You need to involve everyone. Have each team pick a dunker from their team right after training camp. Players should not be able to refuse this. Then trim it down to 4 dunkers through fan voting just before the All Star break (this will generate buzz because these people will be trying harder to posterize people during the first half of the season. People will start creating youtube videos, campaigns, bla bla bla. THIS is buzz. By the time the dunk contest rolls around, there will be 4 people who have been hyped up for half a season who have the respect of their peers and their fans.I'm guessing these 4 will probably be very good dunkers and not necessarily star players, but will have had the spotlight on them long enough to be considered star dunkers. Also, increase the prize money, and donate most of it to charity.
1. Have superstars participate. People wanna watch Kobe, Carter, Lebron, Wade, etc. Nobody wants to see Nate or whoever else was on the dunk contest this year. 2. Have Yao guard the basket so the dunkers try their best to posterize him.
Just get 4 star dunkers, this year it could've been Howard, Durant, LBJ and Nate and then get 1 NBDL dunker to compete with them. That will motivate them to not get beat by a non-NBA player, while the non-NBA player might be the most athletic one out there (think James White)
Have Shawn Bradley featured in every dunk contest in a round where the players have to use him as a prop.
That's why I have no interest in the all star events. If you don't want injury risk, you don't have real competitiveness. Basketball is not a beauty contest like figure skating (no offense to figure skaters). It's a head-to-head combat sport. Even the all star game itself has zero competitiveness.
I have never thought Lebron could be a dunk contest contestant till the dunks he did in game last night. Wade could also be one. I'd like to see those two and rose. that being said, I don't get the nate robinson hate. dude is 5'8"
Yeah that woulg be great I went 2 school with him. He's been doing those dunks in games since highschool and could beat those guys then...
Being able to dunk at a short height does not make it a great dunk. He wins simply because her can dunk, not because he is the best dunker. I did not watch this year but in his previous 2 wins, his dunks deserved nothing more than last place
Have an in all star game dunk trophy. The dunks they pulled off in the allstar game were alot better than the ones in the contest.
ridiculous, he doesn't simply dunk, he does windmills, one year he put the ball between his legs, that's not simply dunking
the one in Houston was stupid that he got to keep trying but that was the format. the one last year I thought he should've won but I can understand people wanting howard to win. this year, it really didn't matter, the other guys didn't do much, it wasn't nate's best but he's still impressive to me
didnt read through it but probably been posted but next year have a tournament of champions dunk off nate robinson (defending) dwight howard jason richardson josh smith that would be good to watch
This seems like a good idea. However I think that forcing players to do the dunk contest will not necessarily equal to great dunks. I wouldn't want to be forced. They'll probably just mail it in. Having extra prize money would help as long as it's not chump change to these players. So the cash will have to be pretty hefty, and donating them to charity won't help the cause. Besides I don't think Stern is willing to write a huge check for a dunk contest. He doesn't seem to care about quality, as long as the seats are filled (or more like tickets sold). I haven't read this thread thoroughly, but I like some of the ideas like having the dunk contest be held every 4 years. And also get rid of all the other useless events. Shooting stars? skills challenge? HORSE? wtf? fml. Also since the superstars clearly aren't doing it for reputation sakes and the scrubs participating just aint cutting it, I like the idea that the NBA invite non-NBA participants from around the world. Even the team flight brothers will do. Other then that. Get rid of the event entirely until they find a proper solution.
