Blake Griffin Snubs Dunk Contest: How Will Decision Affect His Image?
Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin is ruining his image as a face of the NBA and doing a massive disservice to his millions of fans by choosing not to participate in the 2012 Slam Dunk Contest. Via ESPN:
""As of right now I don't plan on being in it," Griffin said Thursday night. "Those dunk contests aren't my thing, I said that last year. There's a lot of guys that can put on a great show and do some good stuff."
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If I was NBA commissioner David Stern I would have been livid after hearing these comments. The dunk contest has become so much less appealing than it was in the 1980s and early 2000s, and without Griffin, this year's event will certainly be terrible.
Not only is Griffin's absence going to make the event less interesting and exciting to watch, he won't be able to defend his title. What kind of superstar doesn't defend his slam dunk title?
Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins and Dwight Howard are just a few stars who gave historic slam dunk performances then came back to the event the following year to defend their title.
Griffin not returning to the event is a cowardly move which is really upsetting because of the fact he is such a talented dunker. His athleticism and dunking ability is perfectly suited for the Slam Dunk Contest.
The Clippers star needs to man up and participate in this event. Not only does he owe it to the fans and the league, he owes it to the corporate sponsors that help support the NBA and himself, especially KIA.
I'm sure you have all seen Griffin's KIA commercials that really started to become regular fixtures between television programs after he dunked over a KIA car to win the Slam Dunk Contest last year.
Griffin could hurt his marketability by not performing in the dunk contest. He's so good at using props that he could work a number of different products into his dunks that could open up endorsement opportunities for himself.
But aside from the endorsements, Griffin is becoming another star player that seems "too good" for the dunk contest. Not enough superstar players take part in the event anymore despite being fully capable of winning and giving the fans a good show.
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony are just a few recent superstars that have never taken part in the Slam Dunk Contest despite pressure from fans to participate. Now that Griffin doesn't want to return to the event the year after winning it, the league is seeing the continuation of a disturbing trend.
Griffin must reverse this decision or people will not think of him the same way. Two of the best dunks of his career weren't even dunks. His recent highlight-reel play over Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins wasn't even a dunk. It was a cool play but it was nothing special.
Here is the play if you haven't seen it.
Thunder star Kevin Durant summed up the play best when he said "I have no appreciation for it at all,” Durant said. “I really wasn’t impressed. He finished it, so what?"
The Clippers' official team store has a "Poster Child" T-shirt remembering the "dunk" over Perkins. Well, I don't know about you, but what kind of poster child has his own T-shirt for something that wasn't even a dunk and then doesn't man up and participate in the Slam Dunk Contest?
Unless Griffin has a tremendous reason to skip the Slam Dunk Contest, he needs to give the fans and the league what they deserve, and that's a fantastic show of exciting and creative dunks at All-Star Weekend.
Nicholas Goss is an NBA Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report.
