NBA Profile

Last year, around this time, I wrote about the NBA All-Star Game and how the slam dunk contest needed to be eliminated all together. I was tired of watching “dunkers” like Chris Andersen, Nate Robinson and the sort attempt a seemingly irrational dunk time after time - only to have the crowd lost by the third attempt. The time implication capped the number of attempts, however, something needed to be done to spruce up the beloved contest.

Enter Dwight Howard.

Last year, Howard dazzled the NBA world showing that a big man could participate, and do well in, a smaller man’s area of expertise. He even showed off his Photoshop skills when he placed a sticker on top of the backboard - going unnoticed until he pointed to the heavens. It was marvelous.

Gerald Green ended up winning the event last year, despite a strong showing by Howard, a mediocre showing by returning champion Nate Robinson and newcomer Tyrus Thomas.

This year, however, Dwight would have his way with the contestants. He mixed power with showmanship and appeased the crowd with every dunk. His max number of attempts per dunk was two - that’s right. Not three, five, seven, or seventeen. If he didn’t get it right the first time, he destroyed it the second time. A true champion.

Dwight’s dunks included a reverse, self-pass, windmill from behind the backboard; a self-pass dunk from left to right hand; a throw in dunk in which Dwight put on a Superman cape and shirt; and, finally, a baseline dunk where he grabbed the basketball from a mini-net on the right side of the backboard.

So my descriptive skills aren’t the greatest. Shame on you for not watching the contest.

Dwight’s showing is probably one of the best of all time - ranking up there with the likes of … yes Vince Carter. Carter’s performance in 2000 was phenomenal. He didn’t need props. He didn’t need a ton of attempts. He just did it.

The one travesty of the evening was the judges giving a higher score to Gerald Green on his second dunk, letting him advance pass Toronto’s Jamario Moon to the final round.

Moon’s dunks weren’t all that special, but last time I remembered, blowing out a candle on a cupcake while two handing the ball isn’t really that impressive either. I guess the judges were easily amused by the pink frosting and sprinkles. And since when is taking off your shoes and performing the same dunk worth any points? Sure, it’s hard to jump without shoes, but the same dunk? Good for you Gerald. You really showed you put a lot of effort this year.

In other skills night activities - the Spurs won the shooting stars challenge, Jason Kapono was crowned a repeat three-point champion and Deron Williams edged out Chris Paul in the skills challenge.

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