The 2022 NBA slam dunk contest didn’t go as planned for Houston Rockets rookie Jalen Green, who had a series of miscues Saturday in an attempted collaboration with teammate Josh Christopher.
Green eventually threw down a pair of dunks, but the judging panel clearly docked him points for the amount of time it took. Nonetheless, in a 2021-22 season primarily about development and learning experiences, the 20-year-old is looking at the dunk snafu through a similar lens.
“I for sure need a run-back,” said Green, adding that he “enjoyed every minute” of the experience at All-Star Weekend in Cleveland. “I messed up. I need to run that back next year. We’ll figure it out.”
“Next year,” Green said. “I’ll be here next year.”
In his remarks to reporters, Green also made it clear that he isn’t blaming Christopher, who was attempting to set him up with passes.
“You’re going to make or miss a dunk,” Green said. “I missed too much to win. It was still fun. I’m glad I got to go out there. There was nothing wrong with Josh, nothing on him at all. You miss or make those, especially when you try to do a dunk like that. It’s pretty challenging.”
“I just missed,” Green concluded. “It’s just that simple. “I just missed. I had the height. I had the power. I got up there. It just didn’t go in.”
Jalen Green after the NBA Slam Dunk Contest: “Yeah, I for sure need a run back because I messed up. So I need to run that back next year. We’ll figure it out though…I’ll be good next year.” #Rockets pic.twitter.com/wVR6x7GPOV
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) February 20, 2022
