NBA: Warrior godfather.

Guys there is already content on patreon, if anyone wants to become a chunin or jonnin.

patreon.com/Chuga320 (More 50 chapters)

—————————————————————————————————————————————

The next day, the Eastern and Western All-Star teams held a practice session. It was just for show. Who would really perform during All-Star weekend?

Liam was a bit excited. He followed Curry into the training room. It seemed he had forgotten his identity and truly became a fan. He asked for autographs from all the All-Star players from both conferences, as happy as a fool.

Of course, the players who were asked for autographs didn't refuse Liam's request, but they were a bit stunned.

"You're a real boss. Asking for an autograph in person? Not like we've never played against the Warriors before. You say one word, and can't we just give it to you?"

Liam didn't care about that. He was immersed in the joy of collecting signed jerseys and couldn't free himself.

After the All-Star team practice, individual competitions took place. This is also the most boring part of the All-Star weekend.

The Three-Point Contest and the Skills Challenge hadn't attracted much attention, and the Dunk Contest, which should have been thrilling and exciting, hadn't been able to stir the enthusiasm of fans for quite some time.

The first event was the Skills Challenge. The participants included Nash, Curry, Westbrook, Rose, and Deron Williams. Three generations of point guards, from veterans to young guns, were represented.

In the preliminaries, Westbrook went first, but with his control and shooting abilities, it was obvious he was just there to fill up the numbers. It took him 44.1 seconds to complete all the events.

The defending champion, Rose, played second. Although he's a talented guard with a strong impact like Westbrook, his control skills were much better. He only missed three three-pointers in the second round, reduced his speed, and took 40.1 seconds to finish the preliminaries.

This result was quite normal, and Rose was expected to be eliminated.

Next up was Curry. He made a small error in his passing, but relying on his accurate and quick shooting, Curry completed all the events in 34.6 seconds, which was good enough to make it to the finals.

Then came Nash and Deron Williams. Nash had won a Skills Challenge championship in 2005. He clearly came just to play today and performed very effortlessly. However, it turned out that in this relaxed state, he made no mistakes during the preliminaries, finishing in seconds.

Now all the pressure was on Deron Williams, and his psychological quality obviously needed improvement. Under the immense pressure, he made a mistake on every pass and shot, taking him 38.6 seconds to finish.

Over 80,000 fans at Cowboys Stadium started cheering. Nash and Curry were extremely popular point guards in the United States. One captivated the fans with flashy passes, while the other relied on incomparable long-range shooting. Despite their age differences, both were synonymous with offensive point guards.

Many people believe that Curry is Nash's successor. Though they have different playing styles, both are the central point guards for a team that runs and shoots. D'Antoni has expressed his admiration for Curry more than once, especially after seeing his performance. After watching Curry's remarkable performance, D'Antoni repeatedly expressed regret for missing out on Curry.

The regular season games between the two also had winners and losers, influenced by various factors like scheduling. It was hard to say who was stronger or weaker. Tonight, Nash and Curry would finally face off in a 1v1 battle, and the fans were eager for it.

Curry was the first to appear. He bit his straps, walked to the starting point, shook his arms, and when the referee blew the whistle, he dashed out like an arrow.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire audience, Curry made no mistakes, completing all the events almost flawlessly. His dribbling was smooth, his passes were precise, and his shots were as quick and accurate as always. The only flaw was that, in order to avoid mistakes while passing, he slowed down, otherwise, his speed could have been faster.

After Curry, it was Nash. After all, Curry couldn't match the popularity of "Son of the Wind." As soon as Nash appeared, the fans cheered for him, as one of the most graceful point guards in the world. In the league, Nash was not just the hero of Phoenix, but had fans across the United States and around the world.

He flashed a charming smile and waved to the crowd, as though he wasn't there to compete, but to vacation.

"Bip—"

After the referee blew the whistle, Nash started his performance. He dribbled lightly to half-court and made the basket. Then, he picked up the basketball and casually walked around the obstacles as if strolling on a pleasant breeze.

