Dunk'd?
by Big50 on Jan 31, 2012 1:23 PM CST
Email
PrintLet me just say that Blake Griffin is good at dunking. However, I must say that this new trend of "dunking" by throwing the ball in the basket from close range is weak sauce. I mean, sure it's impressive that you can jump that high and all of that athletic stuff. All of this nonsense started with Dwight Howard in the Slam Dunk Competition during all-star weekend a few years ago:
Now really? He gets a 10 for that "dunk"? He just jumped and caught the ball and threw it in. Just because he was wearing a cape he gets a 10? Stupid. However, as bad as that was, at least it wasn't in a game. No, Blake Griffin has taken the Phantom Dunk to a hole new level
So last season there was this from Griffin:
Alright. Impressive. You forearm shiver some guy while flying thru the air and throw the ball in. Still NOT A REAL DUNK! If you aren't even close to grabbing the rim it's just a shot.
So last night Griffin did a little bit better:
He appeared to at least graze the rim on this "dunk". Listen this Phantom Dunking isn't really Griffin fault. It's the media, most ESPN, that bares the blame. They're playing this thing like it's the greatest play of all time. Also, I'll be the first to admit that I can't do any of these things and I am impressed with the ability. That said, let's take a look at some real dunks from yesteryear:
Now those are some REAL dunks.
147 comments
|
1 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Are you kidding right? This “Phantom dunk” as you called it is more impressive than a regular dunk. The dude is flying so frickin high he is throwing the ball down to the net….NOW THAT’S IMPRESSIVE. And he is doing it with a 7 footer in front of him trying to block him.
Its the play of the year so far, withouth a question. Yes he barely touched the rim, but that makes it more incredible. Griffin is doing stuff we’ve never seen before. I dont care if its a dunk, a phantom dunk, a layup, a handball goal, it doesnt matter. A ridiculous highlight is a ridiculous highlight.
"Kevin Garnett once described defending Tim Duncan as "trying to guard a tree"
by Chilai on Jan 31, 2012 1:35 PM CST reply actions 2 recs
I agree, the athletic ability alone is amazing and would be an incredible highlight by itself, but the guy isn’t dunking the ball. He throws it at the basket and it goes in.
I agree. Some people were calling it the best dunk ever. That’s crazy. Awesome play? Sure, but it’s nowhere near the best dunk ever. It wasn’t even a proper dunk!
BTW Andrew Sharp had the same idea as you. Pippen’s dunk on Ewing, now that’s a great dunk.
"Manu Ginobili is the ultimate human cheat code, the password to the rim."
-Alex Dewey
Starks over the Bulls is another good one. KJ over Hakeem (although that one wasn’t clean).
...as we find to our astonishment that we can still function, and even thrive within the chase. - Alex Dewey
It was a dunk. By the defintion of a dunk, its a dunk. He even touched the rim with his hand. while still having the ball. It doesnt matter if it was barely a dunk, it was a dunk. A ridicoulus and amazine and incredible one.
Best dunk ever? No sir, but one of the best for sure. We are going to be still watching it 15 years from now.
"Kevin Garnett once described defending Tim Duncan as "trying to guard a tree"
I agree that this is a fantastic play. I’ve watched it a few times already. What I recent is the hype. You want annihilation? Pippen on Ewing. You want hangtime? Choose any of the dunks Vince Carter was throwing down early in his career. Even if I was to agree that it is in fact a dunk there have been much better ones.
"Manu Ginobili is the ultimate human cheat code, the password to the rim."
-Alex Dewey
I disagree. We have seen phantom dunks before. Im not saying Griffins play wasnt in the top #3 of plays this season.
BUT
I have never seen someone alley oop COMPLETELY over a player before like Lebron did the other night against chicago.
Do or do not! There is no try!
I am with you in that its an incredible play and may even be more difficult than a dunk per se ( because they are throwing the ball in a downward trajectory, even though they are farther from dunking distance)
Now whether its a “dunk” in the traditional sense? I am not gonna get involved in that debate.
A man gets the eye of a Tiger, but a Tiger gets the eye of a Manu.
I like the “real dunks” better, but that “phantom dunk” was impressive.
I really liked the Howard dunk in the contest, It looked like superman throwing an attack.
"He was just a young skinny guy who looked like a winner. We didn’t know he was going to be as good as he is."
—Popovich on Manu Ginobili
Bottom line: if you hand doesn’t connect with the rim in any way, it’s not a slam dunk.
