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NBA All-Star Weekend continues on Saturday with the Slam Dunk Contest, Three-Point Contest and more.
James Jones, the defending champion, had a smoking first round performance in the 2012 Three-Point Contest on NBA All-Star Saturday, racking up 22 points and hitting his final seven shots. Kevin Durant, coming off of a brutal 2011 performance in the shootout, finished the first round with 20. Kevin Love and Mario Chalmers tied for third, and Love edged Chalmers by one make in the tiebreaker to advance to the finals.
Ryan Anderson finished fifth with a disappointing first-round run, and the Nets' Anthony Morrow -- rocking a vintage Drazen Petrovic jersey -- brought up the rear as his picture-perfect stroke was too slow to get through all 25 shots in the 60 seconds allotted.
Jones will attempt to win back-to-back titles, but Durant looks like a legit challenge at this point.
The dunk contest will follow the shootout. For all your 2012 Slam Dunk Contest needs, be sure to visit this StoryStream.
Everything about this GIF is great. The slick handshake celebration is one thing, but Serge Ibaka's attire wins everything. He's rocking a Thriller jacket for the All-Star Game festivities, showing up everyone else in attendance.
Just perfect.
New Jersey Nets sharpshooter Anthony Morrow will be knocked out of the 2012 Three-Point Shootout Competition after posting a score of 14 in the first round, but in my eyes, he already won. That's because he decided to wear a Drazen Petrovic jersey, paying tribute to the former Nets great that tragically passed away in a fatal accident following the 1992-93 season.
Morrow had planned on donning the jersey the entire time, and despite falling short in the competition, he certainly made anyone watching from the Petrovic family proud. Here's what he said earlier on Sunday.
"I instantly thought, ‘If I get chosen, I’m going to wear his jersey,’ " Morrow said of the Three-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend. "It was something I always thought about in the back of my mind. I didn’t make it last year, and this year I did, so I said I would take advantage of it if I had the opportunity."
For more on Morrow and the Nets, visit Nets Daily and SB Nation New York. For all your 2012 Slam Dunk Contest needs, be sure to visit this StoryStream.
Tony Parker is the champion of the Taco Bell Skills Challenge during the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend. He wins a year's supply of cinnamon twists and a case of mild sauce packets. His winning time was 32.7 seconds.
Parker defeated Deron Williams, bricker of shots, and Rajon Rondo in the finals. Rondo beat John Wall in a rare tiebreaker to get to the finals. Both finished the first round in 32.8 seconds. Rondo's tiebreaker was nearly flawless. Wall missed 14 or so shots from the top of the key, and then missed a gratuitous dunk after he'd been eliminated. It was fantastic.
Kyrie Irving had perhaps the worst debut performance in the eight-year history of the event, doing everything but dribbling backwards. The kid for whom he was trying to win a $25,000 scholarship wouldn't even make eye contact with him at the end of the run.
Russell Westbrook, the 2011 runner-up, finished fifth, ahead of only Irving. Last year's champion, Stephen Curry, pulled out, citing injury.
The Skills Competition is more of a half-speed dribbling and passing competition for the NBA's finest point guards, leading the SB Nation newsroom to pine for JaVale McGee's inclusion. Wouldn't the Skills Competition be about 100 times better than the current setup with big men running the floor and McGee just being McGee? Of course it would.
Apparently John Wall thinks so, too. Perhaps he was upset McGee wasn't asked to be included in the dunk contest. Perhaps he's on board with McGee as a Skills Competition participant. Or maybe this competition doesn't mean much at all! Whatever the case, he paid tribute to the Wizards' dunker who has a propensity to toss the ball off the backboard with this gem:
It's been a fun weekend for Wall already. At least Greg Monroe didn't come out of nowhere to interrupt Wall this time.
Allan Houston sunk two halfcourt shots to lead Team New York to a victory in the 2012 Haier Shooting Stars competition on All-Star Saturday. Houston, who works in the New York Knicks' basketball operations, served as the legend for Team New York. Knicks guard Landry Fields was the active NBA player on the winning squad, and Cappie Pondexter of the New York Liberty was the WNBA rep.
The competition involved teammates alternating shots from different spots on the floor and ended with the players attempting halfcourt shots until one of them made it.
