rcklsscognition wrote:Are we going to have an AS break thread?
ALL STAR WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, Feb. 17
10:30 a.m. | BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge Practice | NBA TV
12 p.m. | All-Star media availability | NBA TV
7 p.m. | NBA All-Star Celebrity Game | ESPN
9 p.m. | BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge | TNT
Saturday, Feb. 18
11 a.m. | Hall of Fame Announcement
12 p.m. | NBA All-Star Practice | NBA TV
2:30 p.m. | NBA D-League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire | NBA TV
7 p.m. | Commissioner Adam Silver media availability | NBA TV
8 p.m. | State Farm All-Star Saturday Night | TNT
- Taco Bell Skills Challenge (first event)
- JBL Three-Point Contest (second event)
- Verizon Slam Dunk (third event)
Sunday, Feb. 19
11 a.m. | NBA Legends Brunch | NBA TV coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET
8 p.m. | 66th NBA All-Star Game | TNT
The Orlando Magic’s Aaron Gordon, last year’s runner-up, and NBA All-Star DeAndre Jordan of the LA Clippers will take flight in the 2017 Verizon Slam Dunk on Saturday, Feb. 18 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Gordon and Jordan are joined in the four-player field by Derrick Jones Jr. of the Phoenix Suns and Glenn Robinson III of the Indiana Pacers.
Verizon Slam Dunk is a two-round event in which the four participants can perform any dunk they choose without time limits. The players have a maximum of three attempts to complete each dunk in both the first round and the final round. Five judges score every dunk on a scale of 6 to 10, resulting in a high score of 50 and a low score of 30.
All four competitors get two dunks in the first round. The two players with the highest combined score for their two dunks advance to the head-to-head final round. The player with the highest combined score for his two dunks in the final round is crowned the champion.
Magic coach Frank Vogel on Aaron Gordon in the dunk contest: “Oh he’s going to win it. Hands down. They should give it to him already.”
As a former Slam Dunk champion, Ross knows a thing or two about throwing down exciting dunks. Even though his dunking resume speaks for itself, he was quick to say Aaron Gordon is the Magic’s best dunker.
“Without a doubt, Aaron,” Ross said.
Of course, Gordon competed in last year’s dunk contest and finished in second place to Zach LaVine. Many were shocked when Gordon wasn’t voted the winner by the judges after converting on several dunks that hadn’t been seen yet.
“I got a title but he should have one too,” Ross said. “If he was in the same dunk contest I was in, he would’ve definitely won. I’d give [best dunker] to Aaron for sure.”
When he arrives in New Orleans this Friday, the city will be captivated by All-Star Weekend. Gordon, though, will be in his hotel room "with the lights out," he says. "Visualize, meditation. Visualize and positive affirmation." In his mind he'll see what he's been practicing, slowed down. He'll tell himself he's the greatest to ever do it, and at the end, if all goes according to plan, he'll introduce the world to a series of new dunks, then be handed the trophy.
So, what are those dunks he's kept hidden away all these months?
"We can't say," Betchart says. "But they're amazing. It's mind-blowing."
Flashback:
(No I don't want him to be injured, that was tongue in cheek... got to preempt any people taking stuff seriously these days)