Who's going to watch the Dunk Contest this year?

[CavaliersFTW]

..I ...I don't know if I will :(

Every year it gets worse and worse, it's so cringe worthy but not in a funny/fun way, in a forced/trying-too-hard, beating-a-dead-horse, dying-a-slow-painful-death kind of way.

I just don't know if I can sit through another one so I'm curious who's gonna watch it this season? Who's even in the contest, I haven't looked.

[Rake2204]

I always tune in. It's my favorite part of all-star weekend. I've witnessed some absolute brutality (the P.Diddy and Mike Hart skits) but I've had a good history with watching otherwise with some incredible moments: Vince, Richardson, even Kobe at the time was enjoyable to watch - though his performance aged somewhat (they all do). Spending 45 minutes of my time in hopes of seeing something neat is well worth it for me.

I am encouraged by the return of a relatively standard format this year (judges, two rounds, two dunks per round).

I always found it interesting how much the dunk contest is a lightning rod of criticism. The celebrity game appears to be generally awful, the skills competition usually features players carelessly jogging around decoys, yet the dunk contest tends to be the one most often getting the "just cancel it already" shouts.

[outbreak]

I'll watch it and complain to my girlfriend about how stupid the props are and how cringeworthy the humor is.

[LAZERUSS]

They should keep raising the rim to determine who can dunk the ball at it's highest point...

[CavaliersFTW]

They should keep raising the rim to determine who can dunk the ball at it's highest point...
...actually I'd be interested to watch that

None of the gimmicks. Just a straight up competition of length+athleticism. The gimmicks are awful.

[Magic731]

It's on right after all the other events so may as well stay on the couch and stick it out. Pretty sure it's on Sunday afternoon over here so not like I'd be doing much else anyway.

[LAZERUSS]

...actually I'd be interested to watch that

None of the gimmicks. Just a straight up competition of length+athleticism. The gimmicks are awful.

Or else determine who can dunk from the farthest out...starting from the FT line on out...

[CavaliersFTW]

Or else determine who can dunk from the farthest out...starting from the FT line on out...
You've just created a more entertaining contest than what is currently presented, congrats

Highest dunks
Furthest dunks

Can add a 2 hand and one hand variable to both and call it a competition.

ONE free style dunk tops. No props. Just showcase some body control nobody cares about what stuffed animal or sponsored car you wish to place above or below the rim.

:applause:

[Pushxx]

Hell yeah I am.

Last year had some talented dunkers. The format was retarded but whatever. I always watch it--for better or worse.

[Milbuck]

People are sleeping on Lavine and I don't know why. The footage is all out there, the dude has some FILTHY dunks. Even if the other 3 blow ass, Lavine is gonna make it watchable.

[JohnFreeman]

Doubt i'll even watch the ASG

[CavaliersFTW]

People are sleeping on Lavine and I don't know why. The footage is all out there, the dude has some FILTHY dunks. Even if the other 3 blow ass, Lavine is gonna make it watchable.
He's a great dunking talent.

Unfortunately he's about to participate in a farce dunking competition. Where the person who wins is the person who can bring out the most outlandish props and lucrative sponsored merchandise.

Lavine could do a double back flip dunk and wake the audience up from their slumber.

He would loose to J. J. Barea if Barea introduced an NBA cares childrens hospital choir to sing amazing grace while he barely clears the fender of a brand new Kia Sorento and finishes on a 9 foot rim.

Honestly.

[24-Inch_Chrome]

I really didn't like last year's format, I'm not really interested.

I'll be watching the 3PT competition, skills competition, and the celebrity ASG.

[Budadiiii]

I really didn't like last year's format, I'm not really interested.

I'll be watching the 3PT competition, skills competition, and the celebrity ASG.
They're not doing that format. They switched back to the old one.

[Milbuck]

He's a great dunking talent.

Unfortunately he's about to participate in a farce dunking competition. Where the person who wins is the person who can bring out the most outlandish props and lucrative sponsored merchandise.

Lavine could do a double back flip dunk and wake the audience up from their slumber.

He would loose to J. J. Barea if Barea introduced an NBA cares childrens hospital choir to sing amazing grace while he barely clears the fender of a brand new Kia Sorento and finishes on a 9 foot rim.

Honestly.
I don't know what Plumlee and Dipo will do, but I'm pretty sure Giannis isn't about props or any of that gimmick stuff. He and Thanasis have dunk contests between them often, and they're pretty good about keeping it circus free. So at least 1/2 of the contest is gonna be traditional dunks, imo.

