No more capes. No more high hoops. No more KIAs. No more foolishness. Finally, for the first time in years, the slam dunk champion went back to basics. Terrence Ross, the winner of the 2013 Slam Dunk Contest, threw down some serious dunks Saturday night, including a tribute to, in my opinion, the greatest dunker of all time, Vince Carter. One jersey change was the only gimmick he needed to win the contest despite other contestants dunking two balls, trying to jump from the free throw line (a la Air Jordan and Dr. J), and trying to dunk twice before landing.
This is what the dunk contest needs to go back to. Pure, powerful dunks of art. For instance, when Jeremy Evans dunked two balls at once, I really wasn't that impressed. I'm not saying it wasn't impressive but as far as a slam dunk contest dunk is concerned, it really wasn't that great and thankfully the judges only gave it a 43. When Ross pulled off his dunk wearing a Vince Carter jersey (caught from a pass off the side of the backboard, 360 spin, brought down below the waist, then hammered home), I nearly jumped out of my seat, seriously. That's what amazing dunks should do. They're meant to be crowd movers, jaw droppers, and legend makers. Even though Carter never lived up to the Jordan-esque hype that was attached to him when he came into the league, many still consider Carter the better, and perhaps best ever, dunker. This was established at the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest, which was the best performance in a dunk contest I have ever seen.
Wait, seriously, if you didn't click that link, watch that video. Did you see the reaction of the other NBA stars? Did you see the reaction of the judges and crowd? People were in awe of what they were seeing. Maybe Houston just wasn't the place to be last night, but the crowd was not nearly as hyped, I felt, as at the 2000 one. We've seen people throw down some of the dunks that Carter did, but not with the ferocity, which is what made them awesome. Despite Ross' tribute to the old school, there were still a few things I disliked about the dunk contest that need to change.
1 Attempt, 2 Attempt, 3 Attempt, 4
Vince and MJ could throw down their dunks on the first or second try. Every time. They did it with authority and didn't waste my time trying 4 or 5 times. Ross' first dunk, where he did a behind the back with the ball dunk was impressive and worthy of a 50 on its own. The problem is he took way too many attempts to do it. By the time it was pulled off, the hype had worn off a bit as everyone knew what he was going to do. I think the awe factor is at its highest when you dunk it for the first time because no one knows what they're about to see. By the third attempt I knew exactly what he was going to do. His other two Eastern Conference teammates weren't even able to pull off their dunks in the allotted one minute thirty second time frame. Really, a minute thirty to do a dunk? C'mon man. Practice more, do what you have to do, but start nailing the dunk on the first or second try. I realize the degree of difficulty is there, but it is much more powerful on the first try.
Give Me The Best
The format for the dunk contest was East vs West with the top score in the East facing off against the top score in the West. I would like to see the dunk contest go back to choosing the best score regardless of conference affiliation, similar to the Home Run Derby. What if one conference is stacked with dunkers, but because of the format, two of them won't get in. Even though he's past his slam dunk contest prime, it would be possible for the Western Conference to have a Slam Dunk Contest line up of Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, and Blake Griffin, all former winners of the contest. It's also very possible that the three of them outscore the players on the Eastern Conference side. I, as a fan, would much rather see the three or two best out of Griffin, Howard, and Bryant advance rather than simply giving each conference an equal share of the pie. I understand they're trying to do an East vs West thing this year, but for the dunk contest, I want the best of the best.
Calling King James
I am quite outspoken in my dislike for Lebron James, but this is one scenario where I would probably cheer for him. The dunks he throws down in games are powerful enough. Can you imagine what he'll do with no defenders and time to prepare? I think if he participated, it would be something special. There's a good chance his performance would surpass Carter's 2000 performance. They were debating this on First Take, but I think both Stephen A and Skip were missing the point. Stephen A pretty much took the stance of, it's his choice and if he doesn't want to do it he doesn't owe it to anyone. Skip argued that James is actually scared of the contest and won't do it because of the pressure that will be on him from the fans and the media.
My personal opinion is that James should not do it for the fans, media, or anyone but himself. As much as I would like to see him in this contest, I don't believe he owes it to the fans to participate. Who cares? As this year proved, there are some pretty great dunkers out there already, and I'm still holding out hope that he does it a couple years down the road. This would, however, be a legacy builder. The debate since James came into the league has been him vs Kobe vs Jordan. Even though James doesn't believe you can measure greatness in championships and stats, the numbers rarely lie. Jordan has six rings, Kobe has five, Lebron, even though he still has a lot of career left, has one. I also feel like Lebron, despite winning that title last year, still does not have near the kind of respect Jordan and Kobe demand.
As far as the dunk contest is concerned, Kobe has only been in it once but won it, and Jordan has won it two out of the three times he has participated. I know the title of slam dunk champion isn't as prestigious as NBA Champion, but it's just another piece of the greatness pie that Lebron doesn't have. You want to erase some of the animosity that is still there from when you left Cleveland for the Heat? Participate. This is a fan friendly and now, with Twitter and txt message voting, interactive competition. If James does some ridiculous, never before seen dunk, which I believe he is capable of, I think some wounds will be healed. I don't care how much you hate a player, if you see him or her do something amazing, sometimes you just have to sit back and say, "Damn, that was pretty sweet." It's not going to make him Mr. Loveable and he still won't get cheers on the road like Scalabrine did, but I think if he participates and does what we all know he can do, it will be a small boost, but a boost nonetheless, to his growing NBA legacy.
In conclusion, I like where the dunk contest is heading after last night. Apart from missing big names and some lackluster dunk attempts it was a pretty solid contest. Maybe you enjoy the gimmicks and believe in their level of difficulty. I mean, I'm 5'9" so I can't say from personal experience how hard it is to perform certain dunks (lower that hoop a few notches, then we'll talk). What I can say is my definition of an awesome dunk is no props, just skill and athleticism. I'm looking at you LBJ. New Orleans already has the spot for next year's All Star Game, but I want to petition for the 2015 Slam Dunk Contest to be in Cleveland. LBJ back in his hometown, throwing down in front of his old fans. That would be legen....wait for it
Matty O
Click here for a slow-mo look at all of Ross' dunks from last night
...dary.
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