aircannonsinc Chapter 30: A Narrow Overtime Defeat! A Tribute to Jordan
Chapter 30: A Narrow Overtime Defeat! A Tribute to Jordan
The moment the whistle blew for the jump ball in overtime, the roar from Philips Arena nearly lifted the roof off.
More than 20,000 spectators stood up in unison, their flashes creating a sea of stars, all eyes fixed on the two men in the center of the court—on one side was Michael Jordan, who was about to have his last dance of his career, and on the other side was Lin Hao, the Chinese-American rookie who dragged the game into overtime with a game-tying moment.
Western Conference head coach Don Nelson finally abandoned his stubbornness and put Lin Hao on the court in overtime, forming the ultimate lineup with Kobe, Yao Ming, Duncan, and Garnett. On the Eastern Conference side, the starting lineup of Jordan, Iverson, Carter, McGrady, and O'Neal clearly aimed to give the "Air Jordan's" final All-Star game the most perfect ending.
During the jump ball, Duncan tipped the ball to Lin Hao. As soon as Lin Hao caught it, Iverson closed in, grinning at him: "Kid, that game-tying goal was pretty good. Show your true colors in overtime!"
Lin Hao flicked the ball with his fingertips, a smirk playing on his lips, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Answer Bro, I absolutely won't cut corners."
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly executed a crossover dribble, using Yao Ming's high screen to instantly shake off Iverson's tight defense. Facing Carter's help defense, he flicked his wrist and delivered a precise bounce pass to Duncan, who was cutting to the basket. The Stone Buddha caught the ball and banked it in, securing the first point of overtime.
The commentator on the sidelines immediately roared: "What a beautiful pass! Lin Hao's vision is terrifying! He can not only score himself, but also completely revitalize the entire team's offense!"
But the legends of the East clearly didn't want this farewell game to leave any regrets. Carter's windmill dunk, McGrady's pull-up three-pointer, and Iverson's lightning-fast breakthroughs took turns on display, while Jordan unleashed his killer mode, posting up and shooting fadeaways, each shot eliciting a deafening roar from the crowd.
Every second of overtime felt like it was played in slow motion. The score was incredibly close, with points alternating every single one, and neither player dared to relax for a moment. Lin Hao gave it his all on both ends of the court. Defensively, he relentlessly guarded Jordan, using his anticipation to disrupt the Air Jordan's shooting rhythm as much as possible. Offensively, he transformed into the team's playmaker, orchestrating the offense with precise passes and occasionally sinking an audacious three-pointer over the defense.
Players who had exhausted themselves in regulation time still squeezed out every last bit of energy in overtime. With 20 seconds left, the East extended their lead to 2 points with a turnaround jumper from Jordan, while on the West's final possession, Kobe was double-teamed and his forced three-point attempt bounced off the rim.
The final buzzer sounded, and the score was 155-153, with the East narrowly defeating the West by 2 points.
The entire arena erupted in a frenzy of cheers and bittersweet emotions. Players rushed forward to embrace Jordan, the basketball legend, who scored 20 points in his final All-Star Game, personally accepting his last All-Star MVP trophy.
On the awards stage, David Stern handed the gleaming MVP trophy to Jordan, and speaking into the microphone, his voice trembled slightly: "This trophy belongs to the greatest player in basketball history. Thank you, Michael, thank you for everything you've given us."
Jordan, holding the trophy, waved to the tens of thousands of spectators, his eyes reddening. On the big screen, classic moments from his career were played on a loop, from his free-throw line dunk to his last shot, from his six championships to countless legendary records. Tens of thousands of spectators stood up and applauded for a full five minutes; not a single person sat down.
The entire stadium was immersed in the sadness and tribute to the legend's farewell.
Just then, all the lights in the venue suddenly went out without warning.
Only a single spotlight remained, shining directly into the center of the arena.
Everyone was stunned. The cameras all panned towards the spotlight, where Lin Hao, holding the ebony suona that had been with him for two lifetimes, walked steadily into the spotlight step by step.
The entire arena fell silent instantly. In the stadium with tens of thousands of people, there wasn't a single sound, except for the background music from Jordan's career highlights that still lingered in the sound system.
Zhao Dabao clenched his fists instantly on the sidelines, and Harris held his breath. They both knew what Lin Hao was about to do. Since the All-Star Weekend began, he had locked himself in his hotel room, revising the sheet music over and over again, all for this moment.
Lin Hao stood in the center of the field, looked down at the ebony suona in his hand, and the crooked "Lin" character on the suona bowl was particularly clear under the spotlight. He then looked up at Jordan on the podium, took a deep breath, and put the suona mouthpiece into his mouth.
The next second, a gentle and lingering suona sound slowly echoed throughout the entire stadium.
Without the thunderous force of the Finals halftime show, or the joyful exuberance of the Rising Stars Challenge awards ceremony, this time the melody is as gentle as an evening breeze, as flowing water, a modified version of "Unforgettable Tonight".
Every note was filled with reluctance and respect, transcending national borders, languages, and twenty years, gently touching the hearts of everyone present.
The cheering crowd fell silent instantly. Many fans who had grown up watching Jordan play had tears welling up in their eyes and streaming down their faces.
