As a result of COVID-19, the entire NBA All-Star Weekend was summed up Sunday in Atlanta in a one-night event. Before the game we saw Domantas Sabonis represent the big men by winning the Skills Challenge and Steph Curry reminded everyone of his greatness with a brilliant 3-point match performance.
At halftime, it was the Dunk game’s chance to take center stage. Unlike most years, there were only three contestants: Cassius Stanley of the Indiana Pacers, Obi Toppin of the New York Knicks and Anfernee Simons of the Portland Trail Blazers. The final round was also determined this year by a simple judge’s choice rather than by the typical score.
Perhaps it was a wise move considering that the judges’ suspicious score in the first round overshadowed most of the actual dunks. Stanley’s first attempt was probably the best dunk of the first round, but he only got a 44 and was soon eliminated. At one point, Dwyane Wade even joked in the television broadcast that Dee Brown’s eyes were still closed – a reference to his famous dunk from the 1991 Dunk Contest.
Eventually, the final comes down to Simons against Toppin, and the judges select Simons with a 3-2 vote to make him the first Trail Blazer to win the Slam Dunk contest. His winning dunk was a self-lob where he tried to kiss the edge but did not reach his target. Yet it was an impressive athletic performance when he displayed his incredible vertical.
Toppin in turn went between his legs from just inside the free throw line. Likewise, it was a remarkable show of athletics, but it was not the most original effort of all time.
Here’s a look at the best efforts from the previous rounds:
Stanley starts things off with a bang
The Pacers guard has yet to drop a dunk in an NBA game, but he showed no nerves on Sunday. He was up first and needed only one attempt to go between the legs of the self-lob. It might have been the best night all night, but he only got a 44.
Simons soars to the top of the square
Simons was easily the most consistent and creative artist of the night. In the first round, he puts the ball on a small platform on top of the square on the backboard. Then he floats up completely, grabs the ball and throws it down. The only downside was that he did not do it with much authority.
Toppin cleans Randle and his father
Jumping over other people is a staple of every Dunk game, and it’s because it rarely disappoints. It’s just cool to see a player fly up and over another person. Toppin chose to bring forward his teammate, Julius Randle, as well as his father, and then dropped a powerful legitimate jam.
Overall, it was not the most exciting Dunk game we have ever seen, but it is probably always the case, given the limited field and an empty arena. Of all the All-Star Weekend events, the Dunk contest draws the most energy from the fans. Moreover, it is simply not possible for every issue to be a classic like last year or 2016.