And there's only so much props can take away from Lavine doing a FT line windmill or behind the back lol. If he brings that out, no one is gonna care if one of the other guys brings out a car or dunks over 10 babies :oldlol:

[outbreak]

I don't know what Plumlee and Dipo will do, but I'm pretty sure Giannis isn't about props or any of that gimmick stuff. He and Thanasis have dunk contests between them often, and they're pretty good about keeping it circus free. So at least 1/2 of the contest is gonna be traditional dunks, imo.

And there's only so much props can take away from Lavine doing a FT line windmill or behind the back lol. If he brings that out, no one is gonna care if one of the other guys brings out a car or dunks over 10 babies :oldlol:

You're forgetting that the whole contest is pre decided and rigged though. Still I think Lavine and Oladipo will be entertaining so long as they don't use props.

[Rake2204]

He's a great dunking talent.

Unfortunately he's about to participate in a farce dunking competition. Where the person who wins is the person who can bring out the most outlandish props and lucrative sponsored merchandise. From the sounds of it, the NBA may have tried to go legit with the contest this year. As mentioned previously, the original format has returned (though I wish there were six contestants instead of just four):

2 rounds
2 dunks per player in first round
2 finalists
2 dunks a piece in finals
Real judges
Limit of three attempts per dunk
Use of any props or people must be pre-approved with NBA operations department

[outbreak]

The NBA should pick 4 NBA players and 2 street ballers voted in by the public. Have them put up the best submitted videos and have people vote on the 2 street guys clips.

[Ariza4three]

dipo is in so i will watch. simple as that

[Rake2204]

The NBA should pick 4 NBA players and 2 street ballers voted in by the public. Have them put up the best submitted videos and have people vote on the 2 street guys clips.From what I've read, the NBA's struggled enough as it is to convince players to put their reputations on the line for this contest and whatnot. I think required participation in the dunk contest was something the players association refused to agree upon. Considering that, introducing specialized non-NBA super dunkers may not bode too well.

[outbreak]

From what I've read, the NBA's struggled enough as it is to convince players to put their reputations on the line for this contest and whatnot. I think required participation in the dunk contest was something the players association refused to agree upon. Considering that, introducing specialized non-NBA super dunkers may not bode too well.
Good point I didn't think about that.

[senelcoolidge]

I stopped watching the dunk contest a long time ago. I think Dee Brown's win was the last time I watched it.
http://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/teamsites/images/legacy/celtics/dee_brown_dunk400550.jpg

The highlight is the 3pt contest this year. Everything else is garbage including the All Star Game.

[Jud]

Only watching to see LaVine rape his opponents

[ProfessorMurder]

Maybe. It'll suck though.


They should just do 3 hours of 3pt shooting. I'd watch that.

[Genaro]

I will only watch so I can bad mouth it and beg they stop doing as soon as it ends. :banana:

[Rake2204]

I will only watch so I can bad mouth it and beg they stop doing as soon as it ends. :banana:Ha, true words.

[Mr. Jabbar]

they change the format every year, shits boring AF, plain terrible..past dunk contest memories still haunt me at night

[JimmyMcAdocious]

From the sounds of it, the NBA may have tried to go legit with the contest this year. As mentioned previously, the original format has returned (though I wish there were six contestants instead of just four):

2 rounds
2 dunks per player in first round
2 finalists
2 dunks a piece in finals
Real judges
Limit of three attempts per dunk
Use of any props or people must be pre-approved with NBA operations department

No fan vote anymore? Thank God, albeit surprising considering their stance on all star starters voting.

[Badazzwriter]

andrew wiggins

[Droid101]

will not

[tgan3]

They should have a dunk HORSE contest, it would be fun.

Or they should get the best streetball dunkers vs the NBA dunkers kind of format. Would definitely up the ante of the NBA dunkers performance but nonetheless my bet on the streetballers everytime...

[CavaliersFTW]

Horse and one-on-one tournaments >>> dunk contest

[Demon Lizard]

I watch it every year. Why change now?

[KNOW1EDGE]

I will most certainly watch it.
Although I'm not expecting much.

I'm kinda just watching it by default.

I like the NBA. I like dunks. I like a few of the dunkers. There will be nothing else on TV. So why not?

[LAZERUSS]

I will most certainly watch it.
Although I'm not expecting much.

I'm kinda just watching it by default.

I like the NBA. I like dunks. I like a few of the dunkers. There will be nothing else on TV. So why not?

I would take "Modern Family" re-runs all day long over that nonsense.

