Which is important, because it is the one time in the year that it is the funk - and only the funk - which is showcased. Nothing else matters.
The dunk contest can be a little bittersweet, since we will always be reminded of Jordan/Dominique in '88 or the entire 2000 field. Since 2000, few performances have even warranted remembering. Jason Richardson in 2003 and Gerald Green's cupcake dunk in 2008 are the only ones I really give two shits about. No, Dwight Howard and Nate Robinson do not make the list.
What I don't like about Dwight and Nate's performances is they were gimmicky bullshit. There wasn't creativity, it was mostly an Abbott and Costello routine. Sure, they're both athletic freaks, but just jumping as high as you can isn't any more entertaining than watching someone compete in the high jump. IT HAS NO FLAVOR.
Which brings me to the video above. Actually pretty entertaining stuff. There wasn't anybody who could do the things in the air like some of the previous champions, but there was still a great deal of creativity, mostly due to JaVale McGee doing shit that people never even thought of before.
Blake Griffin, for all of his power and athleticism, isn't necessarily an aerial acrobat. Not saying he didn't do some cool shit. The alley-oop Honey Dip was nasty. I also respect the full extension on windmills. However, we all knew this thing was scripted out from the beginning, and we knew that Blake Griffin was going to win, regardless of what happened.
I applaud JaVale for thinking out of the box, I would have liked to have seen Demar's next to dunks and Serge Ibaka is adorable. Blake, Hook Mitchell jumped over an entire VW bug one time, not just the hood. Just saying.
Furthermore, Lil' Wayne sat next to Schwarzenegger's kid and this picture was taken. Your argument is invalid.
