OT: Worst NBA dunk contest ever & how to fix it-
Get rid of it. Plain and simple. It has turned to garbage. Maybe if it was gone, in a few years some of the NBA divas might actually get off of their ass & take part in it. It might actually create a hunger and a sense of urgency for the players involved to perform. As far as I am concerned Nate Robinson didn't win any of the 3 dunk titles he won & the NBA needs to give the spectators their $$$$$$$ back. No wonder the NBA is losing $400 Mil.
February 14th, 2010 at 3:14 PM ^
110%. It was terrible. I was looking forward to it because I had a good, no, GREAT feeling about Shannon Brown. Sadly, I grew up rooting for MSU then came here (my family is all MSU, so it has been a rough 3 years since I've started here). I always thought Shannon Brown could light it up in the dunk contest similar to J-rich. His first dunk he missed would have been really good, but then he just went basic. I don't understand way he picked those dunks. I was hoping for a dunking featuring Kobe with a fire extinguisher and Brown wearing kobe's new shoes, but that didn't happen.
I wish the NBA could force the big guys to compete.
Lebron, Kobe, J-rich or Vince, Howard
that would be a great competition.
I just can't wait til the day Nate Robinson can't compete in the dunk contest. Every time I see him, I picture his like 29 attempts at one dunk. Hopeful, he declines his invite next year because as the reigning champion he gets an invite
February 14th, 2010 at 3:32 PM ^
The dunk contest was an embarrassment last night. I remember watching The Human Highlight Film, Spud Webb, and Jordan. If the top players aren't going to compete and there are going to be no original dunks then cancel it. Nate Robinson is impressive because he is short, but he did nothing special last night. I loved that everybody in the audience heard Cheryl Miller acknowledge Charles Barkley saying, "maybe nobody will win," just before she read the winner's name.
What they should do is have the fans vote in who will compete in the dunk contest. The top level players might still decline, but it will put a little bit more pressure on them to accept.
Let's reminisce
February 14th, 2010 at 3:16 PM ^
I just want to note that the shannon brown - kobe dunk I saw on Sportscenter was so lame. Literally could not have been weaker.
No sparty hating, it just sucked.
February 14th, 2010 at 3:23 PM ^
I hate to post a second time, but I went searching for the best dunks ever and this is amazing! This is what we need to make the dunk contest better.
February 16th, 2010 at 2:56 PM ^
the intro to this video is great. could imagine a 720 in the dunk contest?
February 14th, 2010 at 3:28 PM ^
As a young guy the NBA All Star Weekend and Dunk Contest was just huge. Everyone was into it and all the big names competed. Of course, this was 1985 and all of my friends and I had grown up watching 13 tv channels and playing basketball on a hand me down Atari 400.
In 1985 the dunk was an elusive cool thing; today, with 400 channels and SportsCenter it's just become saturated. Time to move on David Stern.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:14 PM ^
There's no longer anything special about the dunk. It's way too common.
If they want to display something really unique that you don't see that often in an NBA game, maybe they should have a defense contest. Or a not-traveling contest.
February 14th, 2010 at 3:30 PM ^
Switch to MTV Rock & Jock rules.
February 14th, 2010 at 3:55 PM ^
That'd be far more interesting. I'd like to see who can dunk on a 12-foot rim.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:02 PM ^
Make it less about the theatrics and more about the dunks, IMO how could last years contest not be rigged with a final of "krypto-nate" vs "superman"
February 15th, 2010 at 10:48 AM ^
They made it more about the dunks this year and I almost fell asleep. The theatrics added much needed character to the dunk contest considering there isn't one dunk out there that you haven't seen.
If they get rid of the dunk contest, they'd have to get rid of their entire "skills" competition considering the dunk contest is their main draw. I just don't see that happening. The NBA is going to use any excuse it can to make money.
