Replace the dunk contest with a 1v1 elimination tournament

[Nick Young]

Imagine a 1v1 tournament at all star weekend, 16 total ballers, young up and comers mixed with old vets. So for example we could see Kobe vs Harden, Tony Parker vs Kyrie, Deron vs CP3, Wade vs Rose


Play to 5, going by 1, so games are fast paced. Winner of 2 out of 3 goes to the next round.

3 rounds and a grand finals where the two winners of each bracket play to 11 for the title.


Imagine if this replaced the dunk contest

[Cowboy Thunder]

leave the dunk contest. replace the skills challenge with this.

[CeltsGarlic]

leave the dunk contest. replace the skills challenge with this.

Better yet, replace shooting stars with this.

[SilkkTheShocker]

Its never going to happen. Players arent going to put their reps on the line. They have way more to lose than win.

[Nick Young]

Its never going to happen. Players arent going to put their reps on the line. They have way more to lose than win.

Most old guy superstars like D-Wade won't. A few, like Kobe, might because it's another individual award they can win.

But deep bench rotation guys like Chris Douglas-Roberts, who apparently never lost a game of 1v1 in his life according to him, will be looking to make a name for themselves.


Maybe if we got a massive petition together, NBA would think about putting a 1v1 contest in to allstar weekend.

Unlike allstar game and rising stars challenge, no one wants to be shown on national TV getting schooled and losing a game of 1v1 so competition would actually probably be pretty high.

[Calabis]

Never going to happen. ..owners will not go for it...imagine the first time someone gets injured. Keep dunk contest just open in up to street dunkers have nba players judge..no need to have nba guys doing it...and go back to the old format...with one replacement dunk

[Rysio]

they should just wait till kobe retires. till then it wouldnt even be fun to watch when you already know who would win every single year.

[Rake2204]

Imagine a 1v1 tournament at all star weekend, 16 total ballers, young up and comers mixed with old vets. So for example we could see Kobe vs Harden, Tony Parker vs Kyrie, Deron vs CP3, Wade vs Rose


Play to 5, going by 1, so games are fast paced. Winner of 2 out of 3 goes to the next round.

3 rounds and a grand finals where the two winners of each bracket play to 11 for the title.


Imagine if this replaced the dunk contest

There was another thread about this last night. I feel like no players would want to commit to a challenge like this. It's their weekend off and instead of, at worst, being asked to jog through an obstacle course, fire some jumpers, or make slam dunks, they'd be expected to put it all on the line in an intense one on one tournament? It'd be nice, but I just cannot see players feeling that.

Further, I think one-on-one isn't as cool to watch as we tend to pretend. It tends to plod a little more, even if the games are only to five. For example, if we went the Brian Scalabrine route (stoppage in play after every miss) then that opens up the contest to a lot of mid-range jumpers being missed in a row leading to slow check-ups, particularly if there's a shot clock of some kind. If the game is continuous, I picture a lot of easy rebounds off misses to jogs back out to the three point line to reset.

The idea just seems to look better in our ideal imaginations than how I actually think it'd turn out.

Also, why are new competition ideas always replacing the dunk contest? Some dunk contest years are terrible ('12, '10) but when it's at least kind of good, it's a defining moment of the all-star weekend. We still remember DeMar DeRozan's non-winning dunk in '11, yes? And that was just one of many dunk moments that year. Do we recall anything else about that all-star Saturday?

I say, if we're going to implement a new competition, why wouldn't it replace one of the terrible events, like the Celebrity Game or that Shootout Challenge with the half court shot? I mean, I'm okay with the Shootout thing, but I would never choose that, the Celebrity game or the Skills Challenge over the dunk contest. It feels like the dunk contest is always punished just because it's the only event with expectations of being anything but sucky.

[STATUTORY]

I love to see it but too many players would catch feelings with that much ego on the line, conditional on them even accepting the bid to compete.

Wade broke Kobe's nose cause Kobe was sonning him in a game, imagine if Kobe was doing that to Wade 1 on 1 with the camera panned just on them. the reaction would be violent.

[Living Being]

Every year people suggest the 1vs1 as opposed to the other trash we are presented with, but it never happens. I'm sure a lot of good players would do it. They might risk losing face, but they also would like to prove themselves.

[B-Low]

Kobe wouldn't even play Kyrie 1 on 1 at the olympic scrimmage cuz he said he has nothing to gain from it. If he loses, Kyrie makes a name for himself. If he wins, he just beats people he's expected to beat. If he wouldn't play at olympic practice he's not gonna put his rep on the line for the world to see

For the top players like him, his legacy will look better without a random 1on1 trophy than it would with a LOSS to somebody on national TV. High risk low reward for the bigger names.

[BrickingStar]

After 2 OTs in a regular season game they should replace it with a 1v1 of each starter on a team

[Lord Leoshes]

1 on 1 is a good idea, but only the selected alstars should be able to compete.
I don't wish to see the rollplayers doing it.

Saying that I would also like to see 3 on 3s as well with the same rules.

& if they really wish to get the fans back then they should have cheerleader bikini mud wrestling tournaments like back in the ABA days.

[AirTupac]

Kobe wouldn't even play Kyrie 1 on 1 at the olympic scrimmage cuz he said he has nothing to gain from it. If he loses, Kyrie makes a name for himself. If he wins, he just beats people he's expected to beat. If he wouldn't play at olympic practice he's not gonna put his rep on the line for the world to see

For the top players like him, his legacy will look better without a random 1on1 trophy than it would with a LOSS to somebody on national TV. High risk low reward for the bigger names.

Except Kobe told Kyrie he would play him 1v1. Winner gets $50,000 (charity I'm guessing)

[Budadiiii]

If you do it by position, Westbrook beats everyone 11-0 ...


If positions aren't accounted for, Westbrook still wins easily but maybe not 11-0 each time...


He's the best 1 on 1 player I've ever seen. He's also never lost a 1 on 1 game in his life.