Kudos to Nate Robinson

Even though he is a mediocre player, and is only impressive in most of his dunks because he is so Spudly, the guy deserves the credit for being awesome last night. Dwight Howard, my least favorite NBA player aside from Ron Artest, was basically crowned before the dunk contest started last night. Unlike last year, they gave him props aplenty, including his 12 foot hoop, and even a phonebooth inspired by a cape from last year that was inspired by the worst rapper, ever. This was coupled by the horror that the judges gave him top scores just for a regular dunk.

Yet, even against all odds and all the popularity contest that the night had turned into, Nate still pulled off some amazing dunks, only bettered once by Howard's off the side of the backboard alley oop. Robinson's best dunk, which basically had him jump over Howard was impressive, to say the least. I thought it deserved to win, only because Howard tried the cliche freethrow line dunk that seems to make an appearance every year. 

Let me go back, because I dont think Howard should even have won last year.  The "Superman" dunk that won it for him last year, wasnt even a dunk. It was a layup that looked powerful. It sucked, if not only because Howard, the man who thought there should be a Christian cross in the NBA logo, based his performance off of the Soulja Boy song that makes my ears bleed.

The best dunk last year, performed by Gerald Green, didnt even get him a good score. Green put a lit candle in a cupcake on the rim, and proceeded to blow it out on the way to a mammoth jam. Points for power, points for creativity, points for hilarity. Howard does a layup and wins. Blechhhh. 

This year, despite the stupidity of dressing in green and dunking with a green ball (to simulate kryptonite), Robinson's dunks in the finals were very good, better than Howard's. Im glad he won. 

The funny part of all this was that if JR Smith had converted one of his "from the stands" alley oops in more dramatic fashion, that would have been the best of the night. He was a few inches short on a ball that he had to reach to scottsdale to get, andI was so mad when he missed. Too bad the judges would have only given him a 40 anyways, as the theatrics with Howard and Robinson would have been missed.