After navigating the obstacle, Nash simply looked at the net and launched the ball with precision. He then grabbed a basketball from the rack beside him, and with a flick of his wrist, the ball bounced off the floor and swished into another net.

His jump shots and long passes were even more difficult for Nash. Throughout the final, he appeared calm and collected, as if he were participating in a daily training session, rather than competing for the championship under the spotlight.

When his long-range shot hit, the referee blew the whistle, and Nash completed the final in 28.4 seconds, winning the 2010 All-Star Skills Challenge!

Curry took the lead in the applause of the crowd. Although he didn't win the championship, his second place was still impressive. From the moment Nash stepped onto the court, Curry knew the championship wasn't meant for him.

Nash's control skills had reached an advanced level, and his mindset was extremely relaxed. He reached his peak that night. No matter who competed with him, no one could take that championship away from him. 28.4 seconds was far from his limit. It was 28.4 seconds, simply because 28.4 seconds was enough for him to win the championship.

In other words, Nash didn't care at all about the championship, but the super guard's sensitivity to rhythm allowed him to unknowingly finish the game at a slightly faster pace than Curry.

Curry was convinced that Nash deserved the championship, and he was inspired by Nash's performance to fight harder. As the model worker during All-Star weekend, he couldn't leave empty-handed, right? That would be too shameless!

He took a deep breath and told Liam, who was beside him: "Boss, wait and see how I perform!"

"Okay, I'll cheer for you!" said Liam with a smile.

After the Skills Challenge, it was time for the Three-Point Contest.

…

Three competitions were held in one night, and time was very tight. After the Skills Challenge, the staff quickly removed the accessories for the Skills Challenge, raised the basketball hoops one by one, and placed them at five points beyond the three-point line, preparing for the Three-Point Contest.

The rules for the Three-Point Contest were simple. There were five shooting points. Each point had five balls. A basket counted as one point. Each player had one minute, and the player with the most points wins.

The entire game was divided into preliminaries and finals. The top three players from the preliminaries advanced to the final. If there was a tie in the preliminaries, there would be a 24-second overtime. The overtime would last 60 seconds.

There were more participants in the Three-Point Contest than in the Skills Challenge, including Curry, Billups, Channing Frye, Pierce, and Daequan Cook, the defending champion from the previous contest.

Needless to say, Pierce and Billups were famous stars, both FMVP winners. They both had accurate three-pointers and were known as sharpshooters.

Channing Frye and Gallinari were also well-known power players. As specialists in spacing, shooting was the foundation of their position in the league, and their strength should not be underestimated.

Although Daequan Cook was just a role player, as Wade's substitute, he had a good ability to shoot mid and long-range shots and was determined to defend his title.

Of course, the most eye-catching participant in this Three-Point Contest, and the one most optimistic in the outside world, had to be Curry.

Although this was just Curry's first season, in the 51 games leading up to the All-Star Game, he had shot 43.6% from the field, averaging 4.1 three-pointers per game. This number ranked first in the league by a large margin.

You know, the single-season three-point record in NBA history is 269, held by Ray Allen in the 2005-2006 season, and right in the middle of the schedule, Curry had already made 209 three-pointers!

Given this trend, as long as nothing unexpected happened, Curry would surely hit 300 three-pointers this season, breaking Ray Allen's single-season record. He would also be the first person to hit 300 three-pointers in a single season, an unprecedented feat.

Given Curry's incredible performance, some people started claiming Curry would be the best shooter in NBA history, but many still maintained a wait-and-see attitude. Who knows if this guy with a baby face was just temporarily in great form, making so many three-pointers? Maybe his true colors would be revealed next season.

In their view, height, arm length, jumping ability, and strength in confrontation are talents, and shooting doesn't explain everything.

But regardless of whether the outside world was optimistic about Curry's future, based on his three-point shooting percentage and production, people reached a consensus on the Three-Point Contest: Curry had the best chance of winning.

This expectation was reflected when Curry appeared. When the DJ introduced Curry, there were enthusiastic cheers at Cowboys Stadium, and it seemed like everyone was waiting for the coronation of the new Three-Point King.