TNT analyst Kenny Smith made both halfcourt shots for the runner-up, Team Texas. But that team's finals run took a bit too much as the Houston Rockets rookie Chandler Parsons' arms apparently fell asleep during intermission, allowing the wing to take only one shot every 10 seconds. (That's a rough estimate.)
Team Atlanta (starring Jerry Stackhouse ... as the active player) and hometown Team Orlando bombed in the first round.
We all remember TNT's Christmas Day promo for the return of the NBA. Following the lockout, everyone was hungry for professional basketball, and TNT ushered in the day with a terrific pre-game promo that had to go down as one of the all-time greats. And now, on All-Star Saturday, they're at it again with another excellent promo.
This time around, the two-minute spot was cut for the dunk contest. It features classic dunk moments in somewhat of a music video format, with Kanye West and Jay-Z singing "Ni***s in Paris" over the highlights. Once again the production value is through the roof and TNT set the stage for the events of the evening in a great way.
We already know Spike Lee has full-on Linsanity, but this is something else.
Happy All-Star Weekend, y'all.
It's hard to imagine an NBA without David Stern as commissioner. But even warlocks can't live forever. At some point, Stern will amble off into fandom and Law and Order marathons, and the league we love will have a gaping hole at the head of the boardroom.
Luckily, Adam Silver has a large head that can fill most of that gaping hole. During his "State of the League" press conference on Saturday, Stern said that when he does eventually retire as commissioner, he will recommend that owners choose Silver, the deputy, as his replacement.
NBA All-Star Weekend has arrived in Orlando. The 2012 edition of the annual exhibition includes skills challenges, such as the Haier Shooting Stars event, the Taco Bell Skills Contest and the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest. Not to be forgotten, of course, is one of the most popular events every year, the Slam Dunk Contest.
Coverage of all four events begins 8 p.m. ET on TNT. The Sprite Slam Dunk Contest is scheduled to be the final event of the night.
The four participants in the Slam Dunk Contest are Chase Budinger of the Houston Rockets, Paul George of the Indiana Pacers, Iman Shumpert of the New York Knicks and Derrick Williams of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
This year's event may not be full of marquee names, but slam dunk contests rarely, if ever, disappoint.
For all news and information regarding the Slam Dunk Contest and the All-Star Weekend in general, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NBA hub.
The West team defeated the East squad 135-132 Saturday in the NBDL All-Star Game.
Los Angeles D-Fenders forward Gerald Green led the Western team with 28 points and was named game MVP. It's a far cry from 2007 when Green was an NBA player winning the Slam Dunk Contest, but it's at least nice to see him back among NBAers.
Blake Ahearn of the Reno Bighorns added 21 while Leo Lyons, Justin Dentmon and Andre Emmett scored 15 points each in the win. Ahearn hit a pair of critical free-throws at the end to ice the win for the West.
The Springfield Armor's JamesOn Curry led the East squad with 25 points in defeat. Iowa's Moses Ehambe added 24 and Marqus Blakely scored 20.
For more on the D-League, head on over to Ridiculous Upside. For more on the NBDL All-Star Game and the rest of the 2012 NBA All-Star Game festivities, stay with this SB Nation stream.
The Slam Dunk Contest is generally one of the most popular events at the annual All-Star Weekend. Certainly, the contest consistently creates a much greater quantity of lasting memories than does the actual exhibition game itself. The Slam Dunk Contest is where the nation fell in love with Spud Webb, where they were first thrilled by Michael Jordan on a national level and where Jason Richardson and Nate Robinson became stars.
The contest dates back to the 1976 ABA All-Star Game, where Julius Erving claimed the inaugural title. The contest was reintroduced by the NBA in 1984, when Larry Nance bested Erving to take home the trophy.
Jordan claimed back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988, and Harold Miner became the next two-time winner in 1993 and 1995. In the 2000s, Vince Carter helped usher in an age of increased theatricality in the contest when he performed the unforgettable "elbow in the rim" dunk. Jason Richardson also won back-to-back in 2002 and 2003, while Nate Robinson became the first three-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner with titles in 2006, 2009 and 2010.