On the awards stage, Jordan paused slightly, holding the trophy, and his already reddened eyes instantly welled up with tears. In his life, he had seen countless ways to pay tribute to him—replicating his classic moves, writing songs to praise his legend—but never before had he been touched so deeply by a musical instrument from the East, its gentlest melody striking the softest spot in his heart.
As the music ended, the lingering notes still echoed around the stadium.
Before the audience could recover from this tenderness, Lin Hao focused his energy, his fingers flew across the keyboard, and his tone suddenly changed!
The main theme of "A Man Should Be Self-Reliant" instantly resonated throughout the entire Philips Arena!
That sound, as bright as thunder splitting through dark clouds and as powerful as an axe breaking through ice in the cold winter of Northeast China, every note carried an indomitable spirit, a tribute to legends, and the courage of the new generation of players to take up the baton, striking hard into the hearts of everyone present.
The entire audience erupted in cheers!
Tens of thousands of people stood up and clapped their hands with all their might. The cheers, screams and applause mingled together, almost blowing the roof off the arena! Some people held up Jordan posters and cried while cheering, some clapped their hands vigorously to the rhythm of the suona, and even the legendary stars on the sidelines stood up and clapped their hands.
Iverson clapped and yelled at Carter beside him with a smile, "That kid! He's fucking cool!"
Carter nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with amazement: "I never imagined that this instrument could have such power!"
Kobe stood to one side with his arms crossed, his face expressionless, but when he looked at the figure in the center of the court playing the suona, his eyes were full of approval, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.
Yao Ming stood at the front, watching his compatriots pay tribute to the basketball god on the NBA All-Star stage with a Chinese suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument). His eyes welled up with tears, and he clapped vigorously.
As the last note faded and the suona fell silent, its lingering sound persisted for a long time.
Lin Hao put down his suona and bowed deeply to Jordan on the awards podium.
The applause was even more enthusiastic than before, lasting for a full three minutes without stopping.
Just then, Jordan put down the MVP trophy in his hand, walked down the podium step by step, and walked towards Lin Hao in the center of the court.
The entire venue fell silent instantly, and all the cameras were fixed on the two people walking together.
One is a basketball god who has dominated the league for twenty years, and the other is a Chinese rookie who stirred up a storm as soon as he entered the league. The figures of the old and the new generation finally stood together under the spotlight.
Jordan walked up to Lin Hao, looked at the young Asian face before him, and smiled gently. He didn't say anything, but simply turned around, took a pair of autographed retired AJ18 basketball shoes from a staff member, and handed them to Lin Hao.
A gasp of surprise erupted from the audience!
These shoes were custom-made by Jordan for his last All-Star Game, with his name and the words "To the Future" signed on them.
Immediately afterwards, Jordan took the microphone from the staff and addressed the tens of thousands of spectators in the arena, as well as the hundreds of millions of fans watching on camera around the world, speaking word by word. His voice, amplified by the speakers, resonated throughout the entire stadium:
"Many people have asked me what the future holds for this league after I leave."
"Today, I'm telling you here that he has a part in the future of this alliance."
He pointed to Lin Hao beside him, his eyes full of admiration: "This young man not only has outstanding skills, but also the purest love for basketball. Thank you for your tribute; it's the most special gift I've ever received."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jordan took the initiative to extend his hand and shook hands firmly with Lin Hao.
Lin Hao held the heavy basketball boots in his hands, looking at the basketball god in front of him, his heart pounding. In his previous life, he had watched countless replays of Jordan's games on TV, but he never dreamed that one day he would stand on the All-Star stage and receive the legacy boots personally handed to him by Jordan.
He took a deep breath, and facing Jordan, said earnestly in English with a Northeastern accent, "Thank you, Mr. Jordan. You are the faith of all basketball players, and I will carry this recognition with me and continue playing."
The two let go of each other's hands and embraced tightly.
The applause and cheers from the audience reached their peak once again.
Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant—one after another, legendary stars came forward to hug Lin Hao, patting him on the back and expressing their approval. Those players who had previously mocked him as an internet celebrity, unworthy of standing on the All-Star stage, now looked at him with utter respect, devoid of any disdain.
[Ding! The host has triggered the hidden achievement [Century Legacy], completion rate 100%!]
[Task Evaluation: Perfect! The host, using the Chinese folk instrument suona as a medium, has achieved the highest level of tribute to NBA legend Michael Jordan, gaining official recognition from the basketball god and completing top-tier cultural export, igniting global buzz!]
[Rewards: Physical talent growth progress +50%, just one step away from A-level talent! Unlock Jordan's exclusive tribute passive skill [Air Jordan's Will], increasing physical confrontation ability by 25% and resistance to interference by 30% in crucial moments!]
The system notification sounded in his mind. Lin Hao gripped the combat boots in his hand, and the smile on his lips grew wider.
At this moment, the global internet has been completely destroyed.
The hashtag #SuonaTributeToJordan# topped the trending charts in both China and the US within three minutes, and even swept across major social media platforms worldwide. Countless netizens frantically shared videos of the event; some were moved by the suona's melody, some were brought to tears by the passing of the torch, and countless Chinese netizens flooded the comments section with the same message:
"This is the ultimate cultural export! Northeast China's spectacular fireworks display, go for it!"
What Lin Hao didn't know was that this All-Star farewell ceremony, this tribute with a suona, not only completely shed his "internet celebrity" label, but also etched his name into the history of the NBA.