There have been some absolutely amazing dunk contests in the NBA's storied history. Saturday night's was not among them.
This year's four contestants were Obi Toppin of the Knicks, Juan Toscano-Anderson of the Warriors, Cole Anthony of the Magic and Jalen Green of the Rockets. Toppin took home the trophy, but there's no doubt it was a lackluster affair.
There were some fun moments. Anthony wore his father's jersey and Timberland boots for his first-round dunk. Toscano-Anderson dunked over teammate Andrew Wiggins. Toppin won it with a sweet off-the-backboard, between-the-legs dunk. But there were too many missed attempts that led to a general lack of excitement around the event.
Former NBA star Dwyane Wade gave the entire contest a six out of 10. That tells you everything you need to know right there.
Here are a few of the highlights, and some reaction to the contest overall.
As for the official scoring, Toppin and Toscano-Anderson moved on to the final with total scores of 90 and 87, respectively, after their first two dunks. Green finished with 83 and Anthony finished with 70.
In the final, Toppin scored 45 and 47 on his two dunks, while Toscano-Anderson struggled, scoring 39 and 30. There were no 50-point dunks for the entire event.
The dunk contest has definitely lost its luster over the years, but the 2022 version may be a new low point. Don't be shocked if there are changes to the format or rules by next year in an effort to make it more entertaining.
