[外電] Luster fading in dunk contest
Luster fading in dunk contest
Hawks' Smith defends crown in four-man field
By SEKOU SMITH
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/18/06
Houston — The past, present and future of the Hawks' slam-dunk legacy
will meet at Toyota Center Saturday night when second-year forward Josh
Smith defends his title with Dominique Wilkins and Spud Webb on hand to watch.
Wilkins, a two-time winner (1985 and 1990), is considered one of the
league's all-time great dunkers, while Webb (1986) remains the smallest
man ever to win a slam-dunk title. (Knicks mighty mite Nate Robinson
will challenge that tonight when he battles Smith for the title.)
The Hawks are the only franchise with three different winners
of the contest, and if Smith defends his title successfully,
will become the only franchise with two players who have won
multiple titles.
We sat down with Smith, Webb and Wilkins this week to get their
impressions of dunk contests past, present and future:
Q: What does the dunk contest look like to you now, 20-plus
years after Dominique won his first one?
DW: I think it's changed a lot; the participation just isn't
what it use to be. Last year was one of the better contests
I've seen in the last six or seven years. I think Josh and
Amare Stoudemire were a big reason for that. They pushed that
competition level to a high that only comes with great, great
talents. But even after all these years, the thing you remember
is the excitement. I was as excited last year as I can remember,
mostly because it felt like a changing of the guard with Josh
winning the way he did.
SW: Well, I have to say I liked the format better 20 years
ago. You do one dunk and then the next guy goes and tries to
top that. I don't like the format now. And it's a shame, because
these guys now are so talented and so physically impressive. If
you put them in that old format, I think it would bring out the
best in all of them. Because they can do dunks you only dream
about.
JS: The thing that always got me was the excitement. The dunk
contest was the thing everybody wanted to see from All-Star
Weekend. My first memories are watching [Michael] Jordan win
it. After that, I have to admit I stopped watching it for a
while. Then I remember watching Vince [Carter] tear it up [in
2000]. But I've studied it more since I got older than I
remember sitting around and watching it growing up.
Q: You had to have a favorite part of the contest when you
were in it. What was it?
JS: Putting on Dominique's jersey for me last year was the
best part. It was my tribute to him and all the past winners.
I felt like it was the right thing to do with the Hawks on
the path to winning another one. I'd have worn Spud's jersey
too if I had one of his jerseys around.
SW: My favorite part was going against Dominique. We were best
friends, and you were going against a guy you spent every day
with in terms of what we were trying do for the Hawks. So
nobody cared who won. Well, I think Dominique did. (Laughing)
But it was just fun watching all the young guys and seeing that
look in their eyes. They were so competitive. We all were, really.
DW: Yeah, I guess he's right about that. (Laughing) It was the
same thing for me. Competing with Spud, and the one in Chicago
with Jordan and myself going at it was really fun.
Q: Many people have complained the contest lacks creativity
these days and that everything that could be done has been
done. Why do you think the contest has lost so much of its luster?
SW: The one thing missing is guys like Jason Richardson, Vince
Carter and Kobe Bryant. People want to see the very best dunkers.
And those guys need to be out there competing against Josh. If
you had all those guys out there, that would really be something.
We had Jordan, Dominique and all the best dunkers of the time
participating back then. That's what the fans want to see. That's
what everybody wants to see. And I think deep down, that's what
all these guys competing today want to see. You want the best of
the best out there going at each other.
DW: I agree that to an extent some of the luster has been lost.
People have their own reasons for not wanting to participate.
But I think for the fans, guys in their 20s need to be out there.
Q: When do you realize the full value of winning the dunk
contest, and how does it change your life?
JS: I noticed it immediately because other teams starting paying
a whole lot more attention to me right after [All-Star Weekend]
last year. I couldn't run up and down the floor without somebody
trying to run stride-for-stride with me. Nobody wants to get
dunked on, so I guess that's what they knew about me and that's
why they paid so much attention to me. And it hasn't stopped.
Q: It's been 20 years since Spud won his title. A lot of people
are predicting this year will mark the return of the little man
with the 5-9 Robinson poised to steal the crowd and the show
with his freakish leaping ability. Can he carry on Spud's legacy
or is the title coming back to Atlanta?
JS: I know that the crowd is going to be pulling for [Robinson].
That allows me to go in as the underdog even though I won it
last year. And I kind of like that. People didn't know what to
expect from me last year. Everybody just assumed Amare was going
to win it because of who he is. But you have to go out there and
perform. You know me. You know I plan to put on a show.
SW: I've actually never seen Nate dunk. So I don't really know
what he can do. I had to call [Knicks assistant] Herb Williams
to find about him. Herb told me some of the things he can do,
and if Nate can knock any of them down he has a good shot. So
part of me is pulling for Nate. But my money is on Josh.
DW: If Josh does some of the things he did last year, they don't
have a chance. Win or lose, I've got to roll with Josh. He wore
No. 21 last year, man. That was the moment for me. That's why
he's my guy.
資料來源
http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/hawks/stories/0218slamdunk.html
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