2009 NBA Slam Dunk contest participants announced

[insidehoops]

http://www.insidehoops.com/slam-dunk-contest.shtml

The Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard will defend his crown in the 2009 NBA Slam Dunk competition to be held on NBA All-Star Saturday Night Feb. 14, at US Airways Center (8 p.m. ET on TNT) in Phoenix. Howard will compete against the Memphis Grizzlies' Rudy Gay, who participated in last year’s contest, and the New York Knicks’ Nate Robinson, winner of the 2006 contest in Houston.

For the first time, fans will select the fourth participant, exclusively through an online vote on NBA.com, from a list of three rookies -- the Milwaukee Bucks’ Joe Alexander, the Portland Trail Blazers’ Rudy Fernandez or the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook.

This is just a way of forcing everyone to have to spam nba.com. They force people to register before they can vote. It sucks.

["Jesus"]

This will suck.

[Grinder]

Everyone please vote for JOE ALEXANDER. This guy is an absolute, athletic freak.

[highwhey]

This will suck.
Yep....

[Posterize246]

I have to sit throught that Nate Robinson **** again? Judges better be fair this time.

I'm votin Russell Westbrook.

[El Kabong]

Damnit, I hate Nate.

[jbot]

alexander would be the best choice of those 3.

[Kblaze8855]

Im betting Joe makes it. The Bucks must have a solid PR setup with their fans to have Ridnour getting so many all star votes. Where else could they be coming from? They have to be pushing it right? how else could someone want him starting 200,000 times? Leftover Sonics fans voting for him because they refuse to support the players who left for Oklahoma?

Little left over Bucks love from Yi fans?

[20 Dimes A Game]

Joe Alexander, white people want to see a white champion right?

[emsteez forreal]

Joe Alexander, white people want to see a white champion right?

yeah i was surprised, is this the first time since chris andersen that we have not just 1, but 2 (potential) non-black candidates? alexander and rudy? and didn't dwight say he wasn't gonna participate this year?

[kaiteng]

Can I vote who's out instead of who's in?

[Rockets(T-mac)]

I'm guessing Nate will have 30 attempts this year. Come on they could have done better than this.....

[MTing]

Wtf.. Im getting tired of Nate. Should have new players every year(with the exception of the defending champ)

[DuMa]

Nate again :( whos he gonna jump over this time? tiny archibald?

[ukballer]

Disappointing choices in my opinion.

Getting sick of Nate now. Rudy got us all hyped up and did all that 'send me your dunk ideas' **** last year, and came out with the most unimaginative dunks ever. Hope the 4th dunker whoever it is brings some good stuff.

I voted Joe Alexander :D

[lilojmayo]

Wtf.. Im getting tired of Nate. Should have new players every year(with the exception of the defending champ)

nate sucks
it was fun the first time now it is just boring


is mayo going to be in the 3pt contest?

[Godfather]

Rudy is an absolute joke in this. Just because the man did a couple of nice alley oop dunks does not mean he can compete in the Dunk Contest.

Joe Alexander on the other hand is an athletic specimen and has competed and won dunk contests before. Vote this kid in.

[chains5000]

Rudy is an absolute joke in this. Just because the man did a couple of nice alley oop dunks does not mean he can compete in the Dunk Contest.
If people can win by just putting on a Superman cape or a Spud Webb jersey, I don't see why Rudy being there would be a joke.
Are there players more suitable for this contest than him? Sure, I wouldn't choose him, but as with almost any event now, it's all about popularity (or Stern's expansion wishes).

[Godfather]

If people can win by just putting on a Superman cape or a Spud Webb jersey, I don't see why Rudy being there would be a joke.
Are there players more suitable for this contest than him? Sure, I wouldn't choose him, but as with almost any event now, it's all about popularity (or Stern's expansion wishes).

Then why not put Yi in the game? He is already close to becoming an NBA all star...
:pimp:

[chains5000]

Then why not put Yi in the game? He is already close to becoming an NBA all star...
:pimp:
It will happen unless Stern changes AS voting rules (it's time to).

[brandonislegend]

im glad rudy gay gets another chance he had some big things planed for the later rounds to bad it didnt work out

[Mamba]

dwight you better not let the little guy be better then you at dunking.

did anyone think of that? the biggest of the big versus the smallest of the small in a dunk contest.

thats entertainment right there.

[Noob Saibot]

bring back Moon!

anyway i'd like to see Joe Alexander, just cuz he's an unknown. Westbrook is nasty too and Rudy Fernandez might be something like a Jerry Stackhouse to me, nothing real special ya know.