It might be a slam, or it might be a dunk but it cannot be both.
The 2012 season: the Spurs have a chance, but only if Manu can be Manu in the playoffs. - CapHill
Pounding the Rock
I agree completely, a dunk just isn’t a dunk unless the rim is shaking from impact. Numerous players have made game winning “Slam Dunks” by jumping and hurling the ball at basket from mid-court.
by Outkastprince on Jan 31, 2012 3:20 PM CST up reply actions
Granted, he’s a total head case, but the dude can dunk.
...as we find to our astonishment that we can still function, and even thrive within the chase. - Alex Dewey
Yup, he does seem to like to get in his oppenents faces after he scores, but his hand touches the rim and everything.
Those are dunks!
The 2012 season: the Spurs have a chance, but only if Manu can be Manu in the playoffs. - CapHill
Pounding the Rock
Give Dwight Howard some credit, at least he’s asking for a trade mid-flight when performing those phantom dunks.
by Outkastprince on Jan 31, 2012 3:23 PM CST reply actions 3 recs
Thanks for the welcome from the both of you, slowly trying to fit in after a failed attempt (don’t ask XD) sometime ago. Been following the Spurs since the early 90’s and you guys for a couple of years? or a bit more, not sure since time sure passes.
But hope to finally get to posting, it’s hard finding anyone to get excited with in New York City.
by Outkastprince on Jan 31, 2012 5:06 PM CST up reply actions
I’m pretty sure the slam dunk contest is rigged so, I wouldn’t take anything from that event seriously (including the Dwight Howard dunk)
Biggest coach Pop/Tiago Splitter homer on the internet™
@completelydeck / @PoundingTheRock
Micoblogger extraordinaire.
by Josh Guyer (completely deck) on Jan 31, 2012 4:05 PM CST reply actions
I’m bothered more by the fact that in Dwight’s Superman dunk, his Superman costume is so ill-fitting that the red underwear is all the way up to his stomach.
I can’t watch that dunk without noticing that every time. Completely ruins the illusion.
I prefer to think of Hipuks as an asexual mouse.- LatinD
I think that it doesnt matter what label you put on Griffin’s anihilattion of Perkins. Its the highlight of the year so far, and probably will hold it through the season. It was incredible, fantastic and even original. This one and the other that Blake did against Mozgov are plays you never see anyone do.
Dude is Shawn Kemp 2.0, with a better work ethic and way more skilled. Lets enjoy him while he lasts.
"Kevin Garnett once described defending Tim Duncan as "trying to guard a tree"
by Chilai on Jan 31, 2012 4:55 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
Wait….while I will admit your opinion of the “dunk” has merit, I will not admit that Blake Griffin is as skilled as, Shawn Kemp much less more skilled. Shawn Kemp was the best player in the NBA for several years (not named Michael Jordan). He could shoot, handle, play some defense and of course make it rain. Griffin might one day be on the same level or even surpass Kemp, but he isn’t even in the same ballpark right now.
In fact, the only way he’s like Kemp at this point is that he can dunk really well. It remains to be seen if he has a better work ethic, Kemp was a beast for many a year before he started to slip and gain all that weight. Griffin is fun to watch and will probably end up being very good, but right now, he’s better rebounding version of Amare without the jump-shot.
Kemp the second best player in the league during his era…..?
A man gets the eye of a Tiger, but a Tiger gets the eye of a Manu.
my thoughts exactly. He wasnt even the best player on his team.
"Kevin Garnett once described defending Tim Duncan as "trying to guard a tree"
Not by a long shot. LOL. I like Detlef more than I liked Kemp but when Kemp started hitting his jumpers more regularly he was super dangerous. But it took a while for his jumper to come. Seattle was a pretty good team back then
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 7:06 PM CST up reply actions
Blake is nice, he had some decent moves the last time he took on the Spurs so the potential to get better is there. Right now though, he’s a bit raw and depends way too much on highlight reels.
Still, the guy is going to be a heck of a player and worth watching for many years.
by Outkastprince on Jan 31, 2012 5:10 PM CST up reply actions
Shawn Kemp > Blake Griffin when it comes to dunking. Blake’s dunk contest dunks were pretty underwhelming.
I would like to get a little more inside, myself -- Pau Gasol
by silverandblack_davis on Jan 31, 2012 7:05 PM CST up reply actions
+1
Kemp was a bad man when it came to dunking that ball. I know people are going to say I’m crazy and don’t get it twisted i hate UNC but I think Vince Carter is the best dunker and dunk contest guy I’ve ever seen
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 7:07 PM CST up reply actions
Agree with you on VC. His dunks had the perfect combination of creativity, grace, power, and hang time. ’Nuff said.