The reigning slam dunk champ is Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers, who dunked over a car in the 2011 contest.
The Sprite Slam Dunk Contest will be the final event held during All-Star Saturday Night festivities, which begin 8 p.m. ET on TNT.
For all news and information regarding the Slam Dunk Contest and the All-Star Weekend in general, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NBA hub.
Why yes, Zach Andrews of the L.A. D-Fenders did dress up like Grandmama and do some back handsprings in the NBA D-League Dunk Contest.
Via the great @jose3030.
DeMar DeRozan had the best jam of the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest ... at least according to our voters. But the judges jobbed him to push Blake Griffin into the final round, where he dunked over a KIA Optima for the crown. DeRozan is more or less the best dunker since Gerald Wallace to lose the league's annual paean to flight; he retired after 2011's disrespect, so we won't get to see his best work on Saturday night.
Unless ...
There are a few things that are okay about the Haier Shooting Stars event at the NBA All-Star Saturday proceedings. It's good that WNBA players get a chance to go on national television alongside NBA players. It's always fun to watch anyone chuck up halfcourt shots. And ... that is the list of the things that are good about Shooting Stars.
Until everyone starts heaving up halfcourt shots, it's a pretty dumb event. Even then, it's only fun if someone nails it on the first try or if we get to watch professional athletes struggle valiantly against the forces of nature, failing to get the ball into the hoop for three minutes.
You can find the entire field right here. The defending champions are Team Atlanta, but they haven't been left intact. Jerry Stackhouse replaces Al Horford, while Lindsey Harding replaces Coco Miller. The hometown Team Orlando features Jameer Nelson, Marie Ferdinand-Harris and Dennis Scott. No disrespect to Scott, but can't someone holler at Penny? I think that 10-year-old me would watch this for Penny.
How about Lil Penny? Is he available?
Haier Shooting Stars will be the first event held during All-Star Saturday Night festivities, which begin 8 p.m. ET on TNT.
In the event that has become the red-headed stepchild of the NBA All-Star Weekend, four point guards will compete in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge crown. Defending champ Stephen Curry dropped out due to injury, so the contests will be Rajon Rondo, John Wall, Derrick Rose and Chris Paul.
Players are timed in an obstacle course where they dribble around cones, pass the ball at a trampoline and generally look ridiculous.
NBA.com informs us that Curry won last year's event with a time of 28.2 seconds, which is apparently an impressive time, as it was the only sub-30 second score of the night.
Wall might be the NBA's fastest player with the ball in his hands, but the inclusion of a three-point shot could derail his hopes of winning, as he's only a 27 percent career shooter from long range.
Of course, anything can happen in such a small sample size, which is why dunks and three-pointers, inherently more exciting than dribbling and passing a basketball, are usually the main attractions on the All-Star Saturday Night telecast.
The Taco Bell Skills Challenge will be the second event held during All-Star Saturday Night festivities, which begin 8 p.m. ET on TNT.
Defending champion James Jones of the Miami Heat will look for a second-consecutivet title in this year's Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, which will be held as part of NBA All-Star Saturday Night.
Standing in his way will be Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ryan Anderson of the Orlando Magic, Anthony Morrow of the New Jersey Nets, Mario Chalmers of the Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Kevin Durant. The Hawks' Joe Johnson was scheduled to compete but will miss the event due to an injury.
Jones is in his ninth season in the NBA and fourth with the Heat. He's a 40 percent three-point shooter during his career and 42 percent this season. Despite winning the contest last year, he's third on the Heat in three-point shooting percentage.
Kevin Durant isn't known for his three-point shooting ability but he can hold his own, averaging 37 percent this season and 36 percent over his career. This will be Durant's third-consecutive year as an NBA All-Star.
Kevin Love is another All-Star in this competition not necessarily known for his three-point prowess. The 37 percent lifetime shooter is making 35 percent of his three-pointers this season. It's his second-straight year as an NBA All-Star.
Ryan Anderson bring some serious three-point shooting into the competition. He's currently 16th in the NBA with a 44 percent shooting percentage from behind the arc, having made 97 on the year. He also leads the NBA in three-point attempts per game with 6.7. He's in his third year in the NBA.