[eliteballer]

I going with Nate The Great! Who's going to win?(assuming either of them does)

[Kumo]

Can anyone post a link to the voting.... I can't find it...

[Noob Saibot]

why bring Nate back? yes he's an athletic super freak. 2006 was a gift for Nate, even though Iguodala was filthy with his dunks. Nate better pull off some 540s and jump over a car to win.

[Posterize246]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FP0ua5xFw4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5m2nURvE6s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkkglUnYf_M
:bowdown:

[jamal99]

Can anyone post a link to the voting.... I can't find it...
me neither

I like that Nate is participating (Dwight too, but he is defending champion so it was like 100% that he will). Little man got some tricks in his sleeve, i believe it.
I don't like that Rudy Gay is participating, he did some very boring dunks last year and i just dont see him as Dunk Contest dunker (if u know what i mean). Jamario would be much better pick.
I don't think that the fans will vote Russel Westbrook, because Alexander and Fernandez are white (+Rudy is European). How many times did white player participated in dunk contest, and how many white euro players participated? U get the point...

[Posterize246]

http://enrico.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/wegotrobbed.gif

[ShawnieMac06]

I wanna see Al Thornton of the Clippers in the Slam Dunk contest. However, either way, this Howard's contest to lose.

[jamal99]

Can anyone post a link to the voting.... I can't find it...
I found the ****in link. It's like they are hiding it...
http://www.nba.com/dunk/poll.jsp

[UCLAlegend32]

gotta find a way to get westbrook in this thing.

[Lebron23]

I rather see Andre Iguodala, Josh Smith, Gerald Green, and a 32 yrs.old Vince Carter in the Slamdunk Competition. :pimp:

[Efunk7]

hopefully joe, aka vanilla sky, gets in...westbrook and fernandez are in-game dunkers...kinda the same for rudy...

[Posterize246]

hopefully joe, aka vanilla sky, gets in...westbrook and fernandez are in-game dunkers...kinda the same for rudy...
if they've never been in a dunk contest...how do we know that? :confusedshrug:

[adamcz]

Im betting Joe makes it. The Bucks must have a solid PR setup with their fans to have Ridnour getting so many all star votes. Where else could they be coming from? They have to be pushing it right? how else could someone want him starting 200,000 times? Leftover Sonics fans voting for him because they refuse to support the players who left for Oklahoma?

Little left over Bucks love from Yi fans?
It's a mystery to us Bucks fans too. There hasn't been one peep about "vote for Luke," from the Bucks PR guys, and he doesn't seem to be a particularly popular player among the fan base that I'm aware of. I'd say that the most popular Bucks this year are Bogut, Sessions, and Mbah a Moute (and of course Redd among the more casual fans).

The leftover Yi love can't be it, because Ridnour has more votes than Yi's current pg, who also happens to be a much better player. Ridnour wasn't even on the team alongside Yi, and the other Bucks (Redd, Bogut, Jefferson) aren't getting a similar vote boost.

I honestly think it's a technical glitch of some kind. Maybe votes for Wade or Iverson are getting miscasted or something like that.

[JJ81]

Why's Dwight back? He better be outstanding or he's just stolen a space.

I'm voting for that JOE ALEXANDER guy. Havn't seen much of him.

[adamcz]

if they've never been in a dunk contest...how do we know that? :confusedshrug:
Who cares? Just vote for Joe!

Want to see him knock himself unconscious banging his head on the rim in the contest. Would that get straight 10s?

["Jesus"]

I just can't believe they let Nate have a third shot at this. It's pathetic.

[adamcz]

I just can't believe they let Nate have a third shot at this. It's pathetic.
All the league offices are in the NY area I think. Probably a highly disproportionate number of Knicks fans making decisions on things like this.

[Lebron23]

I am voting for Rudy Fernandez.

[Big Deal]

I am not voting at all and just going to watch what who the chinese choose to dunk, seeing as thats what all the voting revolves around in the NBA these days:banghead:

[Kumo]

I found the ****in link. It's like they are hiding it...
http://www.nba.com/dunk/poll.jsp

Thanks dude...

Yeah you would think they'd make it really easy to find, but their site sucks so meh..

[InspiredLebowski]

If he gets in Joe Alexander is winning.

They should make it an open contest though, have tryouts the day before and 3 guys off the street get in. Hell they should do that with all the side events.

[catzhernandez]

Joe Alexander, white people want to see a white champion right?
amen

Brent Barry FTW!!

[hassano]

Bring back moon!!

[starface]

thats a ****in weak ass list

[D-Rose]

I'm calling Dwight to win it.

Should be a funny sight when Superman n the Lil B*stard are next to each other.