I would like to get a little more inside, myself -- Pau Gasol
by silverandblack_davis on Jan 31, 2012 7:08 PM CST up reply actions
You ain’t never lied. When he was healthy and engaged you were in for a show when he played.
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 7:16 PM CST up reply actions
BTW, I want to read the opinion of our local expert on the matter. DR Dunking cheerleader, where are you?
"Kevin Garnett once described defending Tim Duncan as "trying to guard a tree"
I’m recovering from being blown away by Blake Griffin’s sheer awesomeness. I’m sorry, b50, I love you – but you cannot call either of those plays “just a shot”. If you must, at least call it a Shot. Capitalize. It’s the least you can do to show your appreciation for something so beyond us mortals that if it was featured as part of a Cirque du Soleil routine we would pay hundreds of dollars just to sit closer to the performer.
If Blake Griffin’s play was not a dunk, then we had better redefine the word right now. That’s a dunk. Everything else is from now only a nonblakedunk.
That Vince Carter dunk is still IMO the nastiest, most impressive slam dunk I’ve ever seen. He gets the airtime but still manages to rock the rim, which is a prerequisite for an actually slam dunk.
I’m a bit of a homer on the Darvin Ham dunk since he’s from Texas Tech. I remember that happened when I was in high school, and they had a delicious shot of it for the front cover of the next Sports Illustrated.
I agree with Big50. Blake’s “dunk” was the WOW moment of the year so far, but it just isn’t as impressive as it would have been had he rocked the rim. I admit it probably takes more athletic skill to do the Perk/Mozgov moves, but as original and great as those plays were, I still can’t help feeling a slight disappointment with the lack of a true and forceful throwdown on the rim.
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest." --Willy Wonka
I agree with the Vince Carter dunk being the nastiest dunk I ever seen in my whole entire life.
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 6:49 PM CST up reply actions
Well I agree with this part, but Vince Carter could consider himself lucky that Fred Weis didn’t straighten up and played nice, or else I’d pity Carter’s balls. Moreover the fact that he supported himself on Weis with his hand removes a bit of its awesomeness. Nevertheless it is the most impressive dunk I’ve seen.
Eh, I have no opinion. I’m a Spurs fan. Never seen one of them there “dunks” before.
(Full disclaimer: I hate everyone.) -- Fred Silva and JRW
by quincyscott on Jan 31, 2012 5:14 PM CST via mobile reply actions
What about when Ginobili dunked on like two Lakers years ago. I tried to post the video on here from youtube but I don’t know what I’m doing. LOL. Ginobili instantly became my new favorite Spur after that shit. I mean I couldn’t believe he did that shit
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 7:15 PM CST up reply actions
He split two defenders with a behind the back dribble first, then Dunked on Lamar Odom and one other Laker at the same time. So he essentially dunked on the entire Lakers team.
A man gets the eye of a Tiger, but a Tiger gets the eye of a Manu.
It was brian Grant and somebody else. He left the dude who was guarding him at the three point line! LOL. Ginobili is a bad, bad MAN!!!! LOL.
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 7:22 PM CST up reply actions
Never been impressed by the phantom Dunk. I loaded up that Griffin Vid expecting some nasty dunk and was pretty underwhelmed.
Hands on the rim or it doesn’t count in my opinion. It’s more like a handball goal then a dunk.
"When you go in for a job interview, I think a good thing to ask is if they ever press charges."
It’s not a trend.
Blake Griffin and Dwight Howard have created secondary classification for dunking. They are SO HIGH in the air that they can throw the ball DOWN into the hoop (re: Chilai upthread). How does ‘throw-in dunk’ sound? ‘No rim throw-in’?
Also, I’m saddened that this post doesn’t reference D-Wade’s annihilation/humiliation of Anderson Varejao in 2009. I think Wade’s dunk was FAR MORE impressive than this one from Blake because of the height difference, and that Wade did it off the dribble. Oh, and he got plenty of rim to boot.
I would like to submit this dunk by tom chambers
it’s underrated but i think its one of the best ever
good better best, never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is best
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDyBSTQDwH8
idk why the link didnt post
good better best, never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is best
by seanthemonster on Jan 31, 2012 5:33 PM CST up reply actions
Haters. Almost every single one of you.
