Welcome back to Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network. Its good to see you again after my little hiatis from running my fingers off but here we are with a brand new installment of the program. Take a look at the photo above. That is Julius Erving in the very first slam dunk contest back in 1976. But the NBA doesn't claim their first until 1984. But since then we have had such winners like Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Dee Brown, Spud Webb, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, and Dwight Howard winning the crown. Heres a list of winners you may not have expected or even known... Harold Miner, Brent Berry, Fred Jones, and Gerald Green.
This past weekend Nate Robinson became the first ever three time winner of the dunk contest while standing at five foot nine inches. He was able to beat out the likes of Gerald Wallace, Shannon Brown, and DeMar DeRozan. I know what your thinking. "I know of or heard of Nate Robinson but who in the hell are the other three? I'll admit this, as big as a sports fan as I am, I didn't even know who all the participants in this years dunk contest were. Who are you DeMar DeRozen? And why do I have to capitalize four letters in your name?
The initial thought after the dunk contest was that there was an awful taste in the mouths of millions of fans everywhere. If I had spent the money to attend I would have felt incredibly ripped off for the awful product the NBA seemed to have thrown out and pieced together at the last second.
The NBA has brought what is now a joke of an event on themselves. The first dunk contest in 1984 featured nine players including Clyde Drexler, Ralph Sampson, Dominique Wilkins, and Julius Erving, all losing to winner Larry Nance. Over the years we saw rivalries emerge in the dunk contest with MJ vs. Dominique Wilkins.
Then you can argue that the last great dunk off was in 2000 when Vince Carter performed some of the best dunks ever. And you know what...that may have killed it right there. Look up the dunks he did in 2000. They can't be topped. Ever since that dunk off, the competition has gotten scarcer and more people have lost interest in the event. Since then the biggest name we've seen compete in this is Dwight Howard who did provide one of the great moments of all time, but still lost in the end to a man that needs to jump in the air just to high five him. Then of course last year LeBron James teased the entire nation by saying he would compete in this years event but obviously at some point he changed his mind.
So the question is...has this years dunk contest put the final nail in the coffin to end the event for good? And is the event even fixable to start with or even worth trying to? To answer them, maybe, yes, no. The dunk contest can only be saved if they get players the fans know and see on a regular basis. The dunk contest lacks star power. But you can't have just one or two notable guys. And you definitely need more than four guys. Lets face it...this use to be THE event of all star weekend for the NBA. Their version of baseball's home run derby which as we know never fails to attract the big stars.
Next year the NBA will need a LeBron James and slue of other players that the public gives a damn about if they want a good event. And if they can't provide the a good product then they are better off not doing it. Maybe "horse" competition will catch on in popularity and become the new must see event on all star Saturday. Only time will tell what the future of the dunk contest beholds. But I can already forecast that things don't look good for dunkers everywhere. Thanks for logging in today. Your inside Ice Cold Sports part of the Radio Blog Network.
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