[zass]

Im betting Joe makes it. The Bucks must have a solid PR setup with their fans to have Ridnour getting so many all star votes. Where else could they be coming from? They have to be pushing it right? how else could someone want him starting 200,000 times? Leftover Sonics fans voting for him because they refuse to support the players who left for Oklahoma?

Little left over Bucks love from Yi fans?

It's Joe for sure,
not only because of little left over love from Yi's fans, but also Joe grew up in China and speaks little chinese.

[SHEED_ gangsta]

I'd laugh so hard if Dwight just puts on a batman cape whips the ball into the net agian and wins :roll:

[ukplayer4]

rudy gay?


he was ****ing awful last time.

only 4 dunkers again i see.

further proof that stern wants the dunk contest full run into the ground. hes always admitted he hates it.

[Kevin_Garnett_5]

This Dunk Contest will be horrible again. We'll never see anything like Jordan vs Dominique, Dr. J and Vince Carter again.

[SilentObserver]

There are no dunk artists anymore.:violin:
or at least they are not inviting them...

[Richie2k6]

There's nothing else Robinson is physically capable of doing that we haven't already seen. If he wants to show is something new, all he can do is use props now.

[Yung D-Will]

God where is Dwight vs Lebron that would be amazing.

[facebook]

There's nothing else Robinson is physically capable of doing that we haven't already seen. If he wants to show is something new, all he can do is use props now.

my prediction:

he will use a trampoline and dunk from 3pt line this time while going thru his leg 10 times.. and 243 attempts / 2hrs 15mins later, he make it and the judge give him all 50s and win the contest again..

then in 2010, you'll hear Magic announce to the whole world that the slamdunk contest is back baby!

[Reikon]

I'd vote for Joe Alexander, he's the only one who deserves to enter. But I'm to lazy to make an account.

[Kevin_Garnett_5]

Vote for Joe!!

http://www.nba.com/video/channels/allstar/2008/12/22/nba_sprite_jalexander.nba/

[L.Kizzle]

Wtf.. Im getting tired of Nate. Should have new players every year(with the exception of the defending champ)
Well, Dwight would have never been champion then ...

[Godfather]

I don't see why so many people are hattin on Nate. He isn't going to miss a bunch of dunks in a row this year and he is going against a 6'11'' behemoth. It is great marketing and comedy gold.

[shadow]

why the **** is a that dumb midget back in this thing again? I got nothing against Nate but his "championship" was the one of the biggest frauds in recent memory.

[hateraid]

I'm gonna write in vote Bill Walker.

[rosonviyavong]

are you kidding me? nate? ...EVERYONE VOTE FOR ALEXANDER and he'll save this contest
dwights gona come out strong ..rudy gay has got something to prove cause
last years performance was average and now he knows that hes allowed to use
those nonsence props that dwight howard and green used so hell show us
what he can really do in my mind ..and alexander the WHITEBOY gona show us
all his skills im hoping joe wins this competition

[Burgz]

joe alexander is a freak
westbrook can get up too, don't know what he can do honestly
rudy fernandez? he might know something we don't. He's athletic but he is in some tough company.
and for the love of god please not more nate robinson...
and everyone knows bill walker should be in it if they want excitement

...still sour about james white never being picked

[willds09]

I whish everybody stop hating on nate, he's 5'7 for crying out loud, all because a lot of people taller then him can't do what he do, doesn't give them the right to hate on him. Watch nate will not disappoint in february, at least it will be the only thing us knicks fans can be happy for.

[bdreason]

We all know they will find some way to give it to the midget.


I don't really care to see Howard anymore either.

[bdreason]

http://enrico.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/wegotrobbed.gif


Andre, "What happened?".

:roll:

[DuMa]

http://enrico.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/wegotrobbed.gif

:oldlol:

AI's reactions are always great

[Alonzo Magic]

Andre, "What happened?".

:roll:

:roll:

I voted for Joe, simply because I know what he'll bring. Rudy is a gamble and I don't rate Westbrook.

[DCL]

despite the gazillion dunk attempts, you gotta admit some of nate's dunks were pretty insane. just look at the midget. don't care if it takes 1 out of 100 tries. some of those dunks were just ridiculous for a midget.

[sick_brah07]

OMFG at andre and allen AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

[baseketball4life]

Joe Alexander FTW

[InspiredLebowski]

Only way Dwight repeats is if he dunks Nate. Yes you read the correctly.

[Kebab Stall]

I just hopes Rudy Gay brings something special this time. He's got incredible hops and spectacular length, there's no reason why he shouldn't be able to do something crazy.

Also, I voted for Joe Alexander.