There should be a mandate somewhere saying that if you can’t dunk, you shouldn’t be allowed to make completely meaningless (née jealous?) comments about them. It was a dunk. Get over it.
"I like to use my pump fake to make them come hard, that's when I use my penetration." -Manu Ginobili
by Justin Biehle on Jan 31, 2012 6:10 PM CST via mobile reply actions 1 recs
Yeah, we shouldn’t criticize (or make completely meaningless comments about) things we can’t do…like play basketball professionally.
Excluding myself and others who can actually write well, I tend to agree with that sentiment about 100% of the time. Sports journalism is low grade sycophancy with an overblown sense of justice, wielded by a group of people who have no ability to eloquently convey their opinions in a meaningful manner. That’s why I hate it.
"I like to use my pump fake to make them come hard, that's when I use my penetration." -Manu Ginobili
by Justin Biehle on Feb 1, 2012 8:18 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
I should probably stop doing previews then… Let’s leave analysis to people like Shaq who played before,
"If the NBA season is a marathon, Gregg Popovich is a full-blooded Kenyan."
-Timothy Varner 48MoH
by Jordan Leithart on Feb 1, 2012 5:47 PM CST up reply actions
I play basketball, just not professionally. I think that’s enough for me to become an armchair analyst.
I would like to get a little more inside, myself -- Pau Gasol
by silverandblack_davis on Feb 1, 2012 5:44 PM CST up reply actions
I coached JV basketball in high school, I am pretty sure that means that I can out-coach Popovich!
"If the NBA season is a marathon, Gregg Popovich is a full-blooded Kenyan."
-Timothy Varner 48MoH
by Jordan Leithart on Feb 1, 2012 5:47 PM CST up reply actions
Zzzzactly.
I would like to get a little more inside, myself -- Pau Gasol
by silverandblack_davis on Feb 1, 2012 5:53 PM CST up reply actions
As a Spurs fan, nothing beats the Splitter-dunks-then-busts-his-ass dunk, IMO.
"I'm good at killing fat boys. I like killing fat boys." ~Arya Stark
Poor Tiago. Story of last season for him.
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest." --Willy Wonka
by SleepCrack on Feb 1, 2012 11:00 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
+1 billion
I was talking to my home boy last night when Griffin threw the ball in the hoop. The stuff him and Howard did were not dunks at all. I loved the examples you put up of amazing posterization’s. Those were real dunks!
P.S. you should have put the one of Robert Pack Dunking on Shawn Bradley. I know Bradley got dunked on a lot but the Pack one was the nasty one I ever seen because pack was so short
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
Personally, I love when the little guy dunks over the big guy, hence my reference to Starks and KJ earlier. For a little guy, Pack had some serious hops.
...as we find to our astonishment that we can still function, and even thrive within the chase. - Alex Dewey
Yeah Pack could jump out of the gym. I agree it is way nastier when a little guy dunks on a big dude
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 7:13 PM CST up reply actions
Yep. And KJ’s dunk is awesome. Baron’s dunk on Kirilenko is pretty great, too.
"Manu Ginobili is the ultimate human cheat code, the password to the rim."
-Alex Dewey
Yeah the Baron Davis dunk was super nasty also. Not to mention it was an actual big bucket for that team. Those Golden State fans are some really good fans. I went to a game out there a year ago and that place was rocking even though they sucked.
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 7:18 PM CST up reply actions
Barons Dunk on AK-47 should be outlawed in at least a few countries. That was just wrong. Wrong wrong wrong.
A man gets the eye of a Tiger, but a Tiger gets the eye of a Manu.
LMAO
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 7:19 PM CST up reply actions
Thanks for the video drop on Robert Pack. That dunk he did on Bradley wasn’t even a running start. LOL. He was a bad lil dude
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 7:20 PM CST up reply actions
How about Danny Green in his UNC days?
I would like to get a little more inside, myself -- Pau Gasol
by silverandblack_davis on Jan 31, 2012 7:29 PM CST reply actions
...
If this thread shows us anything is that we Spurs fans are all secret dunk-lovers. Pop wouldn’t be happy.
"Manu Ginobili is the ultimate human cheat code, the password to the rim."
-Alex Dewey
by Edg5 on Jan 31, 2012 7:47 PM CST reply actions 9 recs
Any fan of basketball appreciates a good dunk. LOL
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 8:23 PM CST up reply actions
And here I thought I was the only one who didn’t think that was a dunk, I feel much better now, thank you. Both Blake and Howard made a throw down, they weren’t going to reach the rim so they threw the ball and went in, I’m not saying it wasn’t impressive, but it wasn’t a dunk. And yes, VC is the best.