Anthony Morrow is currently shooting 40 percent from behind the three-point line, good for 32nd in the NBA. Averaging five attempts a game, he's made 68 on the season. The third-year NBA player is out of Georgia Tech.
Finally, Mario Chalmers is not only out to prove he's the best three-point shooter here, he wants to prove he's the best on his team as well. He's currently fifth in the NBA, hitting 47 percent from downtown, second on the Heat to Mike Miller (52 percent), though Chalmers has taken far more three-point attempts (144 to 56).
The Foot Locker Three-Point Contest is scheduled to be the third event held during All-Star Saturday Night festivities, which begin 8 p.m. ET on TNT.
Now that New York Knicks guard Iman Shumpert will miss NBA All-Star weekend and the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, some consider Indiana Pacers guard Paul George the favorite to win the competition.
George, who will also take part in the Rising Stars competition, was drafted by the Pacers as the 10th overall pick at the 2010 NBA Draft after playing two years with the Fresno St. Bulldogs. George was named to the 2011 NBA All-Rookie Second Team and has since become one of the team's top talents.
However it's his dunks that make him stand out and are a major reason why he's taking part in the Sprite Slam Dunk Competition this year.
Here's some visual proof for you:
One dunk that we might see out of George is the double-pump reverse, just like the one he perfected here:
And just so you know, this is nothing new for George. He's been throwing down monster dunks long before he was in the NBA:
The Sprite Slam Dunk Contest will be the final event held during All-Star Saturday Night festivities, which begin 8 p.m. ET on TNT.
Houston Rockets forward Chase Budinger takes center stage when he competes in Saturday's Sprite Slam Dunk Contest.
"Air Bud" was the 44th pick in 2009 NBA Draft with the Detroit Pistons and was then dealt on draft night to the Houston Rockets, where he has played his entire NBA career.
While Budinger might not come to mind when you think of great dunkers in the NBA, let this video show you he belongs:
Budinger might want to use the baseline in the contest, especially if he's going to try and attempt a dunk like this one again:
And of course, to show just how serious Budinger is for the contest, here's "viral" video of him dunking on 7'6 "Yao Ming."
Air Bud isn't the name you look at and think "slam dunk champ" but he might just surprise you.
The Sprite Slam Dunk Contest will be the final event held during All-Star Saturday Night festivities, which begin 8 p.m. ET on TNT.
Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Derrick Williams will be participating in the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday.
The second overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft has amassed an impressive highlight reel during his first season in the NBA, and he'd like the opportunity to show his skills to the rest of the world. The 2011 Pac-10 Player of the Year is looking to grow his legacy, something that winning the dunk contest can facilitate.
Get a taste of Williams headed into the 2012 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest in this video:
Williams brings a powerful dunk to the contest, as illustrated here in the hammer-drop he lays on Charlotte:
Massive dunks in the face of danger are nothing new for Williams, who has been doing it for years before he got to the NBA.
The Sprite Slam Dunk Contest will be the final event held during All-Star Saturday Night festivities, which begin 8 p.m. ET on TNT.
Jeremy Evans probably isn't even a household name in Utah, but the athletic power forward out of Western Kentucky is looking to change that now that he's been selected as Iman Shumpert's injury replacement in this weekend's Sprite Slam Dunk Contest. It just might work, too, if his in-game dunks are any indication.
The second-year pro is averaging less than six minutes per game this season, but he has become a fan favorite in his limited playing time primarily because he isn't afraid of absolutely yamming on any defender the opposing team puts in front of him.
As Gerald Wallace of the Portland Trail Blazers found out earlier this year, that can be a pretty scary experience (though Wallace was able to save some dignity by getting Evans called for a charge on the below play).
The 6'9 forward is also rather adept at finishing on alley-oops, a skill he showed as a rookie while deciding to ignore the feelings of San Antonio Spurs veteran Richard Jefferson. It isn't the most exciting play ever, but it takes some skill to do what he does in the video below.
It probably makes sense to just get out of the way when Evans is in the game -- or at least the painted area surrounding the basket. If those couple of dunks aren't enough to make one think that's a wise choice, consider the following mix.
