Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest
There is probably one thing that can put up a better show than All-Star game, and that is the Slam Dunk Contest. Denver was coincidentally the place that held the very first dunk contest in 1976 for the ABA. Although the dunk contest has lost some flair over the past few years, the Dunk Contest still remains one of the most anticipated and one of the most popular event in the All-Star Weekend.
Fred Jones, last years victor over two-time defending champ Jason Richardson in Los Angeles a year ago, chose not to participate and refused an invitation without any reason. Jason Richardson also declined an invitation, saying that he needed rest his wrist and even though the injury is mild, Richardson told the media that he did not want to risk causing further injury.
It was in 2000 that the dunk contest was reinstated after a brief 3 year hiatus. Vince Carter, who was still a Raptor, captivated and awed the crowd with some of the most exhilerating dunks ever seen. Now a new Raptor has entered the stage, and that Raptor is J.R. Smith, who is in his first season in the NBA and came straight out of highschool. Smith is joined by Tracy McGrady, who is the cousin of Vince Carter and also participated in the 2000 Dunk Contest. Corey Maggette also partcipated in the 2001 Dunk Contest, where Desmond Mason took home the dunk crown. Also joining the dunk contest is the 6'3 combo guard Ben Gordon, who is a rookie like Smith and is a rising star with a lot of talent.
Judges
From left to right: James Worthy, Julius Erving, George Gervin, Dee Brown, Cylde "the Glide" Drexler.
First Round
First Dunk: J.R. Smith J.R. wasted no time getting the contest up to speed by throwing a nifty pass off of the jumbotron and putting it under the legs and slamming it with style .
The Toss....
The finish....
Score: 50
First Dunk: Tracy McGrady T-Mac took off from just inside the freethrow line and finished with a double pump reverse.
Just inside the line!
Putting it home with style!
Score: 45
First Dunk: Corey Maggette Corey Maggette earned himself a very low mark with a very plain and bland tomahawk dunk.
There was no style to this ugly dunk....
Score: 33
First Dunk: Ben Gordon Gordon gently lobbed the ball to himself and slammed home a windmill reverse.
Ben thows it up
Slamming it behind him.
Score: 43
Second Dunk: J.R. Smith J.R. started his second dunk with a lob of the backboard and finishing it with a double pump reverse as well.
Throws it off the board to himself
Bringing it down hard.
Score: 44
Second Dunk: Tracy McGrady A nice but strange looking one handed windmill earned him 4 points shy of a 50.
Elevating high in the air
Finishing it off nicely.
Score: 46
Second Dunk: Corey Maggette Maggette put a little more effort into this one, going in for a decent looking 180 dunk.
A little better for Maggette, but not looking too good.
Score: 43
Second Dunk: Ben Gordon It was Gordon's turn to seem unmotivated as he threw a simple bounce pass off the backboard for an easy dunk.
An average looking pass
The finish wasn't too good either.
Score: 36
Final Round: T-Mac vs J.R. Smith
First Dunk: Tracy McGrady Tracy McGrady seemed to run out of ideas by the final round as he bounced the ball of the backboard and slammed it home for his first dunk.
Lobbing it off the board
and throwing down an easy dunk.
Score: 38
First Dunk: J.R. Smith Smith on the other hand, still had a couple more bags up his tricks. He bounced the ball off the camera and finished by slamming it under his legs, but not before making a 360!
A pin-point pass to the camera?!?!?
Turning a full circle and slamming it down!
Score: 50
Second Dunk: Tracy McGrady T-Mac managed to make up for the bland dunk with a stylish 360 statue of liberty dunk.
The Terence Stansbury dunk had everyone quivering with delight.
Score: 50
Second Dunk: J.R. Smith J.R. only needed a 39 to beat T-Mac, but decided to finish off stylish anyway. Smith bounced the ball off the shotclock and finished off the dunk contest with an absolutely nasty 360 windmill.
J.R. getting ready the pass to himself.....
T-Mac's defeat was official when Smith slammed it home for a 360 windmill!
Score: 50
J.R. posing after scoring another 50 for his final dunk.
Dunk Contest Summary
After the final dunk by J.R. Smith, announcer Kenny "the Jet" Smith roared out"Oh my goodness! Did you see that? That was Vince Carter all over again! I am speechless ladies and gentlemen."
We think that Kenny has every right to be shocked, and we couldn't agree more. J.R. Smith was the new dunk champ. Scoring two perfect scores in the final round and 3 perfect scores in total, J.R. completely blew away any competition out there and just made a name for himself. After another Raptor by the name of Vince Carter won the contest in 2000, nobody would have thought that any other Raptor would win the contest.
J.R.'s final dunk was very reminicent of Carter's. Carter made a 360 windmill as well, but Vince never threw a bounce pass off of the shotclock like J.R. Smith, and that is what set a completely different level apart from the two dunkers. J.R. also finished the dunk by pointing both of his hands upward, which is what exactly Vince Carter did when he won the contest.
"Everyone is always talking about Vince Carter being the best Raptor dunker of all time, so I decided to show that I can do the same dunks that he did, but I also put my own special little spin to it to give it a different style."
J.R. holds up the award. Smith is the second Raptor to recieve an award this All-Star weekend.