In case of doubt set something on fire -Stewie Griffin
Yep, literally a throw down.
I would like to get a little more inside, myself -- Pau Gasol
by silverandblack_davis on Feb 1, 2012 5:45 PM CST up reply actions
I always thought that the definition of dunk was throwing the ball down rather than up. If the ball is above the rim when you release it, it’s a dunk. Online dictionary seems to agree:
dunk shotI looked at some other definitions of dunk and didn’t see anything about the rim. There are two necessary ingredients in the dunk: 1) jumping; 2) throwing the ball down, not up. The third, touching or hanging on the rim, is optional.
n. Basketball
A shot made by jumping and slamming the ball down through the basket. Also called stuff shot.
Both teams played hard
Can or have you ever dunked in your life time on a regulation height NBA or NCAA foot goal? If you have then you would understand why some people don’t view what he did as a true dunk. He threw the ball in the rim. Don’t get me wrong it was a nasty play but still not a dunk.
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 9:40 PM CST up reply actions
Sure, I dunk every day. When I am bored, I just go to the park and try every single dunk they do in the dunking competitions. I jump over people, donkeys, swimsuit models, chickens, horses, cars, commercial airplanes on runways. I jump over trains, cargo and passengers’, and then throw the ball down the basket. I love breaking backboards and hanging on the rim. My neighbors hate me, because I jump over their two-story house two times a day, when I go to work and when I return. I also love dunking donuts in coffee. But what has it to do with the definition of the word “dunk”? Some people may think that what Griffin does is not a dunk, some people may think that one-handed dunk is not a dunk, or two-handed dunk s not a dunk, or left-handed dunk is not a dunk, or alley-oop is not a dunk. Other people may think that what Bonner does is not really a 3-point shot. But I thought people invented dictionaries so that they could agree about definitions of the words.
Both teams played hard
by Kondor on Feb 1, 2012 12:19 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I see I might have touched a nerve with you which is seriously funny to me because it isn’t that serious.
I’ve seen lots of people who can almost dunk throw the ball in the rim and then nick the rim or grab it after losing control of the ball with there hand but that isn’t considered a dunk.
But I guess since Blake Griffin can dunk the ball regularly what he did is considered a dunk even if he pretty much did the same thing I just described above. I’m not an NCAA or NBA player and I can actually dunk a basketball so I figured I would get a some what serious answer. But that is to much to ask just like It’s to much for people to understand the premiss of a dunk or a throw in shot.
And an alley-oop isn’t necessarily a dunk for future reference, it can also be a lay up but I don’t want you to go all homicidal or computer hacker and send me a virus so i will just leave this be. LOL
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Feb 1, 2012 2:21 AM CST up reply actions
Supreme court justice Potter Stewart famously said he knew porn when he saw it. I don’t believe he was ever a porn star.
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest." --Willy Wonka
by SleepCrack on Feb 1, 2012 9:51 AM CST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
Are we SURE?
"If the NBA season is a marathon, Gregg Popovich is a full-blooded Kenyan."
-Timothy Varner 48MoH
by Jordan Leithart on Feb 1, 2012 5:48 PM CST up reply actions
I don’t get where you’re coming from at all. What does touching the rim have to do with it? I could get rim years before I could dunk. Hell, I can still get rim and I’m 51. And short. And white.
Supporting you is the NCAA’s dunk ban from 1967-76, though. I think they actually outlawed contact with the rim while shooting. I recall players legally dropping the ball down through the net without touching the rim. So some of Blake and Dwight’s throw-downs might have been legal under the NCAA so-called “anti-dunking” rule.
by doggydogworld on Feb 1, 2012 1:46 PM CST up reply actions
I was trying to be funny rather than argumentative, and I don’t really care what is dunk and what is not, I just tried to find some objective criterium. I am actually a very peaceful person, never killed anyone over a basketball-related argument yet.
Both teams played hard
You came off as mad corny and upset with the length of your “objective criterium” as you call it. I will take your word that it wasn’t meant to be more than what it was though.
I will state again that it was a cool play but even Kevin Durant stated what I’ve been saying this whole time.
KD when asked what kind of appreciation he has for Blake’s dunk on Perk: “I have no appreciation for it at all.”
KD: “It was a layup, I think. He threw the ball in and got fouled and made a free throw. So it’s three points at the end of the day.”
