NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 287 Best Monthly Results

While the scoring criteria for the Slam Dunk Contest are not entirely clear, several key scoring points can be summarized. First, creativity. This contest has been running for decades, and most of the moves have already been performed. Therefore, creating new moves, even if it's just a gimmick or a concept, can add points to a dunk.

The second aspect is the dunk itself, which involves power and height. While interior players generally have plenty of power, their height inherently limits their vertical leap. Even with excellent jumping ability, they can't truly showcase their height, since the rim is only 305cm. Jumping high isn't about kissing the rim; it's about using your hands to dunk the ball. In this situation, shorter players, like those around 1.9 meters tall, can demonstrate their height. Francis was once known as the "King of the Jump."

The third factor is difficulty. A regular dunk and a dunk from the free-throw line have different levels of difficulty. Similarly, even with the same windmill dunk, the difficulty differs depending on whether you're doing a 360° spin.

Therefore, experts back then stated that the ideal height for winning the NBA Slam Dunk Contest was around 198cm for a swingman, like Jordan or Carter. Ideally, the height should not be lower than 196cm or higher than 203cm.

Being too tall limits your jump height, while being too short makes your movements less graceful, and you also lack the strength to make your dunks visually appealing.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Plumlee, Zach LaVine, and Victor Oladipo—just these few guys. Even if the other three were all together, they wouldn't be enough to beat LaVine.

As a result, LaVine easily won the championship.

The on-site director was quite interesting, constantly switching the camera to Jia Fei, while the big screen replayed his championship-winning dunk. Back then, he was still with the Thunder, and he was just an unknown player.

The NBA has always wanted several superstars to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest, hoping to maximize the event's viewership. While the league's sharpshooters frequently participate in the Three-Point Contest, it doesn't generate nearly as much buzz or attention as the Slam Dunk Contest.

If Running Man, Jia Fei, Sha Buffon, and Westbrook participated in the dunk contest, the attention and buzz would completely surpass the current four.

Obviously, it's clear that Running Man, fearing a decline in its historical standing, won't participate. Jia Fei, who has already won the championship, has also stated he won't participate again. With these two not participating, it will certainly be difficult to recreate the past glory of the Slam Dunk Contest.

The All-Star Game took place the following day.

This is Jia Fei's second consecutive All-Star appearance, and he's been a starter both times, so he doesn't seem as reserved as he was last year.

Ultimately, the Western All-Stars defeated the Eastern All-Stars, and Russell Westbrook, who came off the bench, won the MVP award.

The total score of 321 points for both teams broke the historical record.

He scored 321 points in a single game. Yes, you read that right, 321 points, not 221 or 121. And there was no overtime; it was all scored during regular season. This shows the intensity of the game was practically nonexistent.

Such games are purely for show, and fans aren't really that excited to watch. It's also a fact that the All-Star Game is becoming increasingly less intense. The stars don't want to push themselves; they just want to have fun and avoid injuries, so naturally they won't play seriously.

Jia Fei was just there for show; when he saw his former teammate Westbrook charging forward like he was on steroids, he dodged. Wow, if you're going to charge, just charge, but pay attention to the rhythm and frequency; that way your partner will truly enjoy it.

After the New York All-Star Game, Jia Fei and his teammates returned to Atlanta to continue preparing for the remainder of the regular season.

The Hawks made no major moves at the trade deadline, not even a small one. They retained their current roster and continued their pursuit of the championship.

Jia Fei had no objection to the team's decision. The team chemistry was already excellent, and there was no need to trade for new players and then rebuild the team's chemistry. Firstly, there wasn't much time left for that, and secondly, it could potentially disrupt the team's good chemistry, making it a losing proposition. Any real reinforcements should be made during the offseason.

On February 21, the Hawks hosted the Raptors in their first game after the All-Star break.

The game was very close, but the Hawks ultimately won at home thanks to Jia Fei's performance in the crucial moments, securing their third consecutive victory.

After a three-game winning streak, the Hawks' record improved to 45 wins and 10 losses, maintaining their position as the league's number one team.

In the remaining three games this month, the Hawks defeated the Bucks, Mavericks, and Magic, achieving a six-game winning streak.

After a six-game winning streak, the Hawks' record improved to 48 wins and 10 losses, firmly placing them at the top of the league.

48 wins! With only 58 games played in the regular season, the Hawks have already achieved 48 victories, ranking first in franchise history at this stage of the season!

It's no exaggeration to say that even if they lose all their remaining games, they will still make it to the playoffs.

After the competition ended this month, Jia Fei had a total of points in his account. He used up those points to raise his "Iverson Peak Technique Integration" from 87% to 89%!

Finally, the fusion rate is about to reach 90%, and Jia Fei is in a better mood. If it can reach 100% by the end of this season, that would be perfect.

February has arrived...

On March 1, the NBA officially announced the Players of the Month for the Eastern and Western Conferences.

Jia Fei from the Atlanta Hawks in the East and Stephen Curry from the Golden State Warriors in the West received this honor.

This marks Jia Fei's third consecutive Player of the Month award. His performance last month was consistently outstanding, leading his team to maintain their position as the league's top team.

In addition to the Player of the Month, the official rankings for the latest regular season MVP have also been released. Jia Fei has surpassed Curry to take the top spot, becoming the leading player in this season's MVP rankings.

Jia Fei's stats this season are outstanding, both in basic and advanced metrics. However, these stats aren't the primary reason he's ranked first, as James Harden of the Rockets has even better stats but only ranks third, mainly due to his team's record.

The Hawks' record is outstanding, the best in the league, with a 25-game winning streak, which greatly benefits Jia Fei.

Therefore, experts predict that if the Hawks can maintain their record until the end of the season and ultimately rank first in the league, then as long as Jia Fei's performance does not decline significantly, he has a good chance of winning the regular season MVP.

This was naturally good news for Jia Fei, who had never imagined he'd have a chance to win the MVP this season. The regular season MVP is far more prestigious than the All-Star MVP, and he had no reason to refuse it.

On the evening of March 1st, the Hawks played against the Heat on the road. Ultimately, thanks to their superior strength, they narrowly defeated their opponents on the road, achieving their 7th consecutive victory.

Three days later, the Hawks returned to their home court to face the Western Conference powerhouse Rockets.

The Rockets' Tim Duncan and Tim Duncan duo didn't play in this game, and the Hawks easily defeated their opponents, achieving their eighth consecutive victory.