Tonight we get to watch the NBA's skills competitions that have somewhat evolved over the years. There will be four events tonight including the Sears Shooting Stars Contest, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Foot Locker Three-Point Contest and Sprite Slam Dunk Contest. How sponsors are so important these years. Now I told myself I would write about all four contests, but there's really only one that people actually care about.
25 years ago we watched Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins, 13 years ago we watched Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, and tonight we get to watch Kenneth Faried and Eric Bledsoe.
Faried and Bledsoe aren't even the best two dunkers in the field this year, they just happen to be the biggest names in a field that is so weak, most people won't even watch the competition. Along with those two we are also graced with Gerald Green, Terrence Ross, James White & defending champion Jeremy Evans.
For those of you including myself that don't remember last year's dunk contest, Jeremy Evans apparently won it over Chase Budinger, Paul George and Derrick Williams. Why George and Williams weren't brought back this year after becoming bigger names just doesn't make sense.
While the contest always brings the best dunkers of the NBA together, the NBA just hasn't been able to get the big stars as much as they used to for the event. Which brings me to this one guy that still to this day hasn't done a dunk contest in the NBA which we've all been waiting for.
LeBron James is arguably the best player in the NBA today. As much as I hate to say this, right now I think he's the best player in the NBA right now. Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony are right behind him, but he's the MVP this year and has made his case for why he's the best in the game.
James has dodged the dunk contest every year since he's been in the NBA. For someone that most consider one of the best dunkers ever, to not ever take part in the competition is really robbing not only the fans of what could be greatness, but the entire NBA.
When I think about why he wouldn't take part in the dunk contest I just can't think of any logical reasons for why he wouldn't do it. The only thing that comes to mind with why he's never done a dunk contest is that he's actually afraid that he might lose in it. While losing a dunk contest doesn't sound like that big of a deal, both Kobe and MJ have won a dunk contest so this might stain his reputation a little bit.
If LeBron does the competition he is supposed to win. The fact that fans vote on this almost ensures that he will win the competition just by name alone. If LeBron was to take part in tonight's contest it would make the contest that much more worthwhile. He's the name that everyone wants to see including ESPN First Take's Skip Bayless, who has done everything but beg LeBron to just man up and take part. Him taking part in the competition gives this whole night much more credit and I don't see why David Stern isn't begging the guy to make this thing worth watching.
If anyone can move past LeBron actually not taking part we can look at tonight's field. Six guys are taking part and I think the competition will come down to three guys in Evans, Faried and Green. The reigning champion Evans should make a run at a possibly repeat tonight. Faried put on an absolute show last night in the Rising Stars game and was named the game's MVP. My pick for the event tonight though is Mr. Green.
I remember watching the 2005 McDonald's Dunk Contest and I was extremely impressed with Green's dunking ability. He won the high school dunk contest and then the 2007 NBA Dunk Contest as well before being the runner-up in the 2008 contest. He is at eye level with the rim for some of his dunks. His leaping ability is so amazing that how can anyone expect someone else to win this competition. He will be the guy to watch tonight as he has already done this on multiple occasions.
Slam Dunk Contest Winner Prediction: Gerald Green
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