Finally a cool NBA dunk contest! Thanks to the guy who was without a contract a week ago

Admit it, you didn’t expect anything from today’s dunk contest at All-Star Weekend, did you? The whole recent history of this contest, the composition of the participants without a single familiar name, the hackneyed format and the dead end of ideas – well, what kind of show can there be?

Yes, and other today’s competitions were a disaster.

Teams entered the skill competition, which clearly lacked this skill. The trinity of beginners for the entire final round was able to hit the ring once (!) times. And in the team of the Antetokounbo family there was no main Antetokounbo – Giannis refused to participate at the last moment, citing a wrist injury. They didn’t have time to write out the fourth brother Kostas from Europe, so Thanasis (the last person in the Bucks rotation) and Alex (he doesn’t play in the NBA at all, he is an alternate in the Milwaukee farm club) dragged Drew Holiday Antetokounmpo .

He didn’t pull it out, although in the passing round (which with moving targets looked technological, but chaotic and incomprehensible, we won’t even try to explain how points were counted there) Drew scored more than half of his team’s points.

Against such opponents, the host trio of Utah Clarkson-Kessler-Sexton easily took the prize.

In the three-point contest, Tyrese Halliburton ignited in the first round, equaling Curry’s record for points (31) thanks to the choice of the right balls – he hit almost all bonus balls for which more points are given. But in the final, a strange throwing technique let Tyrese down, and he scored a miserable 17 points.

Lillard won, and everyone is happy that Damian closed this gestalt in his career (losing twice, withdrew several more times), but his 26 is the worst result of the champion under the new scoring system.

The appearance of Julius Randle at the competition was unexpected – the guy is not listed at all in the league as a sniper. But the performance was expected – Randle threw so badly that his son, who was sitting on the podium, began to cry. But the most terrible thing is that with 13 points, Julius was not the last – Kevin Herter scored only 8! Out of 40!

In general, before the slamdunk contest, there was a feeling that it would disappoint. But before the competition, it was announced that from this year the award to the winner will bear the name of the legend – Julius Irving, one of the greatest dunkers in history. The full title, engraved on the award, even includes his iconic nickname: “The Julius “Dr. Jay” Irving Prize for the Slamdunk Contest Winner.” And now someone will get this trophy for some ridiculous jumping jacks? ..

The television people tried to spoil the competition even before the start. This is how Trey Murphy of New Orleans was announced.

If anything, it’s not Trey Murphy from New Orleans. This is KJ Martin from Houston. Yes, the level of the contestants is now such that they will not be recognized by sight. One of the participants last week was not even an NBA player yet – Mack McClung played in the Development League and only recently received a two-way contract from Philadelphia (has not played a game yet).

And the favorite of the contest, Shaydon Sharp, withdrew from participation a few days before the contest. 19 year old newbie! Who puts highlight dunks in every match this week! Refused! How so? Said we should focus on real basketball and trying to get Portland to the playoffs, not acrobatics.

Are we really going to have a dull competition again with a bunch of screwed up, monotonous dunks, for which the judges still give 50 points, and no one remembers the champion the very next day? ..

But the show worked.

Moreover, the entertainment program was launched immediately. Trey Murphy, who could not be identified by the operators of the competition, beat, let’s say, adequately – but he prepared just fine!

There really has never been such a snag in competitions – MVP of the Rising Stars Game and fan favorite Jose Alvarado performed his signature basketball trick : ran out of cover and stole the ball. Only this time he did not run to the opposite ring, but hung a teammate from the shield.

Contests for the last 3-4 years have had such a disgusting vibe that Trey would have missed a dunk or missed a pass, ruining the show. But not this year.

The cameramen once again tried to harm the competition – due to the poor placement of the cameras, Mack McClung’s first dunk through the two-man turret looked average at first. But on the replay, it turned out that Mack also managed to touch the shield with the ball! And it immediately made the dunk elite.