Yeah, people might not be all that excited about Evans' entry into the contest ... but he just might be the best in-game dunker in the contest. If he's able to make that translate on Saturday night, I doubt there will be a lack of excitement in Orlando.
The Sprite Slam Dunk Contest will be the final event held during All-Star Saturday Night festivities, which begin 8 p.m. ET on TNT.
The NBA All-Star Game is fun, but depending on those scheduled to appear, All-Star Saturday can get just as much publicity. This is probably not one of those years, as the dunk contest lacks star power, but the young players selected have some serious talent.
The day kicks off with some afternoon events, including All-Star practice and the D-League All-Star game, before David Stern has a press conference.
All-Star Practice and Player Interviews, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., NBA TV
Slam Dunk Showdown, 1:30 p.m., NBA TV
D-League All-Star Game, 2 p.m., NBA TV
Commissioner Stern Press Conference, 7 p.m., NBA TV
Then we get into the evening events and the real meat of All-Star Saturday. NBA Tip-Off starts at 8 p.m. ET, leading into the four Saturday night events.
All-Star Saturday Night, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
That includes:
Shooting Stars - Teams of NBA, WNBA and retired players in a shooting contest.
Skills Challenge - Guards navigate an 'obstacle course', Stephen Curry won in 2011.
Three-Point Contest - James Jones defends title against Mario Chalmers, Kevin Love, Joe Johnson, Anthony Morrow and Joe Johnson.
Slam Dunk Contest - Chase Budinger, Iman Shumpert, Derrick Williams and Paul George participate.
There are quite a few events going on in Orlando during the annual NBA All-Star Weekend, If everything goes as planned, the majority of the happenings probably won't be terribly exciting. The 2012 D-League All-Star game is one of those events, but it's still worth tuning in for a couple of reasons.
The main reason to watch, however, isn't for the actual game: it is, as Tom Ziller referred to in the link above, the halftime show. No, the NBA Development League didn't go out and find the D-League version of Flo Rida ... but they did decide to hold the league's slam dunk contest in the middle of the game. With defending champion L.D. Williams protecting his crown against Chris Roberts, Zach Andrews and Osiris Eldridge, the D-League All-Star game's halftime show might be the best of the season (not involving the Inflatamaniacs, of course).
If one happens to tune into NBA TV on Saturday afternoon to catch the All-Star game itself, however, be prepared to be confused. In conjunction with the sponsor 26 Seconds, the shot clock will be -- you guessed it -- 26 seconds "in order to drive awareness to the fact that a student drops out of high school every 26 seconds in America."
Unfortunately, the actual game is lacking, as the best players in the D-League either haven't played enough games in the D-League to qualify for the All-Star game or are already in the NBA, and therefore had to be replaced on the roster. The most notable names left are probably JamesOn Curry on the East squad, while Justin Dentmon, Jerome Dyson, Blake Ahearn, Gerald Green and Andre Emmett represent the West side (on name recognition alone, the West should win).
Either way, it shouldn't be worse than the Celebrity Game.
There isn't much that a player can do at the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest during the NBA's All-Star Weekend that we haven't seen before. Knowing that, the league is tweaking the way that the competition's winner is determined, deciding to shake things up this year by using Twitter to name a champion for the first time ever.
Tune in to TNT at 8 pm (ET) to vote for the new Sprite Slam Dunk champion by tweeting the hashtag #SpriteSlam with the last name of your favorite dunker. This year, there are no judges for the contest––just fans like you who will determine the outcome by tweeting. Fans will also be able to vote via text message and on NBA.com
Fans will also be able to follow along with Dunk Contest participants on Twitter as they compete. They can follow the Indiana Pacers’ Paul George (@King24George), Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Derrick Williams (@RealDWill7), the Houston Rockets’ Chase Budinger (@CBudinger) and Jeremy Evans (@JeremyEvans40) from the Utah Jazz, all of whom will provide updates as the contest progresses.
Unlike previous incarnations, there will only be one round of dunks this year, with each participant getting three attempts. In years past, the Slam Dunk Contest featured multiple rounds in which judges and fans scored the competitors' attempts and whittled down the contestants until a winner was crowned.
The 2012 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest starts at 8 p.m. ET on TNT on Feb. 25 at Amway Center in Orlando.