KD admitted he was sticking up for his teammate/team in his response. “If it wasn’t against us, maybe I would have said it was a good play.”
I asked KD if he was surprised his dunk over Brendan Haywood in last year’s Western Conference Finals didn’t get more attention.
KD: "I knew that one wasn’t going to get attention because we never get attention like that…
“We’re not an L.A. team or a Chicago team or a Miami team. So all our plays get thrown under the radar.”
Maybe he is being a hater, salty, sour grapes or whatever cute name people call it these days but it seems to me he is just not being Mr. Friendly like everybody else in today’s NBA and calling it like he see’s it.
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Feb 1, 2012 10:50 PM CST up reply actions
Corny
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Feb 2, 2012 10:39 PM CST up reply actions
Nah I’m not. I posted what he said because he pretty much stated that he threw the ball in the hoop which is more a lay up than anything. I don’t care if he wasn’t that impressed because of course he is going to say that after his team mate got embarrassed. He is just stating what I was saying the whole time that it was more a lay up than anything.
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Feb 2, 2012 10:39 PM CST up reply actions
people complaining about the validity of the dunk are almost as bad as those proclaiming it to be the best dunk ever.
this space left intentionally blank.
by sleep research facility on Jan 31, 2012 9:04 PM CST reply actions
I kind of agree and I would not do it if this play hadn’t been hyped so much. If any other player other than Blake Griffin would have thrown that one down, no one would have made such a big deal about it. But since the media feels the need to market Griffin as the best dunker ever (which he might be), they just throw around that "best dunk ever" moniker like it’s no big deal. If this dunk is being shoved down my throat, at least let me nitpick about it.
"Manu Ginobili is the ultimate human cheat code, the password to the rim."
-Alex Dewey
Pretty much. If it was Leonard then that shit would be a non discussion. I like Blake Griffin and I think he is a good player but that so called dunk was over rated
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 9:35 PM CST up reply actions
Despite the display of athleticism, it is being EXTREMELY hyped. I can think of many nastier dunks.
A man gets the eye of a Tiger, but a Tiger gets the eye of a Manu.
I concur 100% That is my main point on the whole thing along with the guy barely nicking the rim on the attempt. I mean at least he touched the rim on this one unlike the one he did against Mozgov. LOL
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 10:27 PM CST up reply actions
If any other player other than Blake Griffin would have thrown that one down
can you name another player who could’ve done that? outside of maybe lebron, i can’t. you need a combination of height and pure athleticism, and that probably only exists in a couple of players. so the point about “no one would have made a big deal” isn’t really valid in my opinion, because no one else could’ve pulled that off. i think it’s less about it being griffin, and more about the play itself.
the dunk being overhyped, and the backlash against it, are really 2 sides of the same coin to me. i’ll just appreciate it for what it was.
now, for an awesome dunk no one could dispute:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6czEnvN_cQ
this space left intentionally blank.
by sleep research facility on Jan 31, 2012 9:53 PM CST up reply actions
That combination of height and athleticism is not that hard to find. Tyrus Thomas, Josh Smith, Amar’e and young Kenyon Martin, to name a few, had it. The play in and on itself is great, no one’s denying it. But when it’s shoehorned into an ongoing narrative that tries to make Blake Griffin the most exciting player in the game even when he spends most of the time shooting 20-footers, I can’t help but to take a step back and analyze it in the context in which is presented to me i.e. THE BEST DUNK EVER!!!. And without looking for obscure dunks form another era on Youtube I can tell that it’s not the case.
And that’s why I’m knocking it. Not because I don’t appreciate it for what it was, but because someone is telling me that I should appreciate it more that it deserves.
"Manu Ginobili is the ultimate human cheat code, the password to the rim."
-Alex Dewey
+1 Billion
Once again I’m not hating on Blake Griffin. I like the guy a lot and think he is a good player and going to be a great player if he keeps working on his game but like you Edg5 stated there are a shit load of great athletes in the NBA who do stuff just as if not slightly less amazing. They don’t get the hype he got off of that play. i mean the shit was super nasty but I just don’t think it was really a dunk. LOL. He barely touched rim.
The dunk contest dunk he had was also lame just like Dwight Howard’s free throw line dunk. If you want to see some nasty dunks go to youtube and type in team flight brothers. Those dudes who most of you never heard of do way more creative stuff than a lot of the NBA guys do.
