He Xi Meng quickly recalculated.
"Shit!" He Xi Meng couldn't help but curse, realizing that if Parker won the championship, he would break even, not making a dime, and would have to fork out $10,000.
Losing $10,000 was not a problem for He Xi Meng; the problem was that he didn't want to experience the taste of losing money.
"Come on, Kobe! I'm rooting for you!" He Xi Meng quickly cheered for Kobe, who was about to take the court.
Kobe pounded his chest, signaling him to relax.
However, the situation on the court after they started playing did not reassure He Xi Meng. Although Kobe, like Parker, hit his shot in the final half-court shot segment, the Los Angeles team made several uncharacteristic small errors in the preceding stages, resulting in a final time of only 41.3 seconds.
He Xi Meng then placed his hopes on Tracy McGrady, who was scheduled to compete third.
"Tracy, come on!"
McGrady turned back and gave He Xi Meng a charming smile, saying nothing.
Fortunately, McGrady said nothing as the subsequent competition unfolded.
Despite the fervent cheers from the home crowd for the Houston team, their final time was even worse than the Los Angeles team's, clocking in at a sluggish 47.2 seconds!
He Xi Meng lowered his head and pounded his forehead, placing his last hope on the defending champions, who were to compete last.
"Shawn, you have to defend your title!"
Marion nodded at He Xi Meng with some difficulty, "I wish we could..."
Last year, everything went smoothly, and Marion still took 28 seconds, which was slower than the San Antonio team's 25.1 seconds. Would everything go smoothly this year?
Marion's concern was well-founded.
The Phoenix team got stuck in the final segment and was unable to complete the competition for a long time.
In the half-court shot, both Parker and Kobe made their shots on the first attempt, McGrady needed two shots, and Marion missed both of his. He finally completed the competition with a shot from WNBA player Miller, finishing with a time of 47.7 seconds, ranking last among the four teams.
Parker unexpectedly defeated Kobe, McGrady, and Marion to win the Skills Challenge!
"Can you still lose money by being the house?" He Xi Meng resignedly accepted the outcome of having to pay out an additional $10,000.
"Don't go anywhere! We're betting again. Who will win the upcoming Skills Challenge!"
Undeterred, He Xi Meng immediately opened a second bet.
Last year's All-Star Weekend, He Xi Meng had pressured He Xi Meng to participate in the Three-Point Contest and Carter to participate in the Dunk Contest.
Unable to refuse He Xi Meng, they compromised: He Xi Meng participated in the Skills Challenge, and Carter participated in the Three-Point Contest.
As a result, He Xi Meng, whom He Xi Meng had favored in the Skills Challenge, lost to Nash.
And in the Three-Point Contest, which He Xi Meng had not favored, Carter defeated all his opponents and successfully won the championship.
This year's All-Star Weekend, He Xi Meng, aiming to boost the influence of the Celtics, continued to encourage He Xi Meng and Carter to participate in individual events.
Carter was last year's three-point king and should participate this year. Moreover, with Carter aiming for MVP this year, successfully defending his three-point title would greatly benefit his goal.
Therefore, Carter accepted He Xi Meng's request without hesitation.
He Xi Meng, on the other hand, initially refused.
He Xi Meng had reluctantly participated in last year's Skills Challenge, and even losing to Nash felt a bit embarrassing.
This year, He Xi Meng had prepared himself to simply watch the show.
However, upon seeing LeBron James and Dwyane Wade agree to participate in the Skills Challenge, He Xi Meng suddenly felt an urge to compete with these two rookies.
Thus, this year's Skills Challenge boasted an unprecedented and most luxurious lineup.
The defending champion Nash, the inaugural champion He Xi Meng, and the rookies James and Wade.
Chris Paul had also wanted to participate, but because He Xi Meng had accepted the organizing committee's invitation, Paul was regretfully squeezed out of the list.
This season, James was already averaging 31 points per game, ranking third in the league in scoring, behind only Kobe and Allen Iverson, demonstrating immense potential!
Theoretically, the future of the league belonged to James.
If He Xi Meng wanted to leave a few fond memories with James, it was best to do it sooner rather than later!
While James was still wet behind the ears, before he had the qualifications to form brotherhood basketball alliances...
If James had not participated in the Skills Challenge this year, He Xi Meng would not have had the opportunity to compete directly with him.
However, since James, just as in the original history, had foregone the Dunk Contest and opted for the Skills Challenge as a compromise, He Xi Meng did not mind a small contest with him. 138 Reading Network
Nominally, He Xi Meng was competing to avenge his previous loss and defeat Nash.
In reality, He Xi Meng wanted to leave a lasting impression on James before he fully matured.
And if possible, to also edge out Wade would surely be a delightful outcome.
Before the Skills Challenge officially began, the four competitors gathered for a reunion.
Nash and He Xi Meng were both from the 1996 draft class, making them definitive seniors in front of James and Wade.
He Xi Meng asked James, "LeBron, why didn't you participate in the Dunk Contest? Your dunking ability is so great."
James had already been asked this question by reporters countless times.
Since entering the league, he had been invited by the organizing committee to participate in the Dunk Contest almost every year.
However, James had cited physical discomfort as the reason for declining the organizing committee's invitations for the previous few years.
This year, James felt he had no choice but to respond. After stringing the organizing committee along for a while, he finally made a feint and opted for the Skills Challenge, thus showing some consideration for the league.
Facing He Xi Meng's inquiry, James could not simply give the same perfunctory answer he gave to the media.
However, James was not only a top-tier player in the league but also possessed exceptional emotional intelligence. He did not directly answer He Xi Meng's question but humbly replied, "If you trace it back, it all comes back to you."
"Oh? You don't want to participate in the Dunk Contest, and it has something to do with me?" James's answer truly piqued He Xi Meng's curiosity. He Xi Meng was eager to know how James was connecting himself to James's avoidance of the contest.
"Did you know? When I was in middle school, I really admired you!"
"Hmm? Wasn't Michael your idol?"
"It's different! Michael is indeed my idol, my goal, the ultimate pursuit of my career... But you, I also deeply respect you!"
"In what way? Can you be more specific?" He Xi Meng felt a little pleased internally at receiving such compliments from James.