NBA Announces “Dunk Contest” Participants, Finds Way To Include Jeremy Lin

Not surprisingly, the NBA has found a way to get Jeremy Lin involved in the festivities at All-Star Weekend.  Via the dunk contest, though?  I don’t think any of us expected that.  According to ESPN, Lin will assist fellow New York Knickerbocker Iman Shumpert, who struck me as a rather surprising inclusion before I realized exactly what was going on here.  Take it away, ESPN…

He won’t be dunking, exactly, but New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin has been invited to take part in the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in Orlando.

Sources with knowledge of the league’s plans told ESPN.com that Knicks rookie Iman Shumpert — one of four dunk-contest entrants alongside Houston Rockets forward Chase Budinger, Indiana Pacers swingman Paul George and Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Derrick Williams — will be enlisting Lin to “assist” him in a manner similar to the help 2011 champion Blake Griffin got from then-Los Angeles Clippers teammate Baron Davis.

Clever!  Seriously, I was pondering ways that the league could get Lin involved, and I can’t say that this little plan ever crossed my mind.  I was thinking the Skills Challenge or the Shooting Stars competition, but the fact of the matter is that nobody gives even the slightest bit of a f@ck about that sh!t, and not even Jeremy Lin could change that.  So, they put their thinking caps on and came up with this creative solution.

How are they going to assure a Shumpert Lin victory, though?  Well they’re gonna change the whole format, of course!  Continue, ESPN…

Griffin is not defending his dunk title, but sources said that the annual dunk contest has a new format which will consist of only one round and in which the winner will be solely determined by fan vote.

All four competitors in the 2012 dunk field are first-timers and will be formally announced later Thursday, sources said. Each entrant will get three dunks, with fan voting to open after the foursome completes their first dunks.

Okay, now I’m mad.  It’s bad enough that they’ve utilized a fan vote in the final round over the past few years, but to cut the contest down to one round, eliminate the judges completely, and open the voting to a bunch of biased fans before two thirds of the dunks have even been attempted… I can’t even begin to describe how terrible this is going to be.

Congratulations to Jeremy Lin on becoming the first Dunk Contest champion to win without having dunked the basketball.  Vince Carter’s athleticism is rolling over in its grave.

For the record, my 2012 NBA Slam Dunk Contest would include Paul George, Jeremy Evans, DeAndre Jordan, and Russell Westbrook.  The winner would be chosen by the judges, and no choirs, capes, coaches, or stuffed animals would be allowed.

I wonder if Budinger, George, and Williams understand the format.  If so, why even bother attending?  Do they not have a choice?  I hope they all walk out there and casually lay the ball into the basket.  Show the league what a joke this is.