For more on the 2012 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest and the rest of the 2012 NBA All-Star Game festivities, stay with this SB Nation stream.
The left knee injury to Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson has caused him to pull out of both the 2012 NBA All-Star Game and the Three-Point Shootout competition in Orlando over the weekend. The league previously announced that Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics would replace Johnson in the actual All-Star Game. On Wednesday, they announced that Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant would replace him in the Three-Point Shootout.
Durant participated in the 2011 Three-Point Shootout as well, but couldn't advance past the first round. He is shooting 37 percent from three-point range this season, but unlike most good three-point shooters, he takes a lot of contested shots.
James Jones of the Miami Heat will be defending his title in the competition against teammate Mario Chalmers, Ryan Anderson of the Magic, Kevin Love of the Timberwolves, Anthony Morrow of the Nets and Durant. The event will take place as part of NBA All-Star Saturday night.
The 2012 NBA All-Star Game will feature plenty of marketable players, but that hasn't kept tickets from being considerably cheaper than they were a year ago.
Tickets for the Feb. 26 game at Orlando's Amway Center are now selling for an average price of $1,098, with some tickets as cheap as $344 on the secondary market, according to SB Nation ticketing partner TiqIQ (buy tickets here or make an offer here). Last year's game, played at Los Angeles' Staples Center, sold for an average price of $1,721 and a low price of $578.
Plenty of factors could be contributing to the relatively inexpensive price of tickets to this year's All-Star Game. The biggest is almost certainly the locale, as Lakers and Clippers tickets are generally more expensive than Magic tickets. Another reason that shouldn't be ignored: Fans may just be a little worn out, as the first half of the season has been played at a rather furious pace because of the lockout.
It's worth noting that this year's game features eight of the same starters as last year's contest. Curiously, though, while last year's game in L.A. only had one local starting, there are four L.A. players starting in this game -- the Clippers' Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, and the Lakers' Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum.
With Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson pulling out of the 2012 NBA All-Star Game due to tendonitis in his left knee, many felt teammate Josh Smith would get the call. Instead, the NBA has awarded the vacant spot on the Eastern Conference roster to Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, according to Celtics radio announcer Sean Grande.
Rondo will be the replacement for Joe Johnson on the All-Star team. Hasn't been announced yet, but hey, that's what Twitter's for I guess.
— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) February 22, 2012
That Rondo earned the nod isn't a huge surprise, given that Johnson is a guard himself. The NBA probably did not want to replace Johnson with a frontcourt player, and Rondo is certainly a deserving candidate himself despite missing some time earlier in the season.
It remains unclear which player will replace Johnson in the Three-Point Shootout competition on Saturday night.
For more on the Celtics, visit Celtics Blog and SB Nation Boston.
Joe Johnson will indeed be unavailable to play in the NBA All-Star Game and the NBA Three-Point Shootout competition over the weekend due to a left knee injury, the Atlanta Hawks announced on Wednesday. The news was first reported on Tuesday by Zach Klein of the Wall-Street Journal.
Via Hawks PR:
Atlanta's Joe Johnson will miss this weekend"s All-Star Weekend because of the tendinitis in his left knee.#Hawks
— AT - HawksPRGuy (@HawksPRGuy) February 22, 2012
Johnson's absence opens up a spot in the All-Star Game for another player. Many expect that Johnson's teammate, Josh Smith, will be the man tabbed to replace him, but that decision has not been made. We do know that New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin will not be the guy, as NBA commissioner David Stern told David Aldridge of NBA.com that he will not step in to give Lin a spot in the game.
Johnson is averaging just 17.6 points per game this year, his lowest average since joining the Hawks in 2005.
For more on the Hawks, visit Peachtree Hoops and SB Nation Atlanta.
The annual NBA Slam Dunk Contest was already lacking a bit of luster when the original contestants were announced, but the latest reports indicate that the participants are changing. An injury to New York Knicks guard Iman Shumpert has opened a spot for Jeremy Evans, a second-year pro for the Utah Jazz.
It might not necessarily be for the better, but it can't get much worse. Evans is probably the furthest thing away from a household name that the NBA could find, considering he's averaging fewer than two points per game while playing less than any of his Jazz teammates.
