NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2012: Excessive Use of Props Has Ruined the Event
The slam dunk contest is one of the NBA's premier events, but the excessive use of props has ruined the event beyond repair.
Last year, Blake Griffin won the event when he dunked over a KIA car in the final round, but to be honest, it wasn't even that great of a dunk. Sure, it takes unbelievable athleticism and jumping ability to accomplish, but I would imagine many NBA players could have successfully completed that kind of dunk.
Demar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors said after losing to Griffin last year that he's not into props, and for real basketball fans, it's hard not to agree with him.
""I'm a dunker. Dunk contests, you go out there and dunk. I'm not into all the props and everything," DeRozan said at shootaround before Tuesday's game against Charlotte. "I try to come out with a creative dunk and do it and go from there. My fans liked it and you can see the reaction from a lot of people afterward. "If there's a dunk contest next year I'll do it. But not no prop dunk contest."
DeRozan believes the extra elements cheapen the contest.
"I think a lot of people probably look at it like that. It seems that way when you watch it," he said. "This year I put thought into it. I practiced, had dunks ready and everything. It is what it is. I did it two years in a row. I'm good."
Asked if he would reconsider, DeRozan said he would only compete again if the All-Star Game is held in Toronto or if the rules are changed to eliminate props.
"There's no telling what might happen next year," DeRozan said. "Somebody might use a trampoline."
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The props take away from the actual dunk performed. Instead of grading just the dunk, as fans we focus too much on the prop used. That's not the way the slam dunk contest should operate.
When we allow props into the slam dunk contest, we take away the essence of the event. Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins made the 1980s the golden age of the event because their athleticism and originality was off the charts.
It's not like all the cool dunk ideas are gone and we must now use props to excite the fans. We just need players to be more imaginative when coming up with cool dunks.
Adding cars or another basket entirely belittles the event, and you could argue that it even mocks the entire competition. With the speed, strength and athleticism today's athletes have, there's no excuse to not be able to come up with new and exciting dunks without the use of props.
The contestants need to go back to the days when Vince Carter and Jason Richardson won the competition on pure athleticism and jumping prowess.
I must say that the NBA did make one smart decision this year by putting real dunkers in the event and not filling it with superstar players.
The event needs to have players who can give fans the most exciting dunks, and guys like Jeremy Evans and Paul George, two guys many basketball fans pay little attention too, will take the dunk contest back to its roots on Saturday night in Orlando.
Unfortunately, I cannot see props going away from the slam dunk contest, and as the years go by, I fear that they will be an integral part of determining who wins, if they aren't already are.
The NBA's slam dunk contest is dead, but at least basketball fans have hours of footage from past dunk contests, where the likes of Wilkins, Carter, Richardson, Jordan, Clyde Drexler, Larry Nance, Isaiah Rider and Shawn Kemp gave fans moments of excitement they will never forget.
Nicholas Goss is an NBA Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report, follow him on Twitter.
