Chapter Forty-Five: Trending Words!

"Hey, I thought you guys would be interviewing Andrew or Karl," Zach LaVine joked as he wiped the sweat from his brow, spotting the courtside reporter who approached him. "This is my moment in the spotlight."

"Oh, you're much too modest. Just look at these stats—37 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists!" The reporter laughed at LaVine's jest. "Zach, you’re the brightest star tonight."

"Come on, man, the team finally broke free from the losing streak. What do you have to say?"

"Of course, I've got plenty to say, but before anything else, I just want to say..." LaVine took the microphone, turned to the camera, and suddenly shouted, "Winning feels damn good!"

"Whoa, that’s from the heart," the reporter chimed in, then proceeded with the routine interview.

"Zach, last season you beat Aaron Gordon to win the Slam Dunk Contest. Many felt you held something back, and everyone’s eager to see you deliver an even more spectacular performance at this season's All-Star Game." The interview proceeded smoothly until the final question. "So, will you participate in this season's Slam Dunk Contest?"

"Oh, I’m still considering it. Last season, Aaron Gordon really pushed me hard—I’m almost out of tricks," LaVine scratched his head. "But if the league invites me, I’ll definitely take part."

Then LaVine leaned closer to the camera, "But I’d rather see my teammate Andrew Wiggins join the Slam Dunk Contest this season."

"And Aaron Gordon’s teammate, that guy named Michael Wu." LaVine added with interest, "Maybe we could have a two-on-two dunk showdown!"

With that, LaVine handed the conversation back to the reporter, shrugged, and jogged off toward the locker room.

The reporter, who had waited so long for a headline-worthy story, finally got what he wanted!

"The Slam Dunk Contest lineup is out—what do you think of this matchup?" That evening, a bold headline stood out on a foreign news portal.

Clicking the article revealed a video of Zach LaVine's post-game interview. The accompanying text declared: Zach LaVine publicly challenged Andrew Wiggins, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Wu—this season’s Slam Dunk Contest is bound to be spectacular!

Most overseas fans reading the article were familiar with the first three names. LaVine and Gordon had both proven themselves in past dunk contests, and Wiggins—well, he was the first overall pick in 2014, famed for his incredible leaping ability.

But LaVine’s last named challenger left the fans puzzled—who was Michael Wu?

That night, for the first time, a post about Wu Rui appeared on a foreign forum, titled, "Who is Michael Wu?"

The poster had just read the news article, shared the link, and posed the question: Does Michael Wu deserve an All-Star Slam Dunk Contest invitation?

"I only learned today that, besides Jeremy Lin, there’s another Asian player in the NBA. Can anyone tell me what kind of player he is?"

Not long after, other fans replied, curious as well.

Most who knew or recognized Wu Rui were Magic fans. When his name first appeared on basketball forums, the majority had never heard of him.

"An Asian forward, played in six games in total, averaging 2.3 minutes, 1.2 points, and 2.2 rebounds per game. Sorry, these are all the stats I could find. So here’s the question: How did a player at this level catch the dunk king’s attention?"

"Hey, buddy above, you should check today's schedule. Zach’s opponent was Michael Wu’s Magic. Maybe LaVine remembered him waving a towel on the sidelines."

"Any Magic fans able to introduce this kid? All I know is he’s a yellow-skinned rookie!"

As the discussion grew, the skepticism around Wu Rui intensified. Most people never watched the Orlando Magic, so their impressions of Wu Rui were vague at best.

Just as the thread was about to sink, a Magic fan logged in and started typing. The first line was an NBA official website link.

"OK, guys, I’m an Orlando Magic fan. I never expected you’d be talking about our rookie tonight. Here’s today’s TOP 5—watch it before you comment."

When it comes to the NBA, the daily Top 5 plays are essential. The NBA’s official site compiles the best five moments from each day’s games. Today, with so many matches, the selection was even more meticulous.

More games meant more dazzling plays, so only the true highlights made the cut.

As the video played, the Top 5 reached its final moment. The huge number "1" rolled across the screen, and the arena shown was the Orlando Magic’s home—the Amway Center.

Mario Hezonja took a jump shot, the ball bounced off the rim. At that moment, under the basket, Wu Rui—wearing the number 0 jersey—reacted swiftly, soared into the air, grabbed the ball, and upon landing, immediately bent his knees and sprang up again.

As the commentator exclaimed, Wu Rui dunked ferociously over the Timberwolves’ center!

This play was replayed three times before the Top 5 video ended.

"Oh, buddy, I take back what I said above—this guy jumps damn high!"

After watching the official Top 5, the thread discussing Wu Rui shot to the forum’s homepage, with a flood of replies from fans.

"I’ve never seen an Asian forward pull off such a smooth poster dunk—my god, what’s this kid’s name again?"

"Replying to the above, his name is Michael Wu. My goodness, his name and that dunk remind me of another Michael—Michael Jordan!"

The thread’s popularity soared, far beyond what the original news outlet expected. With so many games and hot topics that day, no one anticipated that "Michael Wu" would become the trending name of the day.