Those types of statistics don't matter in the dunk contest, though. Evans has shown quite a few times in game situations that when he has the ball, it's likely going to be slammed through the cylinder -- even if he has to jump six feet and through a defending Gerald Wallace to do so.
For more coverage of 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend, stay with this stream.
Atlanta Hawks All-Star guard Joe Johnson will miss the next two games with an injured left knee, the team announced on Tuesday. Johnson initially suffered the injury in the Hawks' loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday, and he is undergoing an MRI to determine if the injury is even more serious. He would miss the team's games against the New York Knicks and Orlando Magic.
It also appears that Johnson will not play in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game over the weekend, according to Zach Klein of the Wall-Street Journal.
#hawks Joe Johnson is out next 2-gms w/sore left knee. Nothing is official, but I'm hearing he's pulling out of All-Star gm
— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) February 21, 2012
If Johnson cannot play, that opens the door for teammate Josh Smith to be named to the roster. The league could also name Kyrie Irving or Jeremy Lin to replace Johnson if they pass over Smith. Johnson would also need to be replaced in the Shooting Stars and Three-Point Shootout competitions.
For more on the Hawks, visit Peachtree Hoops and SB Nation Atlanta.
Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry will defend his Skills Challenge title at NBA All-Star Weekend 2012, the league announced. Curry will square off against five other players in the event, which will take place on Saturday night.
Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, John Wall of the Washington Wizards, Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs and Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets will battle with Curry for the crown. Westbrook was the runner-up in last year's event while Wall finished fourth out of five contestants. Irving, Parker and Williams did not compete in last year's competition.
The Skills Challenge features an obstacle course that players must navigate. Players must dribble between cones, throw bounce and chest passes into a net, shoot a layup and hit a long jump shot. The two fastest times advance to the finals, and the fastest time between those two is crowned champion.
All-Star Weekend is around the corner, and Friday another piece of the puzzle fell into place, as the NBA announced the lineups for the Shooting Stars competition on All-Star Saturday Night.
Shooting stars, you'll remember, is the competition that blends NBA legends, current NBA stars, and WNBA representatives for a game that's sort of like HORSE, but with points assigned to each hot spot on the floor. This year's teams hail from Houston, Atlanta, Orlando, and New York. The Lineups (via the NBA's Press Release):
TEAM ATLANTA
Team Atlanta features the Atlanta Hawks’ Joe Johnson, who was named an All-Star for the sixth time this year; Lindsay Harding of the reigning WNBA Eastern Conference champion Atlanta Dream; and NBA TV analyst Steve Smith, an All-Star selection in 1998 with the Hawks and a member of the 2003 NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.
TEAM NEW YORK
Team New York is comprised of the New York Knicks’ Landry Fields, who will also play for Team Shaq in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend; the New York Liberty’s Cappie Pondexter, a four-time WNBA All-Star and one of the league’s top scorers; and former Knicks great Allan Houston, who averaged 17.3 points over his 12-year NBA career, and currently works in New York’s front office as an assistant general manager.
TEAM TEXAS
Team Texas is represented by the Houston Rockets’ Chandler Parsons, an Orlando-area native and second-round pick in 2011, who’s worked his way into the Rockets’ starting lineup as a rookie; the San Antonio Silver Stars’ Sophia Young, a four-time WNBA All-Star, who averaged 13.2 points and 6.4 rebounds in 2011; and TNT analyst Kenny Smith, a two-time NBA champion with the Houston Rockets (1994, 1995).
TEAM ORLANDO
The home team includes the Orlando Magic’s Jameer Nelson, an All-Star in 2009; Florida native and three-time WNBA All-Star Marie Ferdinand-Harris; and former Magic great Dennis Scott, who spent seven seasons with Orlando after the team made him the fourth overall selection of the 1990 NBA Draft.
So, there you have it! The lineups are set and if nothing else, at least there'll be a Dennis Scott sighting. And hey, for all you gambling addicts out there, Team New York's gotta be favored, right?
JaVale McGee will not be competing in this year's Slam Dunk Contest, but unlike many others, he didn't choose to skip the event. Instead, according to a report, McGee was passed over as the NBA made its selections and began assembling the lineups. It's a somewhat surprising move considering McGee showed well in last year's dunk contest, going head-to-head with Blake Griffin but coming up short in the final fan vote.
