Blake Griffin won't enter dunk contest

Story @ ESPN.com

LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin was voted as a starter to the NBA All-Star Game on Thursday, but said he doesn't plan on defending his slam dunk contest title during All-Star Weekend.

"As of right now I don't plan on being in it," Griffin said Thursday night. "Those dunk contests aren't my thing, I said that last year. There's a lot of guys that can put on a great show and do some good stuff."

Last year Griffin won the slam dunk contest, played in the Rookie Challenge and played in the All-Star Game during a whirlwind weekend in Los Angeles.

That's a shame. Despite the whole controversy over "he didn't jump over the roof" (I still maintain that it was pretty cool and his elbow-in-the-rim off the backboard was the dunk of the contest), he's one of the league's most prolific dunkers and I would've liked to have seen him try to defend the crown.

And of course, LeBron James is once again considering entering the contest.

“I don’t know, I’ll be on the fence every year about it,” James said. “It’s always a fence year for me. I know they’re getting tired of me, though, so I’m not even going to start up nothing.”

To be fair he was asked the question but he could've just said no, seeing as how that's likely what's going to happen anyway.

I think all players should be picked by the coaches in every competition.

I respect his decision, but it would of been cool to see him defend it.

Regardless of the field, I'd like to see them go back to a more traditional format with a few of the new rules:

- Six competitors, two rounds.
- Competitors perform two dunks per round, three highest total scores move on to the second round
- Two dunks per competitor in the finals, highest total score wins the contest
- Both rounds scored by five judges, with each dunk being awarded a score out of 50
- Competitors have two minutes to complete an attempt, plus two additional replacements thereafter
- Competitors may use props/teammates, but only if they choose to do so

If they have a field of four competitors, make it three dunks per competitor, per round. No wheel, no forcing players to use teammates or props. No fan voting: it's a contest for the fans but the practice of opening the vote at the beginning of the final round makes both the dunks in the final round and judges in the first round completely irrelevant. I say just have the judges...or if they absolutely must have fan voting, have it open after the final round dunks have been attempted. So, you know, more fans are influenced by those dunks and not the first round performance.

For consolation, I hope JaVale McGee enters the contest again this year. His dunks were really impressive last year.

LeBron should definitely enter now Blake is gone. I'm pretty sure there'd be no way he'd lose a fan vote decision, no matter how many people hate him.

For consolation, I hope JaVale McGee enters the contest again this year. His dunks were really impressive last year.

Agreed.I think he was the best one last year.

Good that he's not entering. He half assed that dunk over the car, plus judges saved him on his shitty second dunk last yr to get to the final round.

I hope Javale McGee skips competition like Iggy did after he was robbed against Nate.

He is an athletic guy, but they gave him the championship because he was white. They did the same for Robinson and Webb. Because they were small. At least we have equality here.

He is an athletic guy, but they gave him the championship because he was white.

Don't ever change Rudy

Are those people his parents?

I hope Javale McGee skips competition like Iggy did after he was robbed against Nate.

What Kenny Smith did in that contest was far worse, a far greater robbery than Griffin winning last year.

Are those people his parents?

Yea they are. But his skin is whiter than Javale McGee.

He is an athletic guy, but they gave him the championship because he was white. They did the same for Robinson and Webb. Because they were small. At least we have equality here.

Yes because if the NBA is anything, its a white boy's club....

Equality? anywhere?

Yea they are. But his skin is whiter than Javale McGee.

So you're saying Blake got special treatment because his skin is lighter than McGee's?

If only it worked that way for Bibby:

I wish Blake had gotten that first dunk down correctly, but the 360 cocked to the side was still pretty nice. Blake had the hype and worked it, let's leave it at that. What else can he really do? He's an athletic power dunker. He doesn't really have the style or flair to do another one with more unique dunks. Oh and the car was Baron Davis' fault with the toss being too low.

Personally, I would like to see Kevin Durant , Lebron James, and John Wall in it.

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It'd be great to see those guys in the contest. Still, as long as the format's a little screwy, the contest will be a little lacking in my opinion. Still fun, but not as good as it can be given the athleticism and creativity some players bring to the table.

Paul George. Alonzo Gee. Jeremy Evans. DeAndre Jordan.

I want Gee Durant LeBron and McGee

Gee is a good choice, as is George. If we could have a field of six, I'd like to see LeBron, Griffin, McGee, Gee, George and Durant. For a field of four, I'd reluctantly have to leave off Gee and George. Assuming the big names are indeed out of course, I'm with Justine.'s field.

badreligionau, Mike Bibby wasn't white, he was a player of Kings. Slam Dunk White is different, 2002 Kings tragedy is DIFFERENT.

Wish it was EIGHT:

Alonzo Gee
LeBron James
Paul George
DeAndre Jordan (yes)
Brandon Jennings (YES)
John Wall (YES)
Andre Iguodala (YES YES YES! YES!)
Kevin Durant

I hope Javale McGee skips competition like Iggy did after he was robbed against Nate.

What Kenny Smith did in that contest was far worse, a far greater robbery than Griffin winning last year.

I can't disagree with you there. And we've never seen Iggy in another dunk contest since

Are stars these days afraid to lose or what? Why won't big name players show up for the dunk contest? It's a shame, really.