LaVine and Gordon just saved the NBA dunk contest
NBA All-Star Saturday has always been one of my favorite days of basketball. No there are no actual games taking place, rather it serves as a showcase of skills from across the NBA.
All-Star weekend is a busy time for the NBA and no day is busier than Saturday. It plays host to the All-Star practice and the D-League, which is the NBA Developmental League — similar to AAA baseball, the All-Star game and dunk contest, the Skills Challenge, the Three Point Contest and the grand finale of the dunk contest.
In past years the dunk contest has grown stale. Less and less big name players have been participating and when the league tried to shake things up two years ago it was a disaster.
Two years ago the league decided to change the normal format of four players do two dunks and the two top scorers move to the final round to do two more. This is the way it had been for years. The NBA came up with a more head to head format. There was a freestyle round and head to head rounds and at the end no one had any idea what had happened.
Last year the event returned to normal and Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Zach LaVine wowed with some impressive slams. Despite LaVine’s big performance, he had little competition. This year LaVine was the headliner as the returning winner and the other contenders weren’t exactly big time names. Many predicted LaVine would win it handily and again this year, outside of LaVine, it would be forgettable.
This wasn’t the case. Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon came up big and put on a performance so strong, many thought he should be the winner. Many thought the NBA robbed Gordon because they wanted LaVine to have a dynasty. It was all very reminiscent of 2011.
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Gordon’s early dunks were huge, as he utilized the Magic’s mascot (which is in now way Magic) as a tool for him to leap over.
LaVine was no slouch either, as the Timberwolves also impressed with an array of dunks. These included a big behind the back dunk and multiple from the free throw line slams that wowed fans and the judges alike.
The contest went two extra rounds, as both contestants kept earning perfect scores of 50 in the final round.
Eventually LaVine came out on top with a between the legs dunk from nearly the foul line, but many stood by Gordon and proclaimed him the winner. It another Gordon dunk over the Magic mascot that seemed to be deemed the best of the night by fans.
No matter which contestant truly won, the fact remains that Saturday night was the best dunk contest the NBA has had in years. Not only was it a coming out party for Gordon as a player, but it served to highlight the depth of talent the league has to offer.
As this NBA season shapes up to be a historic one, with the Warriors pursuing the record for wins set by Jordan and the Bulls, it’s great to see all areas of the league flourishing.
The three point contest was fantastic, with Golden States’ “Splash Brothers” dueling for the top spot and the All-Star game set points records with the West beating the East 196-173.
No matter what happens as the year goes on, fans can rejoice in the fact that finally the historic dunk contest has been saved.