I would love to see the NBA actually do a dunk contest where fans can participate against the pro’s. Have it set up where its an internet competition of fans sending in actual dunks and having people vote on who will face the pro’s. That would be exciting and I would love to see the team flight brother guys go against some of the pro’s
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 10:25 PM CST up reply actions
Here’s where you show us Tyrus Thomas’s dunk that equals that one, and then Josh Smith’s, and then Amar’e’s, and then Kenyon Martin’s, E5. :)
Big50 posted one where a guy jumps over a 7’3" dude!!! LMAO.
VINCE WAS THE MAN!!!
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 10:36 PM CST up reply actions
Well, Vince Carter is my favorite dunker ever. E5 did not mention him.
For the record, the reason I love Carter was that he showed me things I hadn’t seen before. He was ground-breaking in his glorious young years. Blake is showing me dunks with violence and a sense of inevitability I simply don’t remember feeling before. It’s a spectacle, and I think the least we can do is call it a dunk and cherish the artist.
Like Perkins said shot blockers get dunked on all the time. It comes with the territory of being a shot blocker. I’ve seen guys get slammed on so much it isn’t even that big of a deal but I just personally think if you don’t at least touch the rim on your attempt then its a lay up.
What Blake did was nasty, I’ve said that damn near every post I’ve put up but I’m on youtube right now watching Kevin Johnson dunk on Olajuwon and actually get rim, Robert Pack vertically without a running start dunk on Shawn Bradley, Monta Ellis dunking on Turiaf and all these lil cats flushing the ball down these dudes throats while emphatically grabbing rim.
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 10:49 PM CST up reply actions
See, but E5’s point is that it doesn’t deserve to be called “the best dunk ever”. That’s so subjective, there won’t ever be consensus. Is The Air Up There’s 720º dunk better or worse? Who knows? Mileage may vary.
But what I do know is that Blake’s dunk did not deserve a post pointing out it wasn’t special at all. It was. It was incredible, it was fun, fun fun. Mileage may not vary that much.
My point is that it was a nice play but not really a dunk in MY eyes.
Those people I pointed out in my above post along with a lot of other people others have pointed out actually jumped over people flushed it in the defenders (some times way better defenders than Perkins) faces while grabbing the rim undoubtably. This dude jumps up and throws the ball in the hoops just how Dwight Howard did at the slam dunk contest and it is looked at as great.
I mean Serge Ibaka actually dunked the ball last year after jumping a little ways before the free throw line but it wasn’t even a big deal to the judges and everybody else because of who he was i guess or the fact that they thought it was nothing because Howard threw the ball in the hoop the year before doing the same shit. LOL
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 11:00 PM CST up reply actions
Well, dunks from the free throw line are well-known, and people can do it better than Ibaka. There’s no surprise, no unexpected athletic prowess. Dwight Howard did something, to my eyes, infinitely more beautiful, and he was judged accordingly.
Age-old question: how do you rate beauty?
Huh what Howard did was more beautiful? WOW. to each his own. Personally I thought Brent Barry’s free throw line dunk was better than Dwight’s because well he did dunk the ball and not throw it in. LOL. Not to mention Dwight looked like a dummy with that superman outfit on.
The coolest thing I seen Howard do was when he put that sticker on the very top left hand corner of the 12’6" raised rim. That was crazy how high he got to do that.
We both agree that Vince was a bad man when he was in his prime and i think he Dr. J, Jordan and My boy Ice Man with his finger roll were hella graceful. Dominique, Kemp and even lil Robert Pack attacked the hoop with such aggressiveness.
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Feb 1, 2012 2:30 AM CST up reply actions
Don’t get me wrong Barry’s wasn’t that great either with the free throw line dunk. Jordan had the best one in my opinion even better that Dr. J. That hurts my heart to say because I’m not a big Jordan fan but you can’t deny the truth
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Feb 1, 2012 2:33 AM CST up reply actions
My bad the Dwight Howard dunk I’m thinking of isn’t the free throw line dunk its this corny one Big 50 posted above. LOL
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Feb 1, 2012 2:41 AM CST up reply actions
Ibaka really set himself back with the stuffed animal dunk, though. I mean, really far back.
A man gets the eye of a Tiger, but a Tiger gets the eye of a Manu.
yeah that was corny.
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Feb 1, 2012 2:30 AM CST up reply actions
You want a similar dunk? Here. From less than a year ago. Was that one called "one of the best dunks ever"? I like Griffin just fine and the dunk was great but those guys I just named had similar height and athleticism and did throw down some nasty dunks. The fact that those dunks haven’t registered doesn’t mean they don’t exist, it just means that Griffin’s get more hype because the fit into the narrative the media is trying to promote. And having filled my quota of "narrative" mentions I will proceed to shut up and enjoy the play.
