This is so true about the slam dunk competition?

[MVP]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/allstar20 ... id=1994898

[cklitsie]

All this talk about the dunk contes/lebron/vince/etc. got me thinking:
What if Vince went all out in the 2000 Contest? Even a blind man could see that this weren't the best dunks he could possibly do. How about of the "backboard-180-between the legs" or "360-between the legs".

[Andrew]

I don't know if more prize money would necessarily guarantee guys like LeBron, Vince, Kobe, T-Mac and co would compete, but I do think the contest is a far cry from the event that it was even just a few short years ago.

I wholeheartedly agree that the wheel was a terrible idea. It has nostalgic value and adds a new spin, but it also takes away some of the key ingredients to an exciting dunk contest - creativity, innovation, dunks we have never seen before or ever thought possible. Those dunks from yesteryear were great, but I'd rather watch footage of those guys performing them over and over. The new crowd should be doing their own thing.

Furthermore, that's one attempt in a very short contest that could be wasted on a dunk that a player can't perform. The Statue of Liberty 360 wasn't an ideal dunk for Steve Francis to try. Jason Richardson's free throw line attempt hardly rivalled the leaps of past high-flyers. The wheel was a nice idea in theory, but in practice it just doesn't work out.

The format has undergone too many changes. Even in the 90s, the league was messing around too much with it year after year. I didn't much care for the "routine" format of 1995-1997. There were some great dunks that year, but the atmosphere was ruined by the format.

I think the contest has to go back to basics. 6-8 of the league's best leapers, no matter how young or old. Dr J was still throwing down some awesome dunks in his 30s...why exclude players past their first three years if they can still thrill us with ariel artistry? Extend the contest back to three rounds: the top four advance to the second round and the top two face off in the final round, having attempted 2 or 3 dunks in the first round, 2 or 3 dunks in the second round, 3 dunks in the finals.

Limiting the number of dunks in the first two rounds to 2 would accommodate time constraints and the possibility the contestants don't have enough in their bag of tricks to complete up to 9 more or less unique slams. As far as replacements are concerned, one per round should be sufficient, though the league might want to experiment with two replacements per round (as they did for the first three contests) or, if the players are feeling very creative, one per attempt.

In other words, a format similar to the 80s and early 90s.

The players also need to get the idea that dunk contest participants are labelled as little more than dunkers and nothing more out of their heads. Dominique Wilkins is best known as an entertaining player but those who delve deeper into NBA history know he was much more than that. Michael Jordan's two dunk contest victories are a footnote in his long list of achievements and accolades. Harold Miner and Kenny Walker are the only players to fade into obscurity rather quickly, while most of the past winners either enjoyed long careers (a few of them as perennial All-Stars) or are part of today's crop of talented young players climbing the ranks in the NBA.

I think for a lot of players these days, the All-Star Weekend is a chore. It isn't seen as the honour that it used to be. The All-Star Saturday events are seen as avenues for players anonymous to those who aren't hardcore NBA fans to make a name for themselves. And there have been plenty of those players competing in the contest in the last decade. For one reason or another, the whole Weekend just doesn't seem to appeal to the league's brightest stars as being a fun event to compete in, as it used to be.

You know what, maybe Marc Stein is right. Maybe an obscene amount of prize money will make these contests (or the big game for that matter) seem a lot more inviting. If today's guys aren't going to be driven by competition and love of the game, surely a healthy cash prize will provide some incentive to participate.

[Ataraxia]

looks like Andrew's started life story posts too ......

but yeah very good point u made their abt the wheel....its actually changed my opinion.....but Live 05 is the main reason I think we might have some truly awesome dunk contests from this year onwards.......

[Fresh8]

Money.... everything is about money???

Well, adding some incentive for the players could sway more players to particpate. However, I don't know if the NBA would do this. How much can they actually offer without having any loss in profit?

[Andrew]

Sponsors generally have a lot of money to throw around. As Marc Stein pointed out, there are $1 million three point/half court shot competitions, so I don't think there's a shortage of places to get that kind of money. It's just a matter of finding one to invest that kind of money in the dunk contest.

[Junk_Yard_Dawg]

Id have to agree with what Andrew had posted. Pretty much somes up my thoughs as well.

[Drex]

Man, Andrew should work as an NBA ideas executive or something

[Sauru]

yeah in the world of the NBA getting a 1 mil grand prize would be cake.

[Doobie]

wow man players wantin so much money to participate in a dunk contest is insane. Cmon they have skills they just need to show who has the most skills

[Drex]

All the players want money now. It's all about the money (at least at the beggining of their careers) right now.

[MaD_hAND1e]

They should lower the hoop to 9 feet or 9 and 1/2 feet (nothing too drastic) for the dunk contest and use a slightly (maybe about 1 or 2 cm less in diameter) smaller ball. The players could get more creative in the dunks

[The GOAT]

Yeah but that would be like cheating.

[COOLmac©]

yeah like a HS or college dunk contest. cmon man the harder the dunk gets the better it will look(not to mention finleys cartwheel)

[Andrew]

A lot of players cite injuries or the risk of injuries by participating in the dunk contest and other events. I guess it's a legitimate concern, but no one has ever been seriously injured competing in the dunk contest. The only example I can think of was Tony Dumas aggravating a knee injury that he had already sustained, back in 1995.

[Hotshot]

While we're on the subject.. is it true that the NBA waived the three year rule? I mean I know they let Ricky Davis participate in last year's contest but I don't recall them making an announcement as such about it.

And I dunno if anyone else saw this but I read it on ESPN today

Carter said he has a dunk in his repertoire that no one had seen yet, a specialty he plans to keep under wraps until the next time he enters the dunk contest.

[c0nr4d]

Carter said he has a dunk in his repertoire that no one had seen yet, a specialty he plans to keep under wraps until the next time he enters the dunk contest.

[dsigns]

I like the idea of 1 prize, not 3 prizes. That way people bring their best dunks cuz second place aint gonna get them anything.

[John WB]

Or the 2nd and 3rd prizes should be significantly less. And they should have three prizes when only 4 people are competing.

[COOLmac©]

Carter said he has a dunk in his repertoire that no one had seen yet, a specialty he plans to keep under wraps until the next time he enters the dunk contest.

maybe next year guys maybe next year...........

[Andrew]

While we're on the subject.. is it true that the NBA waived the three year rule? I mean I know they let Ricky Davis participate in last year's contest but I don't recall them making an announcement as such about it.

It's probably a rule they won't enforce if some of the guys who have been around longer want to participate. It's just that most of the competitors in recent times are rookies, sophomores or third year players, so they've gone with the whole "Rising Stars" angle.