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.