The Dunk Contest is Dead
It's been a while since the NBA's Dunk Contest has been must-see TV but this year might be the worst lineup ever.
Besides returning champion Nate Robinson, this year's competitors include Gerald Wallace, Shannon Brown, Eric Gordon and DeMar DeRozan. I'm guessing you haven't even heard of most of these guys, let alone seen them dunk. So nubs.
That's why Shaquille O'Neal suggested having Vince Carter and Kobe Bryant join his teammate LeBron James in the contest. He even suggested raising the prize money and donating half to Haiti. That sounded like a great idea to me.
I remember when I wouldn't miss a dunk contest. If it wasn't Jordan v. Dominique, it was Spud Webb or Dee Brown blowing you away. Guys like Shawn Kemp, Kenny "Sky" Walker and Harold Miner were unbelievable. And stars like Clyde Drexler, Steve Francis, Jerry Stackhouse and Tracy McGrady were regular competitors.
Now it seems like the best players in the NBA are too cool to enter the dunk contest.
LeBron has never participated. That's why when he threw his hat into the ring during last year's All-Star weekend, everyone got excited. LeBron is arguably the best athlete the NBA has ever seen. All eyes would be glued to their televisions to see what he might do. But sadly he backed out and we'll probably never see him in a dunk contest.
That's why Shaq's idea was so intriguing. He said he'd get LeBron to participate if Vince and Kobe would do it too. But today when Kobe was asked about the idea, he burst out laughing. That sucks. Kobe sucks.
The sad thing is Kobe won the dunk contest as a rookie way back in 1997. He doesn't have the hops he used to have, and he probably wouldn't be that impressive. But if Kobe said he'd do it, maybe that would actually influence Vince and LeBron.
Instead, we'll have to watch Shannon Brown and DeMar DeRozan. Actually, I won't watch it. The dunk contest is dead to me.
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I think that competitiveness would bring it out from LeBron. You just need one big name to start trash talking about the others (Dwight Howard calls LeBron a sissy, and says Kobe probably can't even dunk any more, and all of the sudden you might have a contest). But, yes, there hasn't really been an original dunk since Harold Miner put the ball through his legs in mid-air. Now it's like listening to Rom, same old schtick, different day.
Touche...dunk contest dead to me too as the dunk contest was originally centered on big name dunkers not necessarily big dunks. Without the big names, dunk contest like JP not talking about himself, doesnt fit the profile.
Should replace dunk contest with knuckleball contest, horrible shooters who get points for hitting the rim...I would put my money on JP to win that contest.
Jp Lame, there will never be another MJ or Dominique in the dunk contest. These nubs keep missing stupid dunks and make that fight you had with Watts worthy of a payperview.
one of the best but not better than kobe.