The death of the dunk

The NBA All-Star Weekend has long been the showcase for the league. This year's event, which took place this past weekend, was held in Dallas, Texas and was advertised for months in advance, promising to be the greatest athletic show in the world. At the center of all that attention was, as always, All-Star Saturday, when the ever-anticipated Dunk Contest takes place. But what we witnessed this year could very well have been the contest's final bow.

The NBA Dunk Contest was one of many things brought over from the old American Basketball Association (ABA) after debuting in 1976. It was reintroduced into the NBA in 1984.

The Dunk Contest became not only a fan favorite, but also a staple of the NBA. It was a showcase for creativity, athleticism and the spectacle that came to define the NBA. Of course, the competition has had its ups and downs, such as its glory days with the Jordan vs. Dominique "‘Nique" Wilkins rivalry in 1987-1988 and Vincanity in 2000. It has also seen more forgettable days in the early '90s with Brent Barry and Harold "Baby Jordan" Miner's triumphs, but it has nonetheless persevered.

A number of rule changes has brought down the number of competitors and dunks in the competition. The introduction of the mandatory use of teammates in assisting on at least one dunk and the allowance of props has allowed the Dunk Contest to stay relevant and somewhat interesting
while the rest of the show has fizzled.

The Dunk contest was once famous for leaving onlookers speechless. Let's remember when Dee Brown put his arm in front of his face in 1991 for the immediately termed "no-look" dunk or when Isiah Rider was the first to put the ball between his legs in 1994, and Charles Barkley proclaimed it the "best dunk [he'd] ever seen." The competition consistently raised the bar, not only creatively but also of what was seen as possible. Recall when Larry Nance nonchalantly dunked two balls at once in 1984, or when Dr. J took flight from the free-throw line in 1976, promptly leaving everyone else to collect their jaws from the floor.

However, what was once the most eagerly anticipated event of the NBA calendar has now become nothing more than a staged side attraction, aimed more at making money than at actual competition. The last few years, which witnessed the introductions of "Superman" and

"Kryptonate," six-foot-11-inch Dwight Howard and five-foot-seven-inch Nate Robinson respectively, have felt more like a cartoon then a competition. The further addition of text voting from fans, which is advertised repeatedly during the event, only sullies the entire feel even more, as we all begin to realize its new commercial emphasis.

Nonetheless, we've sat through these last few contests and bore with them simply because of the abilities of the two aforementioned athletes, but this year was just embarrassing. The four competitors, Demar Derozan, Shannon Brown, Gerald Wallace and Robinson, none of whom are even close to famous in the league except maybe for Robinson due to his prior exploits in the competition, put on the least interesting show ever witnessed.

Completing dunks that are seen daily at playgrounds around the country, none of the players showed any passion, pride or desire to be there. It was clear that gone are the days of actual rivalry between superstars, and in their place is now a showcase of mediocre, disinterested players goofing around on national television. Even the ever-excited Charles Barkley quipped that no one should win, to the shock of TNT officials who immediately made the other commentators compensate by overreacting to what can only be described as a pathetic display.

The simple fact is that the competition is dead. When the highlights, which used to stretch on forever showing new incredible dunks, now feature Nate Robinson bringing out the Dallas cheerleaders to just stand there behind him, then you really know that there simply is no more dunk left in the contest.

—Nik Trkulja '11 is and Economics and Political Science double major. This semester he will be editorializing on social issues surrounding sports outside of the Vassar athletics realm.