NBA All Star weekend fights a good fight with baseballs All Star weekend as the top ranked. Sorry Pro Bowl, but when I think of an NFL All Star game I think more in the mind set of NFL Blitz of NFL Street. It is just to hard for All Stars to showcase their talent individually on the grid iron. Ok, back to the NBA.
Over the years NBA all star weekend has taken many different shapes. From non NBA venues (Vegas and this years held at Cowboy Stadium) to many different events. Its hard for a basketball fan to not find something they enjoy. Yet here is where the problem lies. There are so many events going on, that aside from the all star game, everything else is done half ass. The dunk contest comes in a fair second followed by the three point contest, yet there is a huge drop off after that. Who really cares about horse, The Rookie Sophomore Challenge, The skills challenge, and the shooting stars. Nothing says lame like watching Sasha Vujachic, Lisa Leslie, and an over weight Magic Johnson square up against Bill Lambier, Chauncey Billups, and some chick from the WNBA. LAME….
After a lot of though, ok well a little, I have come up with a plan to help the NBA fire up its All Star Weekend. Starting at the top of my list is none other than the All Star Game. Four minutes into the game the announcers will say “These guys will not start getting serious until the last five minutes of each half.” Yes, that does sound like a typical NBA game, but would it not be great to see playoff like intensity from start to finish? The same intensity you and your friends play with when going head to head, East vs West on the playstation. There is a simple solution to fix this. The NBA should take a page out of Baseballs book. Winning team for the All-Star game gets home court advantage in the finals. I am sure this would raise the level of intensity and defense for this game. It would be great for the league and suck only for the team with the best record in the NBA.
The Slam Dunk Contest has the ability to be mind blowing, brilliant, or super lame. Over the years this has been the even that has changed more times than anything. The lowest point was the advent of that stupid dunk wheel. When you think of Slam Dunk contest what do you see? Mj v Dominique, Vince, or Spud? All great performances. When the dunk contest was an infant, the games best high fliers entered. The last two years Dwight spoiled us, and now this year. Bust.
Nate Robinson (Does not want to be in it)
Shannon Brown (Will win it)
Eric Gordon (Plays for a JV team in Los Angeles)
Demar Rozan (Canada will not care)
Gerald Wallace (Did he used to be that athletic guy on the Kings?)
I am sure all of these guys are great dunkers. Nate has won it, Gerald Wallace got close, and Shannon knows how to fly. Yet put this field of contestants against the 1985 contest and it is a joke.
Jordan
Ervin
Drexler
Wilkins
In one contest you had four of the best dunkers from the 80’s. When you think of best current dunkers, who comes to mind?
James
Howard
Smith
Wade
Nate
Shannon (sorry there is my Laker Bias)
Now that would be a sick contest. Yet, LeBron is too cool for school. Howard has paid his dues. Smith, well who knows? That leaves us with Nate. Nate Robinson should be punched. In a very recent article he belittled the slam dunk contest. Upon many quotes the ones that stick out are followed here.
“And I guess, hopefully, I mean if I don’t win it, it’ll be good because I don’t want to go back no more. But if I do [win], and they want me to go back again, I guess so. Keep going until I lose,”
“I was hoping so,” Robinson said of James’ possible participation. “It would be good for the fans and the NBA, pretty cool to get him and some other big names in it, but those guys are All-Stars, they don’t need to waste their time doing dunks and stuff like that. They’re right where they need to be, which is All-Stars playing Sunday.”
So what are you saying Nathaniel? You don’t want to do the dunk contest? That looks great for the NBA, having guys in the contest that don’t want to be there. Why hate on the dunk contest? Without the dunk contest no one outside of New York and Washington would know about you. What about LeBron? I think he was scared of you jumping over him. He did not want to have to sick Mr. Knight and Nike on ESPN to confiscate all footage of this existing. Did Jordan, Dr.J, Clyde, Wilkins, Bryant, Carter, and Spud all waste their time as well doing dunks for the contest? I don’t buy the fact that it was a waste of time. 
I think the biggest reason LeBron wont do the contest, because he is scared. It is out of his hands for him to win, and in the judges hands. He would not want to skip out on a post dunk press conference because he was a sore loser. Yet who knows.
Ok, so that was enough of a roast for Nate Robinson and LeBron. Now the big change. I say have a nation wide dunkoff. The winner of this gets to be the final contestant in the dunk contest. Any every day guy, dunking on the same floor as the pros. Now that would be sweet. I am still waiting for an NBA guy to one up “The Air Up There” with the 720 dunk. Any other creative ideas? Stay tuned for the rest of All-Star weekend
