Can Blake Griffin Make The Slam Dunk Contest Respectable Again?
Let’s keep it real, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest has pretty much sucked over the past few years. Although three-time dunk champion Nate Robinson brought some excitement to the event with his pint-size body delivering grown man jams, the flash, flare and power has been missing since Vince Carter pulverized the competition back in 2000 with a virtuoso performance.
Thanks to LeBron James‘ reluctance to enter the contest, NBA fans have been seeking a top-flight player and marquee name who will do the fans a service by entering the All Star Weekend’s popular spectacle.
Enter Blake Griffin.
The 21-year-old has been menacing the league in his true rookie season with dunks that are downright scary. Most knew Griffin had game when he clobbered his opponents in Oklahoma, but what he’s done in the league has just been filthy and disgusting. Ask the Knicks what happened when Blake brutalized the team with a variety of smashes.
Now, Griffin has entered his name in the 2011 NBA Dunk Contest. Might as well get it out of the way now—he will win. It’s just a matter of how he wins. No, he’s not Vince Carter creative, but then again, who is? Griffin is a freak who could probably rip a rim off the backboard with a tomahawk jam if you asked him to. His entry raises eyebrows and will have those who usually rip the contest a new one paying very close attention to what goes down in Los Angeles.
JaVale McGee, Brandon Jennings and Serge Ibake could help bring the sex appeal back to the dunk contest in the same manner that Steve Francis and Tracy McGrady offered up a mean opening act before Vince-anity went ape sh*t with his jam session.
Ultimately, this is the Blake Griffin show. He’ll have more pressure to perform here than any game in the regular season. Hell, maybe the Clippers can win something (Brent Barry‘s dunk contest win in 1996 was of the #KanyeShrug variety).
We’ll be watching.
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I work for DISH Network, and had my equipment upgraded to HD before the All-Start weekend, and WOW! What a difference! I love the picture quality and skip back button on the DVR. I must have watched Ibaka’s free throw line dunk 20X. I thought overall the dunks were creative. (Maybe too many props for my old school taste) I thought the contest was good down to the wire, and then……cars and choirs, and a dunk that 95% of NBA players could make for the win?!? If Griffin had the trophy before the contest started don’t waste my time. A 45 on the only player to ever get the “free throw” dunk right? Let’s keep the game out of LA for a while, every winner this weekend was from Cali.