Nate Robinson Wins 2009 Sprite Slam Dunk Title

Nate Robinson, the smallest participant for this year’s Sprite Slam Dunk Championship stood tall by edging out defending champion Dwight Howard in the finals. The New York Knicks guard won through fan votes 52-48.

This year’s participants for the Sprite Slam Dunk Competition were defending champion Orlando’s Dwight Howard, former champion New York Knicks’ Nate Robinson, Portland’s Rudy Fernandez who was voted by the fans and Denver’s J.R. Smith.

J.R. Smith started things off with a double bounce gliding windmill slam that got him a score of 43. Rudy Fernandez followed with a behind the back to the backboard toss that netted him a 42. The smallest participant was up next, Nate Robinson. Robinson did a one bounce and finished of with a windmill and was given a score of 46. The defending champion was up and Dwight Howard started from behind the baseline toss and then jammed the ball in. He got a 50 for that dunk.

For the second round, Rudy Fernandez started it out with help from the Los Angeles Lakers Pau Gasol. After failing to execute within the allotted time, the attempt, which was a behind the backboard pass to which Fernandez caught it and slammed it with one hand would have been a good dunk if time did not expire. He got a 42 from it after the 2 attempts given once time expires.

JR Smith tried the pass from the stands routine and ended with a two hand dunk. Smith got a score of 42 due to lack of flair.

Nate Robinson had some help from Wilson Chandler in a dangerous attempt that saw him slip on the first try. Despite making it on the second attempt, the step on the back and slam got him only a 41.

Howard was up for his second dunk. Another backboard was taken out but was set at 12 feet! TO prepare, he changed to his Superman costume again. With some assistance from Orlando teammate Jameer Nelson, he threw it down like any other dunk and hence, getting a 50 for it and maintaining his perfect score.

So it was a Howard-Robinson in the finals. Robinson went first wearing custom made green New York Knicks jersey (to perhaps symbolize Kryptonite for Dwight Howard!). From the corner, Robinson threw it up, caught the ball and made a reverse pump slam.

Howard made his first dunk by doing a one hand toss at the side of the board, caught it with the same one hand and slammed it down with authority!

For his second dunk, Robinson got some assistance from Superman Howard. Robinson jumped above the 7 foot Howard and made an emphatic dunk.

Howard moved everyone from the backcourt for momentum in what seems to be a marquee dunk from Julius Erving and Michael Jordan. But at his size, it seems to be a strange way to finish off the competition.

Scoring was made via votes from around the world. In the end it was the Kryptonite wearing guard from New York won via votes 52-48. Apparently, Howard’s last dunk seemed to have done him in. It wasn’t a pretty dunk to finish off the competition.

So next year, he has to be ready for another great repertoire of dunks as LeBron James has made it public that he is preliminary putting his name as a participant of the 2010 Slam Dunk competition in Dallas. Now that is something to watch!

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