Stephen A. Smith Blames LeBron James For “Terrible” Slam Dunk Contest - Page 2
If you didn’t like the outcome of the NBA All-Star Game in its newest format, you may just be behind the times. Not only did the Obamas attend, but post-game social media reaction seemed to approve of the new three-game tournament-style event.
But, there’s just one problem. Once the highlight of NBA All-Star Weekend, the dunk contest is now its most criticized aspect. Long gone are the days when NBA icons like Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins soared above the hardwood to create compelling contests. In 2016, Zach LeVine of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic put on a history-making bout, with LeVine ultimately edging Gordon in a two-round tiebreaker.
Miami’s Keshad Johnson won the slam dunk contest this year, in what was considered a lackluster competition. Stephen A. Smith says he blames it on LeBron James because, without star power, it’s a snoozefest.
“I didn’t think about the contest,” Smith said on First Take. “I want to applaud Keshad Johnson for winning. Pat Riley standing up and applauding him… but we all know it was terrible because there were no star power. The reality is that we are going to bring it home to where the GOATs can get it.”
Smith says despite playing in his 23rd season and making the team every year except his rookie year, James never competed in the dunk contest, and that’s why he’s at fault.
“I’m going to blame LeBron James,” he said. “Now I’ve sat here for months, and I’ve applauded his greatness and all the things he had done, and he has meant to the NBA, but I’ve said it, and I’m going to be very consistent… the person who really is the provocateur to ruin the slam dunk contest is him.”
Though James has obviously had a stellar career, he’s never been best known for explosive dunking. As Smith recalled some of the greatest dunk contests over time, including Vince Carter, Nate Robinson, and even Kenny “Sky” Walker, the former New York Knick who won it in 1989, it’s unclear how James would have added to the best of the dunk competitions.
Smith goes on to say that James’ refusal to play as one of the league’s most prominent superstars trickled over to other stars of his era. He believes that made it less mandatory for players to participate in the contest, which once carried its fair share of bragging rights. He claims that James “teased” his supposed participation in the contest by throwing down dunks in pre-game warmups and did so for years.
“With a straight face, any of us can bring up LeBron James, when it comes to the Slam Dunk contest and the problems that it had is that he teased he was going to participate when he knew for years people were clamoring for his involvement…tell me that before the games in that layup line that he wasn’t teasing folks, for seasons at a time, about how he might participate and never did. And ultimately, other cats followed.”
He concluded, “When it comes to the Slam Dunk contest and its diminished value, his fingerprints are written all over it. That is a fact. Period.”
Here’s the thing. There are multiple Slam Dunk competitions at the high school level and beyond, done by entities outside of the NBA that are experiencing tremendous success. There is the Dunk League, the World’s Greatest Dunk Contest, the FIBA 3×3 Slam Dunk Contest, the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions Slam Dunk contest and more. It kind of boggles the mind why the NBA doesn’t partner with one of those organizations.
In any case, while reviews of this year’s NBA All-Star Game were good, the Slam Dunk continues to generate more debate than a memorable competition.
See social media’s thoughts on James getting the blame below.
