Should professional dunkers be in the NBA dunk contest?

[Peteballa]

What's good ISH fam, long time no see for anyone who remembers me.

I was having this debate with a few of my friends earlier and figured I'd share it on here to get your opinions.

Serious question for you all - would you enjoy the dunk contest at all star weekend with NBA players only, or with the best dunkers in the world who aren't NBA players? Jordan Kilganon, for example.

Personally, I'm on the fence about it. As a dunker it'd be sweet to have the prospect of reaching that point, but I also don't know if it would sell as well. It's NBA All-Star weekend after all.

Also, shameless plug:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJJpzw8hKAc

[Thunderfan86]

I would love for the NBA to include professional dunkers. Why not? :confusedshrug:

[Draz]

They should. The dunk contest is getting lame, the last two were good but it's a dying contest.

[kshutts1]

Because it is the NBA all star weekend, I say no.

But it would be nice to see similar a similar competition during the preseason. Perhaps to kick it off?

From a US perspective, as that's where I live, have county, state, regional and finally national competitions in dunking, skills, and 3p shooting. The top X performers in each competition go on to face an NBA squad at the start of the NBA preseason, as a sort of kick-off celebration.

I'm pretty confident that there are individuals in all of the above skills that could perform adequately against the pros. They may not be professional material as a player, but there are certainly individuals out there with professional ability in one or two skills.

And I did mention just the US, as I don't know what the same levels would be called elsewhere in the world, but of course this would be a world-wide thing, for any country/governing body that wants to participate.

[FKAri]

No because it would make the NBA players look bad. Why would the NBA want that? The whole point of NBA all-star weekend is to showcase NBA talent.

[FireDavidKahn]

I would love for the NBA to include professional dunkers. Why not? :confusedshrug:
Because it's the NBA dunk contest...

[Cocaine80s]

Lol wtf i think I seen you dunking on Isaiah Rivera's instagram :lol

[ClipperRevival]

Hell no. The NBA gains nothing by allowing these guys to participate. It's supposed to showcase NBA talent.

[Rican_Havok]

Also, shameless plug:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJJpzw8hKAc

Dude, I've totally played against you at Southwest Rec. I thought the gym looked familiar :p

[tpols]

Hell no. The NBA gains nothing by allowing these guys to participate. It's supposed to showcase NBA talent.


maybe it will inspire nba stars to start to compete like they used to after getting their asses kicked ?

[LAZERUSS]

Hell no. The NBA gains nothing by allowing these guys to participate. It's supposed to showcase NBA talent.

So, instead we watch players with no shooting ability dunk a basketball.

The NBA either ought to keep raising the rims, or start the dunk contest from behind the FT line and keep working backwards, until we have a winner.

Same thing with the actual game. Put both rosters on their offensive ends (no defense, like it is actually being played today)...and with only one ball at each end. Have a player inbound the ball from the half court to anyone they choose, and tally up the points. In other words, the strategy would involve whether to do a lob for an almost sure dunk (like the current ASG), or taking a risk and passing to a wide open 3pt shooter (like the current ASG.)

Continue that for 48 minutes, and see who scores the most points. It would be similar to the 190-170 games we are actually watching today...but with more strategy.

[G-train]

Also, shameless plug:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJJpzw8hKAc

we da bess

[ClipperRevival]

So, instead we watch players with no shooting ability dunk a basketball.

The NBA either ought to keep raising the rims, or start the dunk contest from behind the FT line and keep working backwards, until we have a winner.

Same thing with the actual game. Put both rosters on their offensive ends (no defense, like it is actually being played today)...and with only one ball at each end. Have a player inbound the ball from the half court to anyone they choose, and tally up the points. In other words, the strategy would involve whether to do a lob for an almost sure dunk (like the current ASG), or taking a risk and passing to a wide open 3pt shooter (like the current ASG.)

Continue that for 48 minutes, and see who scores the most points. It would be similar to the 190-170 games we are actually watching today...but with more strategy.

:biggums: :oldlol:

[Rolando]

No. NBA dunk contest is for NBA Players.

Here is what I would like to see in the Dunk Contest:

-Simulated plays leading up to the dunk.

College level or D league level players used to simulate an in game situation leading to the showcase dunk. Including the posterized victim.

YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST - BOOK IT - MY IDEA

[Peteballa]

Lol wtf i think I seen you dunking on Isaiah Rivera's instagram :lol

Lmao that's me. Isaiah is my boy.

[Peteballa]

Dude, I've totally played against you at Southwest Rec. I thought the gym looked familiar :p

That's crazy hahah, if you ever see me there mention that you're the guy from ISH. Small world.

[Legends66NBA7]

Yo OP, I remember you. Nice to see your dream come to life, respects.


To the topic - Personally, no. I think the NBA should advertise it's own talent. I don't think a multi-billion dollar league would advertise professional dunkers from other circuits, especially with money involved.

Would the league sign them to a weekend contract or something ? Probably not, but that's only way it could work in theory.