theGREATEST SLAM DUNK CONTEST in the HISTORICAL HISTORY of the NBA
As a die-hard NBA fan, I normally get-together w/ my boys and watch their annual Slam Dunk Contest — and normally, always seem to walk-away scratching-my-butt and shaking-my-head in utter disappointment.
 |
| Nate "The Great" Robinson — the only winner of 3 NBA Slam Dunk Contests! |
How can the most athletic basketball players in today's advanced and modern era suck at 'slam dunking' a 30" inch by 30" inch, perfectly round basketball?
Is it the lack creativity? It sure isn't the lack of athleticism. Or is it the lack of competition?? Ah, that may be the answer to the continuous 'suckery' that is NBA's Slam Dunk Contest.
However -this time around, I was blessed to have watched the "epic" NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2016 w/ my Dad. As a former-national Ping-Pong/Table-Tennis champion of Laos (Southeast Asian country that borders Thailand & Vietnam), competition and the thrill of watching it, is definitely in his blood — practically making him one of the most exciting people to watch any sporting event with!
 |
| NBA Slam Dunk Contests of yester-years were downright memorable & unforgettable! |
Fast-forward to this year and rewind to Saturday night, February 13th, 2016, we -along with the whole wide world, bore witness to perhaps theGREATEST SLAM DUNK CONTEST in the HISTORICAL HISTORY of the NBA -starring- Aaron Gordon (Orlando Magic) -vs- Zach LeVine (Minnesota Timberwolves).
NBA's 2016 Slam Dunk contestants feat. Will Barton (Denver Nuggets), Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons), Aaron Gordon (Orlando Magic), and defending 2015 champ — Zach LaVine (Minnesota Timberwolves)...but, But, BUT this blog post will focus entirely on the "epic"
Please note, NBA's annual Slam Dunk Contest — once beloved by NBA purists, slowly evolved into a stale event in which the participants' ideas became less & less original — as corny/tacky props became more & more prevalent.
After years of lackluster showdowns (Jordan -vs- Wilkins) and showmanship (Vince Carter's historic 2000 performance), this year's 2016 NBA Slam Dunk Contest will go down — if not already become — stuff of legend!
ok, Ok, OK...enough of the babble, let's get down to the nitty-gritty:
Aaron Gordon's 1st Dunk:
Aaron Gordon Reverse, Between-the-Legs Dunk
Check out Aaron Gordon's first dunk from the Verizon Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in Toronto.
Zach LaVine's 1st Dunk:
Zach LaVine Behind-the-Back, One-Hand Reverse Dunk
Zach LaVine Goes Behind-the-Back then throws down the one-hand reverse jam for his first dunk of the 2016 Verizon Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in Toronto.
Aaron Gordon's 2nd Dunk:
Aaron Gordon Between-the-Legs, Over the Mascot Dunk
Aaron Gordon grabs the ball off the head of the Orlando Magic mascot then puts it between his legs and throws it down with authority for his second dunk of the 2016 Verizon Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in Toronto.
Zach LaVine's 2nd Dunk:
Zach LaVine Flushes the Alley-Oop from the Foul Line
Zach LaVine soars through the air and throws down the alley-oop from the free throw line for his second dunk of the 2016 Verizon Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in Toronto.
Aaron Gordon's 3rd Dunk:
Aaron Gordon Busts Out the 360 "Mailman Slam"
Aaron Gordon throws it back to the Mailman and adds his own spin on the vintage jam for his first dunk of the championship round at the 2016 Verizon Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in Toronto
Zach LaVine's 3rd Dunk:
Zach LaVine 360 Cupped Slam
Zach LaVine rises up then throws down the 360 cupped slam for his first dunk of the championship round at the 2016 Verizon Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in Toronto
Aaron Gordon's 4th Dunk:
Aaron Gordon Under-the-Legs, Over the Mascot Dunk
Aaron Gordon puts the ball under his legs while jumping over the Orlando Magic Mascot for his second dunk of the championship round at the 2016 Verizon Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in Toronto
Zach LaVine's 4th Dunk:
Zach LaVine Windmill from the Foul Line
Zach LaVine adds a windmill to the classic foul line jam for his second dunk of the championship round at the 2016 Verizon Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in Toronto
Aaron Gordon's 5th Dunk:
Aaron Gordon Off-the-Backboard, Two-Hand Windmill Reverse
Aaron Gordon takes the Elfrid Payton lob off the backboard and throws down the two-hand windmill reverse
Zach LaVine's 5th Dunk:
Zach LaVine Between-the-Legs Reverse Dunk
Zach LaVine starts out behind the hoop and throws down a monster between-the-legs reverse jam in the extended championship round of the 2016 Verizon Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in Toronto
Aaron Gordon's 6th Dunk:
Aaron Gordon Double Pump Dunk
Aaron Gordon cocks it behind his head then adds the Dominique Wilkins pump for the monster reverse slam in his final dunk of the 2016 Verizon Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in Toronto.
Zach LaVine's 6th Dunk:
Zach LaVine Between-the-Legs from the Foul Line Dunk
Zach LaVine takes off from just inside the foul line and puts it between the legs to win the 2016 Verizon Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in Toronto.
2016 NBA Slam Dunk Champion:
 |
| Zach LaVine — Back-to-Back 2015 & 2016 NBA Slam Dunk Champion! |
Aaron Gordon had the greatest dunk in Slam Dunk Contest history — USA Today
All-Star Grades: dunk contest — ESPN
 |
| "WOWs!" all-around! |
Zach LaVine, Aaron Gordon and the NBA Slam Dunk Contest of Our Dreams — RollingStone
Dunk grades: LaVine, Gordon make ’16 one of the best contests ever — Sports Illustrated
 |
| "All Hail The Slam Dunk King!" |
No comments:
Post a Comment
"Be as smart as you can, but remember that it is always better to be wise than to be smart."