NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2015: Start Time, TV and Live Stream Info
The NBA Slam Dunk Contest is going back to basics—and ushering in a new era.
This year the league takes a more traditional approach to the action after last year's format likely confused more than a few observers.
Also different is the participant list, which features four new faces to the spectacle who stand a chance to create their own iconic memories that line up alongside top event moments such as Michael Jordan's airtime, Blake Griffin's car-leaping abilities and the birth of "Vinsanity."
While always one of the marquee events on the sporting calendar, this year's event demands attention for its innovation and willingness to turn to the future of the league for star power.
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
When: Saturday, Feb. 14
Start Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Live Stream: TNT Overtime
Watch: TNT
Back to Basics
To say last year made a simple event complicated is an understatement. The team-based format was difficult to follow, although it did not prohibit the contestants from putting on a show.
This year the NBA strips things back down to its roots. As NBA.com details, the two-round format is back in full force. There are no time limits—each player will have three attempts to bang home any dunk of their choosing in each round.
The legendary cast of judges—Julius Erving, Walt Frazier, Nate "Tiny" Archibald, Bernard King and Chris Mullin—will grade the players on a familiar scale and the highest combined score will receive the hardware.
Now familiar and digestible, the focus can go back where it belongs—the participants.
What to Expect
In one word—history.
That sounds like hyperbole, but the contest itself has a way of producing those moments fans never forget.
This time, four young players who will carry the league into its next era will make a name for themselves.
Mason Plumlee of the Brooklyn Nets is another athletic big at 6'11" and 235 pounds. He's not a household name just yet, nor does he make a ton of top-play lists—which has more to do with his team than his play—but Plumlee is more than deserving of his spot.
After all, this is the guy with a reputation for tripling down:
Zach LaVine does not receive a ton of press either, which makes sense for a 19-year-old who suits up for an 11-win Minnesota Timberwolves team.
LaVine is one of the most athletically gifted players in the league, something Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling believes will shine through at the contest:
It's hard to argue the point based on the small sample size to date:
The same label can apply to Giannis Antetokounmpo, too.
Antetokounmpo is a large part of the reason the Milwaukee Bucks sit with 30 wins at the break.
Not only does the Greek Freak shoot 50 percent from the field and average 12 points per game, he bangs well on the boards and brings in 6.6 rebounds per game.
He also happens to be a regular on the highlight reel:
As much as fans should expect a show from the 6'11", 217-pound Antetokounmpo, Victor Oladipo of the Orlando Magic may steal the show.
Oladipo suits up for a 17-win team but is a regular in the minds of most when it comes to his ability to finish at the rim. It's a large part of the reason he shoots 44 percent from the field and averages 16.6 points while fully assuming the role of franchise player.
For his part, the Indiana product seems to have some creativity up his sleeve, as captured by ESPN's Jeff Goodman:
If the highlights are any indication, Oladipo could take a traditional approach and be just fine:
In the end, the format is nice, but it is the players who deserve all of the attention.
Any one of the four can wow the globe and win the thing outright. The nice part about the selected four is that there is no star power in the equation, just sheer talent and creativity.
Saturday, one of the league's next big things will leap to new heights and take the world along for the ride.
All stats and info via ESPN .com unless otherwise specified.
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