OT: 3 Point Shooting Contest > Slam Dunk Contest?

Submitted by OccaM on

I don't know how many of you actually watch the All Star Game b/c I usually don't either. This year I might actually watch b/c the 3 point contest has an unreal line up. 

Curry, Korver, Thompson, Irving, Redick, Matthews, Belinelli (defending champ), Harden 

Dunk contest

Mason Plumlee (wtf), Oladipo, Greek Freak, LaVine, 

yawn...

Can't believe the NBA let this get so bad that the 3 point contest is more entertaining than the dunk contest...

RobM_24

February 13th, 2015 at 2:43 PM ^

All-Pro events are losing their shine across the board. I think the NFL should scrap the Pro Bowl and have an All-Star Combine type competition. Let's see how much Vince Wilfork can bench press or how fast Desean Jackson runs the 40. That'd be awesome IMO, and not as risky as playing a game.

MGoChippewa

February 13th, 2015 at 2:50 PM ^

is a joke, but I think the rest of that field is pretty enticing.  It may not have the start power that people desire, but Oladipo, LaVine and Antetokounmpo are excellent athletes and dunkers.

jmblue

February 13th, 2015 at 2:57 PM ^

I think that's been true for a long time.  There haven't been that many new ideas in the dunk contest for awhile and the players miss half of their dunks anyway.   It's gotten stale.  Even when it was at its best (MJ vs. 'Nique) there was the issue of judges deciding things pretty arbitrarily.

The 3-point shootout is unadulterated drama.  No judging necessary.  Just make more than the other guys in one minute.   It's by far the most interesting part of the NBA weekend IMO.

 

 

DrewGOBLUE

February 13th, 2015 at 7:20 PM ^

You mean you don't think making the dunk contest a Kia advertisement a couple years ago with Blake Griffin jumping over a little car was original and cool??? Yeah...it's pretty lame nowadays.

I kinda compare it to the skiing/snowboarding superpipe events like in the X-Games and Olympics. Whether or not you enjoy that stuff, one thing to appreciate is that the events continuously get better as those people push each other to do bigger and crazier stuff. Definitely not the case with the NBA dunk contest.

ClassOf14

February 13th, 2015 at 3:07 PM ^

I really wish stauskas had gotten invited to the 3 point contest. After the Twitter exchange where Steph Curry saw Stauskas' YouTube video and challenged him to a shooting competition, I've been dying to see that.

Can't argue that the 3 point lineup is outstanding though, and once again the dunk contest lineup is woefully unimpressive. What is is about stars like Lebron, Durant, etc. being so uninterested in the dunk contest like the good old days?

ppudge

February 13th, 2015 at 3:14 PM ^

A HORSE tournament. They used to do it (not as part of the All-Star weekend but for Wide World of Sports or something). Check out YouTube for Pete Marovich vs George Gervin in one of the rounds. It's relatively quick to do and it would be entertaining as heck if you got some stars to participate.

boers21

February 13th, 2015 at 3:24 PM ^

The 3 point contest has been better for nearly a decade. None of the stars do the dunk contest anymore, and it's almost all props. If they could convince LBJ and other stars to do it again, and actually be competitive about it, then there is a chance for it.

LJ

February 13th, 2015 at 3:39 PM ^

If the NBA could somehow get some stars to play in a 1-on-1 tournament, I bet the ratings would be NBA Finals level.  It'll never happen, of course, but a guy can dream.

mgobaran

February 13th, 2015 at 3:48 PM ^

The dunk contest is stale, and they try and hype it up like crazy.  Much like the HR derby (after about the first 30 seconds of Berman), it becomes more and more unwatchable as the years go on. To me the 3 pt contest has staying powerr, and actually features the 3 point shooters we want to see. 

gwkrlghl

February 13th, 2015 at 4:42 PM ^

Until someone can physically leap significantly higher than everyone who's ever lived, we've seen everything there is to see at a dunk contest. Nothing exciting ever happens

Sopwith

February 13th, 2015 at 7:36 PM ^

Wasn't there a 2-on-2 tourney among the legends a few years back? I still think that would draw higher ratings than either the 3-pt or dunk contest.