[J Shuttlesworth]

Is it on Saturday? I'll be out that night, but might watch everything on DVR the next day

[UK2K]

Too much showtime, not enough dunking.

[L.A. Jazz]

Never watched it live and never will. the whole AS-weekend is a basketballfree-weekend for me. i dont care about meaningless pickupbasketball.

[rhowen4]

Seriously cannot be worse than last year.

LaVine and giannis will be exciting

[gts]

probably not.. didn't watch it last year and never regretted it for a moment...

it's just done, everything way to slam dunk a ball has been done a gazillion times

3 point contest is more enjoyable to me

[salwan]

He's a great dunking talent.

He would loose to J. J. Barea if Barea introduced an NBA cares childrens hospital choir to sing amazing grace while he barely clears the fender of a brand new Kia Sorento and finishes on a 9 foot rim.

Honestly.
:roll: :roll: :roll: repped

[QuebecBaller]

Horse and one-on-one tournaments >>> dunk contest

Do you remember when they did Horse in the all-star weekend?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVQIjJbY2m0

[Funnyfuka]

Doubt i'll even watch the ASG
same here. No grit no competition, challenge, no care, nobody wants to get hurt... makes no point at all.

[Rake2204]

They should have a dunk HORSE contest, it would be fun.

Or they should get the best streetball dunkers vs the NBA dunkers kind of format. Would definitely up the ante of the NBA dunkers performance but nonetheless my bet on the streetballers everytime...I would not favor dunk H.O.R.S.E., for I think it would largely go against what dunking ability is all about (at least in the artistic form).

Dunk H.O.R.S.E. would be most similar to 2002, when the NBA introduced the dunk wheel. One style of dunker would perform a slam that isn't really something another style of dunker would be in position to complete and it'd just be like that over and over. I'd rather have Jason Richardson providing his own style as opposed to trying to emulate a free throw line dunk that's impossible for him to do. Ditto with Steve Francis being forced to replicate a palming Terence Stansbury slam.

Regarding the street dunkers, I touched on this earlier, but the league has enough trouble as it is to get players to put their reputations on the line for the dunk contest each year. Bringing in non-NBA folks who are borderline circus performers would likely not help the cause.


The players' union, for what it's worth, considers all those fears as legitimate. In labor negotiations, the one All-Star event it insisted the NBA could not mandate participation in is the dunk contest. The union bought into the players' argument that the event demands a lot of energy and puts stress on their legs—both preparing and competing in it—and therefore they should have the option to decline an invitation if they're not feeling up to it. Privately, one official admitted it's as much about protecting reputations as anything else.http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2355016-nba-insider-all-star-dunk-contest-is-broken-but-does-nba-want-it-to-be-fixed

[SugarHill]

Yes, I will. I like Giannis, Dipo and Lavine.

[HomieWeMajor]

We need Magic commentating on it again to make in interesting.

[Lexington Steel]

We need Magic commentating on it again to make in interesting.
HOMIE, WE MAJAH.

[HomieWeMajor]

Ayo who remembers when James White was in it and he flopped all his dunks and Lebron and co were laughing on the sidelines ? :roll: His whole life led up to that moment and he stunk it up. Dude was crying on the bench.

[HomieWeMajor]

HOMIE, WE MAJAH.
Bang your cell doors.
http://www.texanerin.com/content/uploads/2013/10/fudge_brownies_1.jpg

[SugarHill]

Ayo who remembers when James White was in it and he flopped all his dunks and Lebron and co were laughing on the sidelines ? :roll: His whole life led up to that moment and he stunk it up. Dude was crying on the bench.

Other dummies who had hype but failed are Shannon Brown :roll: and Jamario "tape 5 feet behind the free throw line" Moon :kobe:

[andgar923]

Ayo who remembers when James White was in it and he flopped all his dunks and Lebron and co were laughing on the sidelines ? :roll: His whole life led up to that moment and he stunk it up. Dude was crying on the bench.

Sad but true.

Dude choked.

[Rake2204]

Ayo who remembers when James White was in it and he flopped all his dunks and Lebron and co were laughing on the sidelines ?That one really bummed me out. I feel like he just missed the boat by a year or two. Entering one's first NBA Dunk Contest at age 30 can be a tough pull. It looked like he was still capable of everything he was attempting, just not quite as capable as he likely was even two years earlier.

For perspective, Gerald Wallace returned to the dunk contest in 2010 at age 27 and he looked like a shell of his former self. He dunked like a 37 year old: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmwjZam-QcA