Posted on Tue, Feb. 07, 2006
James opts to dunk critic's slam
By Terry Pluto
Do you remember who won the NBA slam-dunk contest a year ago?
The answer is Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks.
How about two years ago?
Good old Fred Jones from the Indiana Pacers.
So, does it matter that LeBron James is skipping and jumping right past the 2006 contest later this month at the All-Star Game in Houston?
I'm glad that he's telling them to stuff it.
The NBA should dunk the dunk contest because it's a joke. It celebrates the worst, most selfish part of the game. That's why it's astonishing that veteran sportswriter Tom Friend of ESPN The Magazine ripped James for not taking part this year.
``He can't have a Nike mini-series, then opt for the skills competition. He's only 21. He needs to pay his dues like the rest of 'em. It's his duty to dunk,'' Friend wrote. ``He can't be afraid to risk it all. MJ risked it all against Dominique; Doctor J risked it all against David Thompson.''
Does anyone remember who won any of those dunk contests?
I believe that Julius Erving beat Thompson in the first dunkfest in the old American Basketball Association, but so what?
I don't know if Dominique Wilkins outdunked Michael Jordan, and I don't care. There was nothing to risk for Jordan. He was the better player, period. Dunking contests had nothing to do with it.
Yes, Jordan did win two dunking contests. But so did Harold Miner.
What does that prove?
Friend mocked James for saying, ``I'm not a dunk competition kind of guy.''
I've known James since he was 15. He's not a dunk competition kind of guy, thank goodness.
He's closer at heart to Larry Bird and Magic Johnson than a player who defines himself by his slams.
It's fun to watch James dunk, but not nearly as enjoyable as some of his passes, his determined drives, his sheer will to win.
James is not the perfect player.
James also is only 21. Some fans and critics don't want to hear that.
They want to compare him with Jordan in his late 20s, instead of realizing that Jordan was sitting in a classroom and averaging 20 points at North Carolina at the same age James is today.
Want to know what is a far greater concern than James not dunking for show? It's that he's already doing too much.
He entered Monday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks averaging nearly 42 minutes a game. Only Philadelphia 76ers star Allen Iverson is seeing more time on the court.
But Iverson recently missed four games with a sprained ankle.
In the middle of his third season, James has missed only four games as a pro -- none this season.
James is averaging 31 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists and shooting 49 percent. He goes to the foul line about 10 times per game. Yes, he's physically strong at 6-foot-8, 242 pounds. But he still takes a physical beating as he's the focal point of every defense that the Cavaliers face.
He plays every night. He plays hurt. He usually plays and acts with maturity far beyond his 21 years.
He realizes that the dunk contest is an utter waste of time and that energy is a sign of growth, not cowardice as the ESPN story implied. You can be sure the NBA, Nike and all of James' other corporate connections want him to dunk.
You also should know that coaches are relieved when their players pass on the dunk contests, because it does wear out a player's legs.
Suppose James entered the dunk contest and lost? Would that change your opinion of him?
Didn't think so.
James also was criticized by the ESPN story for being ``all about his image... being the squeaky clean antithesis of Carmelo (Anthony). Visiting elementary schools. Why mess with that?''
What's the problem?
Aren't there enough jerks in sports? The fact that James wants to do things for the community is a self-serving sin? Are we so cynical that even when a guy does something right, it's considered wrong because he might receive some good public relations from it?
James has been in the public eye since his sophomore year at St. Vincent-St. Mary. As a junior, he became a national figure on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He's one of the few hyped high school rookies truly worthy of the attention he received in his early years with the Cavaliers.
It's like some critics have to attack him on sideshows like the dunk contest, because there are no major issues with James. This falls into the recent discussion about how James hasn't won a game with a last-second shot. For the record, he has had four tries in three years, not exactly a big sample.
Sure, he's careful what he says. Yes, he wants to be politically and corporately correct. That's also part of his personality, as he has been respectful to coaches and authority figures going back to high school.
James is not a saint. He's not the greatest player to step on the court. His defense is sporadic. He can become frustrated and force some bad shots. He should have taken the last-second shot a few weeks ago on the West Coast instead of passing off to Sasha Pavlovic.
But let's look at the big picture with James, and it sure looks bright.
. This guy treats the slam dunk contest as if it's something that still matters, like it was in the '80s when Jordan was in it and it was a new idea that everyone was interested in. If the slam dunk contest is still a big deal, someone tell me why the last 5 winners have been Josh Smith, Fred Jones, Jason Richardson (twice), and Desmond Mason.