By Jeff Lenchiner, InsideHoops.com Editor

Kenyon Martin is without a doubt one of the most exciting players in the league. After a rookie season hampered by injury, Grand Kenyon has stayed healthy this year and become the insanely explosive dunker and all-around talented player everyone expected he would. He's still improving, and will become a much better player with time, but right now the action-packed show in New Jersey features Martin throwing down the nastiest dunks around. Inside Hoops' main man Jeff recently caught up with Kenyon after the Nets demolished the Knicks in front of a rare packed house in the Garden State and asked questions specifically requested by fans writing in to InsideHoops.

InsideHoops.com: When did you first throw down a dunk?

Kenyon: First dunk, I was in seventh grade.

InsideHoops.com: How tall were you back then?

Kenyon: I don't recall...

InsideHoops.com: And where was the dunk?

Kenyon: At my junior high school.

InsideHoops.com: During a game or during practice?

Kenyon: Naw, practice... just joking around...

InsideHoops.com: And at what point did you go from just being able to dunk to throw down nasty slams on people?

Kenyon: Freshman year, freshman in high school. I just wanted to throw it on people. My first one, I was a freshman, it was the starting center on the varsity team - on him.

InsideHoops.com: And when did you get your growth spurt?

Kenyon: I grew every summer, from high school on. I was 6'4" my freshman... I had my growth spurt really like right before my freshman year of high school, and I grew two inches every summer. I was 6'6" my sophomore year, I was 6'8" my junior year.

InsideHoops.com: And did you do jumping exercises?

Kenyon: Naw.

InsideHoops.com: Never?

Kenyon: Never... Natural... Natural, God-given ability.

InsideHoops.com: And who were your favorite players or teams growing up?

Kenyon: Growing up, I liked the Detroit Pistons...

InsideHoops.com: Which players, and why...

Kenyon: I liked the whole team. Isiah, Joe Dumars, Vinnie, Adrian Dantley, you name it... Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn...

InsideHoops.com: Was basketball always your main sport?

Kenyon: I played football and baseball growing up...

InsideHoops.com: As for the NBA Slam Dunk contest, why is it fading away like this?

Kenyon: Guys don't want to do it now, and I don't understand why. It's for the fans, they got guys in the league that can jump, that can do some fantastic things...

InsideHoops.com: And do you think it's the responsibility of the superstar dunkers to be in this thing?

Kenyon: I think so, I think so. You're giving people something to come out and see, you got guys - not to take nothing away from the guys in the dunk contest this year, but you know, they're not real well known around the league...

InsideHoops.com: The fans are looking for Kobe, Vince...

Kenyon: Kobe, Carter, Tracy and those guys. The biggest name in that one was Steve. I think it's unfair to the fans.