The dunk contest holds a very special place in our hearts over here at No Regard, as it does in the hearts of most NBA fans. While the All-Star game itself is generally a fairly entertaining event, the weekend's pinnacle arguably comes at the end of Saturday night, when we get to watch four of the world's greatest jumpers face off in a battle of athleticism and creativity.
This year's competition seems poised to generate some memorable jams, but DeMar, Serge, Blake, and JaVale will have to step it up if they want to match these staff all-time favorites.
Peter Brownell: Gerald Green's Birthday Cake (2008)
If you scroll to the top of our website you'll find a remarkable picture. In the foreground is a flying Gerald Green, basketball above his head lifted by both hands, blowing out the candle on a cupcake he had just meticulously placed on the back of the rim. In the background stand LeBron James and Amar'e Stoudemire, wearing brown trench-coats, drinking in the spectacle in front of them, awe-struck.
Sure, I love the picture that came from Green's antics, but there are two aspects of this dunk that stand out for me as particularly noteworthy. First is Green's ability to keep the cupcake secured on the iron. How did he do that? You'd imagine that the combination of his breath, and the force of the ball going through the rim would combine to knock the tasty dessert straight onto the hardwood. Not so, however. Green used his lungs to perfection, blowing hard enough to extinguish the flame yet light enough not to rattle the sugary treat. Same goes for his dunk. It appears strong, but it's calculated, guaranteeing that the after-dinner guilty pleasure was to remain exactly where it was placed.
Secondly, I had no clue what he was going to do and didn't even understand what he did until seeing the replay and hearing Kenny Smith scream, "He blew it out! He blew it out, Chuck!" A cupcake, really? What's that all about? Then, when everything sunk in, I was giddy. Like a schoolboy after a first kiss, I furiously texted anyone I thought might care even an inkling. "Did you see that? A cupcake! Unreal," that sort of text. Probably threw in a few curse words to emphasize my fascination.
Now normally I tend to shy away from cupcakes. I'm not some sort of health nut or anything like that, just not all that big on sugar. But after watching Green's smooth, creative and perfectly executed throwdown, I have an entirely new relationship with the sweet snacks. They bring a smile to my face every time I see one, remembering Gerald Green and the 2008 Slam-Dunk competition.
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