2009 NBA Dunk Contest: My Vote

New York Knicks' Nate Robinson may have won his second dunk contest in three years, but I am not convinced. Is it just me, or does it seem a little unfair that a guy wins a contest just because of his size?

Retired NBA star Spud Webb won it because he was the first of his size to do it. Are we supposed to let every guy who is under six feet and can dunk win these contests?

My point is, this contest, like the two before it, is a shame, and the winner should not have won. So if I had a vote, this is the way the final scores would have went.

1. Rudy Fernandez

All I heard from the analysts was how skinny Fernandez's legs were, how frail his frame looked, and how the dunk he was attempting was possible but not by him.

Sure, it took him the entire allotted time, as well as two extra attempts. But like Nate Robinson two years ago, the end result was worth the wait.

Size and height factored into this competition, Fernandez delivered the two most difficult and impressive dunks of the night.

If it were up to me, dunk contests would be about who dunks the best. Which is why the Spaniard would be our champion.

2. Dwight Howard

Howard has a magical presence at the All-Star games, and even more so in his comfort zone: the dunk contest.

But a telephone booth and a 12-foot rim?

The comic book fan in me smiled and embraced the geeky outer image Howard was reflecting onto the nation. The cape said it all, "We get paid to play basketball, but it is also a lot of fun."

Howard is a great star and dunker, but he is so tall that his dunks, even if they were difficult, looked too easy to impress me.

Howard comes in second.

3. Nate Robinson

How does a guy win after trying the same dunk over six times? I don't know.

But I have an even better question. How does the same guy do almost the same thing two years later?

It is like everyone forgot he was short for a year, and then jumped around like school kids when he told them he could touch the rim.

He is short and has some mad hops. We get it. But does he have an ounce of creativity, much less any integrity?

I mean, jumping off of another player's back. Really? We let someone do that and be crowned dunk champion.

4. J.R. Smith

Smith has good size, can shoot the trey, and is a pretty good dunker. But why was he in the dunk contest?

Not only has he had an opportunity in year's past and blew it, but almost every guard in the league could do the dunks he did. My guess is that at least half of them could do more creative ones.

Smith looked deflated when he gave up and did a two-handed dunk assisted by Sonny Weems. Weak.

And Sonny Weems. Really?