Due to COVID-19, the entire NBA All-Star Weekend was condensed into a Sunday night event in Atlanta. Before the game, we saw Domantas Sabonis represent the great men by winning the Skill Challenge and Steph Curry reminded everyone of his greatness with a brilliant 3-point performance in the Contest.
During the break, it was Dunk Contest’s chance to reach the center of the 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. In addition, as a novelty this year, the final round was decided by a simple choice of the judges, instead of the typical score.
Perhaps it was a smart move, considering that the judges’ suspicious score in the first round overshadowed most of the actual dunks. Stanley’s first effort was undoubtedly the best dunk of the first round, but he only received 44 and was eliminated soon. At one point, Dwyane Wade even joked in the television broadcast that Dee Brown’s eyes were still closed – a reference to his famous burial in the 1991 Sinking Contest.
In the end, the final went to Simons vs. Toppin, and the judges chose Simons by a 3-2 vote to make him the first Trail Blazer to win the Slam Dunk Contest. His winning dunk was an automatic throw, where he tried to kiss the edge, but did not hit his target. Still, it was an impressive athletic display as he displayed his incredible vertical.
Toppin, in turn, went to the middle of the legs, just inside the free throw line. Likewise, it was a remarkable demonstration of athletics, however, it was not the most original effort of all time.
Here is a look at some of the best efforts from the previous rounds:
Stanley starts things off with a bang
Guard Pacers has not yet buried an NBA game, but showed no nervousness on Sunday. He was the first to get up and it only took an attempt to autolob between his legs. This may have been the best dunk of the night, but he only got 44.
Simons flies to the top of the square
Simons was without a doubt the most consistent and creative artist of the night. In the first round, he mounted the ball on a small platform at the top of the table square. Then he fired, grabbed the ball and threw it on the floor. 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 any dunk contest, and that is because it rarely disappoints. It’s really cool to see a player fly over someone else. Toppin chose to bring in his teammate, Julius Randle, as well as his father, and then launched a powerful right jam.
Overall, this was not the most exciting Dunk Contest we’ve ever seen, but it has always been the case, given the limited field and an empty arena. Of all the All-Star Weekend events, the Dunk Contest is the one that feeds the most energy from the fans. Furthermore, it is simply not possible for all editions to be a classic like last year or 2016.