This time around, the NBA reportedly wanted to freshen things up a bit.
Crazy news: JaVale McGee was not asked to participate in the Slam Dunk competition. He said he would've gone to ORL if asked. #wizards
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) February 16, 2012
According to source, the NBA wanted to go in a different direction with the slam dunk contest, which is why all new faces were invited.
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) February 17, 2012
Chase Budinger, Derrick Williams, Iman Shumpert and Paul George were chosen to participate in this year's contest. The rest of the big names -- including Blake Griffin and LeBron James -- opted not to join in on the festivities. In that regard, it's a bit perplexing McGee wasn't even in consideration, but to each their own.
The Dunk Contest may be dying, but it's not dead. Perhaps Jeremy Lin can inject some life into it? The lineup for this year's contest in Orlando hasn't been announced officially, but ESPN's Marc Stein broke the news Thursday morning.
The four participants will be...
...and, most notably
Shumpert on his own isn't a household name, and none of these guys are. Derrick Williams was the number two pick in the 2011 Draft, but he's still fairly anonymous in the NBA. But the bet is that Shumpert will enlist the services of his famous teammate, Lin, to be a passer for him. And suddenly it won't matter how famous everyone else is. The dunk contest has struggled in recent years, at least until Blake Griffin made headlines at last year's edition in Los Angeles. Now Griffin has said he won't be dunking and the NBA turns its eyes to four, relatively-unknown younger players. But if Jeremy Lin is really on board, it's a safe bet that NBA fans will watch regardless. So at least they've got that goin' for them!
The NBA has announced the 2012 Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout field for All-Star Weekend and it will be headlined by defending champion James Jones of the Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Kevin Love.
They'll be joined by Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson, Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers, Orlando Magic forward Ryan Anderson and New Jersey Nets guard Anthony Morrow.
Jones bested Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to win the contest last year and will look to become the first back-to-back winner since Jason Kapono did it in '07 and '08. Other NBA players who have won the contest twice include Jeff Hornacek, Mark Price and Peja Stojakovic. Larry Bird and Craig Hodges both won the contest three times.
Of those in the field, Anderson has the highest total of 3-pointers with 80 while Chalmers's .463 shooting percentage is the highest.
The event will be part of the TNT's All-Star Saturday coverage that begins at 8 p.m. Feb. 25.
For more coverage of 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend, stay with this stream.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love will compete in the NBA All-Star Weekend three-point shooting contest, according to the Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda.
Love is an alternate on the 2012 NBA West All-Star squad.
Love barely made the NBA All-Star game last season, added as an injury replacement for Yao Ming. He scored two points and grabbed four rebounds in last season's All-Star game.
Love has missed the team's past two games due to a suspension following his stepping on the face of Houston Rockets forward Luis Scola.
A 38% shooter from three-point range, Love has made 42-111 three-pointers this season. Last year, he shot 41%, a career-best. Still, he thinks he's got a good shot at winning the contest this year.
"I think I got a good shot at anything I do. I’m a pretty competitive guy."
For more on Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves, visit SB Nation blog Canis Hoopus.
Kevin Love Wins Three-Point Contest On 2012 NBA All-Star Saturday
The Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Love won the 2012 NBA Three-Point Contest on All-Star Saturday, beating two-time scoring champ Kevin Durant in a final round tiebreaker with 16 points. Durant scored 14 in defeat, and is now 0-2 in Three-Point Contests.
James Jones had a disastrous final round, hitting just one shot on the first rack and finishing with 10 points after scoring a scorching 22 in the first round.
Ryan Anderson, Mario Chalmers and Anthony Morrow were eliminated in the first round. Chalmers actually tied Love in the first round, but bricked most of his shots in the 10-shot tiebreaker. In the competition, Love ended up taking 85 shots in 30 minutes. Kobe Bryant is nodding in appreciation somewhere.
Next up is the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, which you can follow via SBNation.com's dedicated StoryStream, where we'll post videos, analysis and more. Love's teammate Derrick Williams is one of four contestants in the dunk contest.
Feb 25 10:13p by Tom Ziller - 0 comments