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After the rookie game, Luke still has a slam dunk contest.

The NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest is an important part of the NBA All-Star Weekend, which has been established since 1984.

The inclusion of a slam dunk contest in the NBA All-Star Game not only makes the All-Star Game more exciting, but also promotes a continuous change in basketball technology. With the development of basketball games, the slam dunk contest is also gradually improving.

Before 1984, there was only one thing in the NBA All-Star Game, and that was the East-West All-Star Game.

In 1984, the thrilling dunk contest entered the ranks of the All-Star Game for the first time, and the All-Star Game also took a qualitative leap forward, and the concept of All-Star Weekend was formed.

In the past 20 years, there are not only the 170cm tall "potato" Weber who won the championship and let people see "I can, infinite possibilities", but also Wilkins, who is known as the "essence of the movie", made a comeback five years later, and Jordan, the god of basketball (1986-1987 for two consecutive terms), became the defending successful dunk champion.

This year's All-Star Slam Dunk Contest was launched after the previous year, the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest. Although it is not as star-studded as the previous edition, the members of the game are also quite good, at least in terms of dunk and physical fitness.

Now to the selected players: first of all, Stromeyer from the Vancouver Grizzlies. Swift. Although he didn't mix well, it was undeniable that his physical fitness was very strong. Although height is not an advantage, bounce and agility are the capital. There are often violent buckles. Next up is DeSean from the Utah Jazz. Stevenson. Although he is not famous now. But later, it was the heyday of the Washington Wizards. He is the number one defender of LeBron James, and his physicality speaks for itself. Next up is Baron Davis from the Charlotte Hornets. There's not much to say about this. Physically strong, with sharp bounces, he doesn't fear any defender without injury. Of course, the dunk is very good, otherwise it would not have been selected.

The next two highlights, starting with Desmond from the Seattle SuperSonics. Mason. Outstanding physical fitness. With super physical fitness, he often stages difficult breakthroughs. As a swingman at the front lineback, Mason has conquered countless fans with his tough and spectacle-like style. He is also the winner of this slam dunk contest in real history.

Although Desmond. Mason is the slam dunk champion of this year, but Luke is not afraid of him, and Luke is really worried about getting rid of him. This is from the Indiana Pacers. Named Jonathan. Bender's players.

Despite his 7-foot height and strong muscles, at the time of the draft, Jonathan was a big player. Bender is still a very inconspicuous guy. But he was a big name in high school. Especially for Walsh for the Pacers. He had previously assembled a star cast of high school students: Bend plus Al. Harrington, plus O'Neal Jr. Each and every one of them has extraordinary talents and expectations.

"Even with a gorgeous performance on the field, he is still melancholy and sad." Carlisle had this to say about Bender, "He's not a wasteful guy, he's a very intelligent player who went straight into the league from high school and I think some of his ideas and philosophies can affect him for the rest of his life." ”

In 1999, the Toronto Raptors selected Bender with the fifth pick in the first round. And Walsh immediately used Antonio. Davis traded with the Raptors for Bend. As a high school player, such a draft pick was quite high at the time, and Bender had the ability to prove himself during high school. He averaged 23.1 points, 15 rebounds, five blocks and four assists per game. He scored 31 points in 31 minutes in a McDonald's game for high school students across the United States, breaking the record previously held by Jordan. Early years in the daily training of walkers. His rebounds, blocks, and dunks always amaze his teammates. "When the other players stop training and leave the stadium, do you know what he's doing?" Walsh, the president of the Knicks, recalled. "Keep training." Debuted in the NBA. Bender scored 10 points in 13 minutes of playing time to help his team win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Like most of the other young rookie players, though. It takes time for them to grow and adapt to the NBA game. In his second year of career, Bender showed what he could do, playing just 24 minutes against the Orlando Magic and handing in a report card of "20 points, five rebounds, and four blocks."

But that's not the time for him to really show his dunk talent. It was this time that he really showed his talent.

It was an in-team workout for the Pacers, and after the workout, a veteran wanted to know if anyone in the middle of the ball would be able to jump from the free-throw line for a dunk, and rookie center Foster was the first to step up, but he wasn't up to the task, even though he rushed forward at full speed from the midcourt. Head coach Larry Bird turned to the soft-spoken lad again: Can you, Bender?

Bender didn't speak, but silently came to the three-point line, only to see Bender increase his horsepower and jump from the free throw line......

"From the free-throw line, he jumped with the ball in his right hand, switched the ball to his left hand in the air and made a big windmill dunk. Larry. Bird recalls the situation and laughs, "I couldn't believe it. "This impromptu training session from 10 years ago showcased Bender's good athletic talent. He can dominate the basket and can compete with Larry. Bird and Reggie. Millerby is a three-pointer, and due to his height as a center and flexible skills as a guard, he is seen as the next big guy like Kevin. A gifted teenager like Garnett. "I've been in this league for over 20 years, and he's definitely in the top 1 to 2 percent of all the players I've seen," said head coach Rick Brown, who was Bird's head assistant coach at the time and went on to lead the Mavericks to a championship. Carlisle said.

Such a genius still can't escape the problem that makes all the players sad - injuries. If it weren't for chronic knee pain, Bender might have made a name for himself as a Hall of Famer by now. Injuries ruined Bender's career, missing 36 games in '02-03 due to a torn calf muscle, and an old knee injury from high school made him even more vulnerable. Bender played just 21 games in the '03-04 season, and he made just seven appearances in the next two seasons, playing just two games before retiring in the '05-06 season. "Everybody is going to be sad and disappointed about this," Carlisle said.

But now he has no injuries. He didn't win the slam dunk contest just because this impromptu slam dunk contest didn't interest him either. Luke doesn't know if it will be due to him that Jonathan. Bender has renewed his interest in the slam dunk contest, and the championship is not easy to win. (To be continued......)