"Manu Ginobili is the ultimate human cheat code, the password to the rim."
-Alex Dewey
Very nice. And yet, it doesn’t feel equal to me.
Many dunks are similar. But there’s something about this guy that gets me.
It wasn’t as violent or strong and the fan reaction was as huge. Not to mention the media wasn’t all on his jock right after he did that. LOL
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 10:50 PM CST up reply actions
wasn’t
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Jan 31, 2012 10:51 PM CST up reply actions
I love you. And Paul George, of course.
I would like to get a little more inside, myself -- Pau Gasol
by silverandblack_davis on Feb 1, 2012 5:47 PM CST up reply actions
Humans complain too much.
I would like to get a little more inside, myself -- Pau Gasol
by silverandblack_davis on Feb 1, 2012 5:51 PM CST up reply actions
I can agree if you dont want to call it the best dunk ever. I think that is so wrong, there can NEVER be a “best dunk ever”, there are lots and lots of them and I agree that there are a couple that are better than Griffin’s that just come out to your head inmediately.
But to say it wasnt a dunk, that if someone else did it it would havent got any atention….that’s stupid.
Its the best dunk of the season so far, and its not close. There’s still 3/4 of the season and the playoffs to change that, but right now I see it very unlikely that it gets dethroned. And I know that im not the only one who is going to remember this dunk for a long long time.
If you want to talk about how Blake Griffin is overrated, go ahead! I agree with you. He is so overrated. RIght now he is not even the best young power forward. Kevin Love is so much better than him.
BUT THE DUNK. Aprecciate it man. Dont hear those stupid TV analysts and ESPN that try to crown it the best thing of the planet earth of the last century. It was a great dunk, one of the best of the last few years. Dont wanna call it a dunk? Who cares, call it a BLAKEJUMPINGSOFRICKINHIGHTHATHEISTHROWINGTHEBALLDOWNFROMTHESKYTOTHERIMWOWIJUSTPISSEDMYPANTSBECAUSENOONEDOESTHAT
"Kevin Garnett once described defending Tim Duncan as "trying to guard a tree"
Best shot of the season. LOL
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Feb 1, 2012 2:42 AM CST up reply actions
Blake Griffin is overrated! There, I said it. Happy now?
I would like to get a little more inside, myself -- Pau Gasol
by silverandblack_davis on Feb 1, 2012 5:51 PM CST up reply actions
If you can’t hear a dunk then it never happens. Blakes throw down was amazing and impressive but I won’t call it a dunk. I think my favorite dunk of all time is Pippens dunk over Patrick Ewing. First it’s over someone, and those are always the best, when there is someone trying to stop the dunker. Second it is over an elite shot blocker at the time, not just a weak-sauce guy. Third, Pippen was a good 4 or 5 inches shorter than Ewing. Fourth, Pippen is angry after the dunk and that always adds to it. You have to be either cold or angry, but in either case you cannot scream. Screaming is for roller coasters, or horror movies. The one screaming should be the one who has been dunked on, not the dunker. The dunker needs to be cool.
Man oh man. Plus points for: 1) standing over Ewing after the dunk; and 2) talking trash to Spike Lee as Pip was walking away. Priceless.
I would like to get a little more inside, myself -- Pau Gasol
by silverandblack_davis on Feb 1, 2012 5:55 PM CST up reply actions
Thank you. it was amazing play but not really a dunk
One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.
by gunnin' gervin on Feb 1, 2012 6:24 PM CST up reply actions
This isn’t gonna make anybody’s best dunk ever list but it’s just too much fun.
I would like to get a little more inside, myself -- Pau Gasol
by silverandblack_davis on Feb 1, 2012 6:00 PM CST reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
NBA Playoffs Content Module
Related FanPosts on Pounding The Rock
Related FanShots on Pounding The Rock
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recommended FanShots
Recent FanShots
Featured Stories
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Shaquille O’Neal is in a Chinese beer commercial, too (VIDEO)
- ‘Deep Thoughts’ and Cheap Thoughts: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
- C-a-C: This is probably as close to LeBron James working with John Waters as we’ll ever get
- Dwyane Wade’s hot pink pants: The kind of thing you can get away with when you drop 41
- Lamar Odom to New York? Dwight Howard on the move? For now, it’s all talk
