By ALEX SMITH
The NBA’s All-Star Weekend is always pretty fun to watch. Before the actual All-Star Game, you can watch Justin Bieber play in the Celebrity Game, if you’re into that kind of thing. You can see some of the best point guards in the league compete in the Skills Challenge, and you can even see the best sharpshooters compete in the 3-Point Shootout. And then there’s the dunk contest, which used to feature names like Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins and Vince Carter. This year, the final round of the contest pitted Jeremy Evans against Terrence Ross. Raise your hand if you were excited to watch them face off. If your hand is up, you’re a liar. NBA legend Magic Johnson has offered mega-star LeBron James a million dollars to compete in the dunk contest. That’s what it’s come to.
The NBA needs its superstars to compete in the dunk contest or people aren’t going to watch anymore. We can pretend that we are excited to see Eric Bledsoe give it a go, but we all know watching that was like when you asked for a Razor scooter as a kid, and you got another brand; clearly not the same and not as fun. The NBA features high-risers like James, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Kevin Durant and so many others who could electrify an audience. These players don’t have an excuse to not give it a go (Griffin has in the past, and he was great). If the players think that a possible injury could be a problem, then why do they all go out and play in the All-Star game the next night? There’s no defense in either event, and an injury could easily happen at any time. All these stars are at the dunk contest anyway, watching from the sidelines in their hipster-rimmed glasses.
Let me get back to the LeBron James issue. Bron-Bron has been putting on his own mini-version of the dunk contest before every game that the Miami Heat play. During warm-ups, he performs a dunk that leaves fans with their jaws on the floor, begging for more. His pre-game antics have even caused ESPN to show Heat warm-ups live on national TV so that everyone can watch. Magic Johnson wants LeBron in the dunk contest so bad that he’s willing to give him one million dollars just to do it. If LeBron is smart, he’ll take the money and do it. Hear me out.
James is finally at the point where every NBA fan in America doesn’t hate his guts. Well, except for the ones in Cleveland — they’re still bitter. But everyone else is starting to not hate, and even like, James a little bit. The main reason is the way he shut his mouth and played like a man possessed in last year’s playoffs, silencing all the critics and winning a ring. He’s followed that up this season with one of the best statistical years possibly of all time. So LeBron, while you’re still liked, take the million dollars, use your “king” status to rally up some other stars, do the dunk contest and donate the million dollars to charity. Sounds like a slam dunk to me.