This was the first Saturday I had free in years so I was actually excited to watch the dunk contest after missing out on last years. What a disappointment. I ended up just watching the opening ceremony to the Olympics.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:08 PM ^
What is this NBA you speak of? After college you either become a Globetrotter or a Washington General.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:15 PM ^
Wow, I completely forgot that it was the NBA's all-star weekend. Choosing to broadcast it opposite the Olympics was not one of the league's more inspired ideas.
Anyway, I agree that the dunk contest has grown stale. The 3-point shootout is really the only skill competition that still is exciting to watch.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:17 PM ^
I think LeBron James really needs to participate in the dunk contest. He can do things that most other players would never be able to do. He needs to stop making excuses and saying he'll only participate if Kobe and Vince Carter do. They both had their shots and they're too old to be expected to dunk like that now. I think it would be good to see LeBron with at least one or two other great dunkers like maybe Jason Richardson again.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:23 PM ^
Each conference gets equal invites, and the conference that scores more points gets the first game of the finals?
February 14th, 2010 at 4:28 PM ^
If you could get Lebron, Howard and Nate Robinson in it against the likes of "team flight brothers" (a few of their dunks are in the montage posted above by spumich). then you would have something to watch...the NBA would never let it happen though because those guys would embarass the league's best.
Also, don't ever, ever do televised H.O.R.S.E ever again unless Meadowlark Lemon is involved.
February 14th, 2010 at 9:59 PM ^
NO More Nate Robinson... PLEASE!!!!
February 14th, 2010 at 4:46 PM ^
This contest is supposed to be fun! And if I understood correctly they can't use props? All of these dunks have been done before, and some of these I have seen in college basketball this year.
February 14th, 2010 at 4:48 PM ^
Replace it w/ a 1on1 contest. Nobody would miss the Dunk Contest.
February 14th, 2010 at 5:17 PM ^
NBA is losing that 400 million because your team is rather good, orrr they suck. Not that many teams in between and the NBA is easily predictable now....its boring now
February 14th, 2010 at 6:31 PM ^
The dunk contest has run its course. It's difficult for anyone to come up with new material.
Also, the NBA "divas" that you mention can do nothing to save it. The best basketball players are not necessarily the best jumpers/dunkers so that is not the answer.
It should go away for a while.
February 14th, 2010 at 9:08 PM ^
I'd watch a Lebron vs. Kobe vs. Howard vs. Wade dunk contest. Though I think Kobe and Wade might not be quite as explosive as they once were.
Shit, Lebron James enters that thing people watch, period.
February 14th, 2010 at 7:15 PM ^
Pffft...the 1985 contest was passe. 1983 was where it was at! Larry Nance, Dr. J, 'Nique...hell, Ralph Sampson was in it that year.
They didn't even show it live that year. CBS showed the highlights and then ESPN put up the full show later.
The dunk contest, in the 1980s, made stars out of otherwise completely ordinary people. Without it, no one would have ever heard of such basketball averages like Harold Miner and Terrance Stansbury.
February 14th, 2010 at 7:25 PM ^
Dunk contest jumped the shark like eight or twelve years ago. I haven't cared about it since I was old enough to not always care about what people told me I should care about.
February 14th, 2010 at 7:56 PM ^
I didn't even realize it was the NBA all star weekend until yesterday when I read about it being in the Dallas Cowboy's new stadium. Why would 90k people spend their money to watch those guys not even try? I can't hardly stand the NBA anymore especially because the Pistons are terrible now, but even when they were playing decent in 07, it started to suck and really get boring. College bball is where it's at now.
February 16th, 2010 at 10:22 AM ^
having Watched late 80s dunk contests/all star games (on ESPN Classic) just made this one suck that much more... Now the players are all buddy-buddy and trying not to get hurt, playing 50% as hard as they can... Watch one of the late 80's all star games... if a team went on a 5 point run there was a time out, that was the best basketball in the world. This year's? The game itself (a 1 point game) was a snoozefest.