2011 Slam Dunk Contest Participants leaked

[tomtucker]

can you even make up new dunks?....anyone have an idea for a new one?

[M.V.P]

Very nice post. Repped.

[HB40TheNextStar]

can you even make up new dunks?....anyone have an idea for a new one?

Beneath both legs?

That's why dunk contests are getting played out. It's to the point where the delivery is more exciting than the dunk sometimes.

[dwightderon]

Too many big men. No need to put Ibaka in there. So no SF/SG in a dunk contest...whack.

[Rake2204]

can you even make up new dunks?....anyone have an idea for a new one?

In all honesty, I thought we were at that point ten years ago, and I know I wasn't alone in the sentiment. I was super amped when I found Vince Carter was going to participate in the return of the NBA Dunk Contest but I truly, seriously was expecting just a really emphatic 360 dunk and maybe a double clutch reverse of some kind.

In 2000, some of the dunks we know so well now - the clockwise, cuff, 360, windmill; the elbow in the rim slam - were largely never even imagined. Further, we were two year removed from Kobe Bryant walking away with the last slam dunk trophy by running and dunking between his legs. At that point, simply dunking between the legs was hard enough. There weren't a lot of people who imagined variations were possible (starting with VC's bounce between-the-legs). The two handed free throw line dunk had us all out of our seats; we'd been waiting on the day and we thought it had arrived, but as we know Vince fell a little short.

I guess my point is, sometimes seeing is not only believing, but also realizing. That old VC 360 was mindnumbing at the time. It was a dunk that people had never even conjured up in their wildest dreams. Similarly, on the elbow dunk, I was going out of my mind in the milliseconds it took for him to approach the rim. I kept saying, "He's approaching awful slow, reaching back with one hand, is he throwing the contest? Is he out of dunks? A routine one hander in the finals?" Then obviously he was left dangling from the rim by his elbow, another scenario I'd never even imagined.

Innovators will innovate. It's what the greatest do. It won't come from the guys in the contest just to be in the contest. It'll come from the true dunking artists; the ones willing to expand their minds.

In my own mind, here are a few we haven't seen on the NBA stage:
-(as someone else mentioned) Between Both Legs
-540
-Terrence Stansbury helicopter 360 from the free throw line
-A rock the cradle beginning from the right wing that ends with one hand reverse on the other side of the rim (not beginning from the baseline and not like Dr. J's two hand reverse version).
-Two Elbows
-Shoulder
-Double Dunk (dunk once, catch, dunk again)
-Legitimate Rim Kiss or Head Butt
-Double Windmill??
-Double Between the Legs
-Alley oop to using elbow to force ball into rim (instead of hand)
-Between the legs from the right wing to cuffed "cradle" finish
-360 Between the legs to Elbow
-Tomahawk slam off bounce (like Steve Francis' "He touched his ainkowls ladies and gentlemen" dunk) where a player really swings the ball down to their ankles in mid flight

I'm sure we could keep that list going and a lot of those, obviously, are just variations of dunks we already know (though really, so was Vince's 360. It was a hybrid of dunks we already knew: cuff, windmill and 360. Sometimes hybrids can still stun). However, I'd never count out the chance that someone comes in and pulls another Vince at some point, performing dunks previously never imagined.

[lock]

I'd like to see Rose in this thing.

[The Big Skinny]

way too much javale mcgee hate up in here...

[PurpleChuck]

way too much javale mcgee hate up in here...

Dude's dumb, we being real, not hate.

[Nash]

I honestly think McGee will do some sick stuff and give Griffin a run for his money.

[Ikill]

I think Jennings is going to win

[beermonsteroo]

Free throw line off the glass bewteen the legs 360

[Rake2204]

I honestly think McGee will do some sick stuff and give Griffin a run for his money.

I agree with you and Big Skinny. He had another oddly unique dunk last night. It surely wasn't insane but there's just something inherently interesting about his finishes (likely has to do with his seemingly 14'6'' wingspan). Unlike many other blessed seven footers, McGee uses his wingspan for the greater good. He had a reverse dunk opportunity on a breakaway last night and decided to switch to partial 360 at the last second.

Thankfully, a high I.Q. is not required to participate successfully in a dunk contest (see J.R. Rider). And personally, I think a dunk contest is where someone with a mindset and willingness to attempt in-game free throw line dunks and defender clearing finishes from 14 feet away might actually benefit and thrive. Optimistic look: he pushes boundaries.

[jamal99]

I think Jennings is going to win

I don't know how will he be able to participate because he isn't playing now due to foot surgery...

[whosegameisit]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdhv6...layer_embedded

Blake Griffin dunk contest preview. Dude is more than a power dunker.....

[Lebron23]

can you even make up new dunks?....anyone have an idea for a new one?

6'0 1/2 Mike Taylor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3VQZVXnrZM