After the All-Star Game, the Spurs and the 76ers completed a minor trade.
The Spurs sent veteran center Felton Spencer, from their third lineup, in exchange for Bruce Bowen, a wing defender from the 76ers' third lineup!
A minor player for a minor player, the 76ers bolstered their interior, and the Spurs strengthened their wing. Both teams got what they needed, and everyone was happy.
After heeding He Xi Meng's advice and completing this trade that barely registered in the league, Popovich did not immediately put Bowen into play. Instead, much like he had tested Ginobili, he placed Bowen in the third lineup for evaluation...