The 2013 Slam Dunk Contest in February Will Be Great - if James White & Gerald Green Are in It
By Jason McIntyre
The 2nd greatest slam dunk contest in basketball history* is one you may not have heard of: James White vs. Gerald Green in Russia in 2010. The tape doesn’t lie, folks. Turn the sound off and enjoy this madness.
White, aka “Flight 75” went to Florida, transferred to Cincinnati, had two tours of duty in the NBA, floated around internationally (Turkey, Russia, Italy) and is now with the Knicks. He turned 30 in October.
Green was another accomplished high school leaper, and got drafted in the 1st round in 2005. He did little-or-nothing for a few years in the NBA, then, like White, bounced around internationally (Russia, China). Last year with the Nets, Green pulled off this dunk; this year with the Pacers he threw this one down. He turns 27 in January, prior to the 2013 dunk contest.
The NBA Slam Dunk contest has gotten increasingly irrelevant in recent years. It is borderline unwatchable. Even though White and Green are reserve role players, this showdown needs to happen.
If it does happen, White vs. Green would garner considerable hype in NBA circles and be the most buzzed-about dunk contest since little Nate Robinson upset Dwight Howard in 2009. And no, the Blake Griffin dunk contest triumph in 2011 was not a big deal – not when he won it on this weak-ass slam.
* 1st, obviously, is Jordan vs. Dominique in 1988.