And Curry was someone who loved big stages. The grander the scene and the more critical the moment, the more Curry's desire to express himself was stimulated. He enthusiastically waved his hands and jumped twice on the spot, a sense of self-confidence brimming.

"He wants to compete, he wants to shoot threes, and he wants to win the championship!"

Since there was a dunk contest later, the fans didn't have to wait long. The three-point contest soon began, and the first to take the floor was Pierce.

The commentators in charge of broadcasting this All-Star Game on ESPN were Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy. Pierce started shooting. The two were still telling anecdotes about how NBA stars like Kobe Bryant and Damon Jones warmed up before the event when they visited Colombia. Until Pierce started his three-point attempts, they shifted their attention to him.

This is a true portrayal of Pierce's popularity. Although he has an FMVP, his popularity is much lower than that of Kobe Bryant, who he faced in the Finals, and even compared to Garnett on the team, he's far behind in fame.

Pierce chose to start from the left corner, which is also the most conventional starting point. However, Pierce's touch was a bit slow, and he only scored 5 points in the first two racks. Fortunately, he found his rhythm from the third rack and hit several shots. In the end, he managed to score 17 points.

Pierce shook his head repeatedly as he left the court. This was an insecure score and he was ready to be eliminated.

The second player to take the floor was Billups. He opted to start from the right corner and hit four consecutive shots, but unfortunately, he lacked stamina and only hit two of the flower balls in total, ending up with 17 points, the same as Pierce.

The third player to shoot was Curry.

A collection of Curry's three-point shots started playing on the big screen, including, of course, his record-breaking three-pointer when he faced Bynum and defeated the Lakers.

Mike Breen said somewhat meaningfully:

"Since the Three-Point Contest was established during the All-Star Weekend in 1985, Bird won three championships in 1985, 1986, and 1987. He was the three-point king in the 1980s, and the phrase 'You all here?' is a remnant of that period, followed by Hawkins of the Bulls. Apart from that, no one has won the Three-Point Contest three times. And today is Curry's first time in the Three-Point Contest. I don't know... what kind of performance will he deliver?"

Jeff Van Gundy smiled and said:

"Let me tell all the viewers, Curry is the player who has made the most three-pointers per game this season. He has made 209 three-pointers. Breaking Ray Allen's season record is just around the corner. He's also the player with the highest reputation for winning the Three-Point Contest."

Soon, Curry appeared on the court. Just like Pierce, he chose to start from the left corner.

Beep

After the referee's whistle, Curry quickly launched the first ball.

Swish!The basketball hit nothing but net. Liam looked nervously from the barrier, clenched his fists, and silently prayed for Curry in his heart.

Maybe it was his sincerity that influenced the outcome. Curry hit four consecutive shots, causing the fans in the arena to scream, but he missed the fifth shot immediately, followed by a big sigh in the Cowboys Stadium.

Curry's shooting speed was very fast. He hit the first three-point ball with ease and scored 4 points on each rack. His accuracy was very high, but unfortunately, he missed all three flower balls.

Then, Curry reached the 45-degree angle on the right side. This time, he hit one flower ball, but only managed to score 1 out of 4 orange balls on the front rack. However, he finally found his rhythm on the right corner, hitting 5 consecutive shots and finishing with a total of 21 points, temporarily ranking first.

When Curry hit the last flower ball, there was a huge ovation in Cowboys Stadium. It was clearly a three-pointer, but Curry's shots seemed to have some kind of magic that touched people's hearts.

The shot didn't have that effect, but Curry's presence certainly did.

Liam clearly heard the conversation of several spectators behind him:

"Stephen Curry is incredible. He scored 21 points. This is enough to win the championship!"

"Really? But I feel like it's a bit of a fluke... I don't know why, but I actually think every shot he takes should go in. As long as he misses, I have this incredible feeling—wow, oh, so you missed that one too? Are you being too harsh? At first glance, he actually had 21 points!"

