The NBA All-Star Weekend’s slam dunk contest is just a few days away, and for the 11th time in his 11-year career LeBron James will be watching from the sidelines.
To make things even worse, for roughly the 10,000th time James decided to take a few minutes during the Heat’s Monday shootout to showcase his supreme dunking ability.
With his teammates and a media cohort watching intently, James started his dunking session by throwing an alley-oop to himself off a column behind the hoop, catching the rebound and then proceeding to slam it down hard with his right hand.
Over the course of his session he also opted to work through more traditional self-oops off of the high bounce, including a two-handed reverse jam.
James finished off his routine with a combination he usually executes in pre-game warm-ups, throwing himself a lob through his own legs off the backboard to set up a powerful two-handed catch and one-handed dunk with his head near rim level.
If James could produce something similar would these dunks win the slam dunk contest?
The answer is possibly, but not definitely. The problem is James wouldn’t be able to use a wall for his routine.
What this dunk session shows us is that with the right amount of preparation and a few out of the box ideas, Lebron could put a show on for the ages. That’s what makes it all the more frustrating that James continually chooses to not showcase his talents in the dunk contest.
This year’s competitors comprise a strong field and for the first time since 1988 that field has three All-Stars. The field is made up of Paul George, Terrence Ross, John Wall, Damian Lillard, Harrison Barnes and Ben McLemore.
But it is still a mildly disappointing one because James isn’t competing. Whether or not he chooses to not participate because he is worried about his legacy is another story, but the King is out of excuses now.
With four MVPs and two rings to his name, and quite a time in his career still to go, James has nothing to worry about. He has shown time and time again that he can deal with pressure and at 29 he still has some wicked hops.
James’ show after practice is as maddening as it is tantalising. Remember though, James owes us nothing – it’s his life and his choice to not participate. He has an NBA title to defend after all.
It’s just hard as a fan to see stuff like this, or the pre-game monsters he started throwing down last season as the Heat turned layup lines into impromptu dunk contests, and not feel like every All-Star Saturday that doesn’t feature James in the main event represents another missed opportunity to see something amazing and unique.
For me, it leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
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