2014 Slam Dunk Winner
Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons on Sunday was crowned the NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner, narrowly beating New York Knicks rookie Obi Toppin.
One of his most exciting dunks was a high-flying dunk over former Slam Dunk Contest winner, 5'7' Spud Webb. The 2006 Slam Dunk Contest was also the first Dunk Contest in history to have a 'Dunk Off', the equivalent to a Dunk Contest overtime, between Knicks point guard Nate Robinson and shooting guard Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers. The dunk contest, 3-point shootout, skills challenge and All-Star game will all take place on Sunday, with coverage beginning at 5 p.m. For the first time since the Thunder’s first year in Oklahoma City, there will not be representation from the franchise, but the organization has deep roots in All-Star history and the skill contests. The contest was judged by five former dunk champions: Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins (1985, 1990), Spud Webb (1986), Dee Brown (1991), Jason Richardson (2002, 2003) and Josh Smith (2005).
Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons on Sunday was crowned the NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner, narrowly beating New York Knicks rookie Obi Toppin in the process. Simons and Toppin moved onto.
Simons and Toppin moved onto the final round after Indiana Pacers rookie Cassius Stanley was eliminated after his first two dunks. Stanley, who entered the event favored to win, recorded the lowest overall score after the first round by the five judges on hand.
From there, Simons and Toppin dueled with one final dunk attempt.
The scoring system was altered this year with the judges each selecting a winner, rather than scoring the dunks in the final round like past seasons. After the last two slams were finished, the judges named Simons the winner by a final vote of 3-2.
Simons recorded the highest score of the evening with his second dunk. He paid homage to Tracy McGrady and pulled out his throwback Toronto Raptors jersey and then threw down what the judges deemed the best dunk.
While Simons won, it wasn’t without controversy.
The prevailing thought on Twitter was Stanley was robbed on his first dunk by the judges: Dee Brown, Jason Richardson, Josh Smith, Spud Webb and Dominique Wilkins.
2014 Nba Slam Dunk Contest Winner
Stanley only earned a 44 from the group, while many thought he deserved a higher score.
Though Toppin ultimately lost to Simons in the final round, the Knicks rookie was the only contestant to use real-life props. With his second dunk, Toppin called upon his father and Knicks teammate Julius Randle, and then jumped right over them.
While the Dunk Contest this year lacked overall star power, the three participants put on an entertaining show during halftime of the All-Star Game. For an event that was put together rather last minute, the product still proved fun to watch.
2014 Slam Dunk Contest Winner
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