"Yeah, man, I feel the same way. Honestly, I could spend a whole day watching him shoot threes!"

Liam smiled, and the camera focused on him at that moment. He mimicked what Garnett and Anthony had just done, standing up and applauding Curry. Butler and Matthews beside him did the same, standing up as well.

Each player that participated in the game has a "family and friends group" supporting them. The three of them are Curry's family and friends group, responsible for cheering him on.

After Curry came Gallinari. The Italian shooter only scored 15 points. Channing Frye did better but only scored 16 points. Daequan Cook, who played in the final, had an off-performance and scored only 15 points. Pierce and Billups made it to the final.

Pierce was the first to play. He had a much steadier performance compared to his slow start in the preliminaries. Although he missed 1 or 2 flower balls on each rack, he hit all the flower balls and scored a total of 20 points.

When he left the court, Garnett shouted excitedly:

"Paul, you're the best!"

Mike Breen sighed:

"Pierce is really a man of great heart. The few shots he made are the same kind that finally broke the Lakers' defense when they played in the 2008 Finals."

Jeff Van Gundy added:

"The shots he makes are critical. He doesn't score for several rounds, but when he needs to be strong and needs to make a shot, he really can deliver. This is the nature of a killer."

After Pierce came Billups, one of the five FMVP point guards in history. His touch was extremely poor in this final round, scoring only 14 points and missing out on the championship.

After shooting, Billups showed a shy smile. The camera showed his teammate Anthony, who was cheering him on from the bench, with a sarcastic smile on his face. Melon said loudly:

"Chauncy, you'd better let me play."

Billups approached him and gave him a fist bump, and the two laughed.

The last person to appear was, of course, Curry, who had scored the highest in the preliminaries. Before going onto the stage, Liam said:

"Stephen, come on, don't forget what I told you earlier. You're the best shooter, no exception!"

Curry nodded seriously and entered the court. He still started from the left corner.

The voice of Jeff Van Gundy rose slightly:

"Alright, Curry is on the court. Let's take a look at his performance. The person who cheered him on earlier was Liam Gonzalez, the owner and head coach of the Warriors. He's the only head coach from Colombia in the NBA, and the youngest head coach as well. I believe many fans are familiar with his legendary story, so I won't go into too much detail."

Beep

"Alright, Curry made his first shot... swish! The second, third, fourth... flower ball also went in. Curry made all the shots in the first rack and scored 6 points!" Mike Breen shouted loudly.

Jeff Van Gundy took over:

"Look at his 45-degree angle... the second, no, the third, no, the fourth... yes! Curry made two goals, but luckily, the flower ball went in. Look at his arc. It's an amazing performance... not bad, he made three shots, but it was a pity he missed the ball. This was the point where Bynum made the final shot."

"Professor Van Gundy is right, but Curry's most accurate point is the 45-degree angle on the right side. This season, his three-point shooting percentage from this spot is a terrifying 47.6%! How many shots can he make this time? Well... one, two, three, four, five, all in! Curry is going crazy!" Mike Breen shouted loudly, with uncontrollable excitement in his voice.

Cowboys Stadium also erupted from Curry's three-pointers. When he reached the right corner, the crowd in the stadium began chanting in unison with each shot he made:

"One! Two! Three... oh, no... Three!"

In the final rack, Curry hit four three-pointers in a huge and orderly wave. When he hit the last flower ball, more than 80,000 people in the venue exploded in energy, enough to bring down the roof.

Mike Breen praised:

"Stephen Curry showed his exceptional shooting skills. He scored 23 points in the final, beat Pierce, and won the 2010 All-Star Three-Point Contest!"

The sound was like a tsunami. During the game, Curry approached Liam, hugged him, and laughed:

"Boss, I won

! I'm the Three-Point Contest champion, and I'm the legitimate king of threes!"

End of this chapter

Note: Hi if you really like NBA novels, you can support me either in this pg with stones, reviews etc, or in patreon since the niche of sports and specially NBA is very small is Webnovel since people prefer to read Naruto, Pokemon, comics etc.