T'Wolves G Zach LaVine was "an instant crowd favorite" during the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest Saturday night at Barclays Center, "showing off an ability to seemingly jump out of the building," according to Benjamin Hoffman of the N.Y. TIMES (2/15). In L.A., Mike Bresnahan noted LaVine at age 19 "became one of the youngest players to win the dunk contest" (L.A. TIMES, 2/15). ESPN N.Y.'s Mike Mazzeo wrote the show that LaVine put on in front of a sold-out crowd "will never be forgotten." Just when "you thought the dunk contest was dead, LaVine brought it back to life, soaring through the air with ease" (ESPNNY.com, 2/14). In Cleveland, Chris Haynes wrote LaVine brought the dunk contest "back to its prominent stage." The "jaw-dropping antics" of LaVine and runner-up Magic G Victor Oladipo "were reminiscent of Vince Carter's legendary dunking performance" in '00, and included "an array of dunks that have never been seen on a grand stage before" (CLEVELAND.com, 2/14). YAHOO SPORTS' Dan Devine wrote LaVine earned "the crown as the most electrifying performer of All-Star Saturday Night ... and, if we're being honest, in quite a number of years before Saturday night, too." It was "a command performance, perhaps a star-making turn" that might have "resurrected the at-times moribund competition in the same way" Carter did in '00 (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/14). In N.Y., Brian Lewis wrote LaVine stole the show "with four gravity-defying jams that electrified the Barclays Center crowd" (N.Y. POST, 2/15). Also in N.Y., Stefan Bondy wrote LaVine had the crowd "dropping jaws with his acrobatic jams." He "stole the show" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/15). Turner Sports’ Vince Cellini said to LaVine after the contest, “I don't know if you understand how big this was. In the eyes of a lot of people, the dunk contest had slipped a little bit. ... A fellow like yourself coming in tonight really raised the level of excitement and the event itself. That was important” (“NBA GameTime, NBA TV, 2/14).
THREE FOR ALL: The AP's Antonio Gonzalez noted Warriors G Stephen Curry bested teammate G Klay Thompson and six others to "win his first 3-point contest." Curry "paid homage to one of the three victims" of the recent shooting of Muslim students in North Carolina, writing a message to Deah Shaddy Barakat on his sneakers for the shooting stars competition, then "swapping those for a different color pair for the 3-point contest" (AP, 2/15). In N.Y., Brian Lewis wrote Curry turned "Barclays Center into his own personal shooting clinic." The three-point contest turned into a "rare shootout that actually upstaged the Slam Dunk Contest." Curry "got it done despite having two pairs of Under Armour shoes he planned to wear swiped beforehand." Curry: "I heard about it, but it is what it is. It’s shoes." Curry "wore the 'Candy Reign' colorway, inspired by his love of Sour Patch Kids, for the contest" (N.Y. POST, 2/15). In N.Y., Filip Bondy wrote of Curry, "One of the most impactful players in the league won the contest, the skill, that now means the most." The three-point shooters "may be the warmup act on All-Star Saturday, schedule-wise, but they are by now the real stars" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/15). In S.F., Rusty Simmons wrote it was an "epic Three-Point Contest" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/15).
IN REVIEW: The AP's Antonio Gonzalez called the festivities "a memorable All-Star Saturday night" (AP, 2/15). In California, Dan Woike writes, "Most of the league’s issues with the
Dunk Contest are its own doing." The crowd Saturday "seemed particularly
dead as it listened to the television broadcast piped through the
arena’s speakers." But, in general, the contest "delivers on its most
simple premise -- you’re going to get see some awesome dunks and it’s
going to be fun -- every year." Add in things "like a stacked 3-point
contest, an oddly fun skills competition
... and anyone who watched Saturday’s events can’t really complain."
When fans "take into account the actual game on Sunday, the NBA gets the
most entertainment bang out of its All-Star Game" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 2/16).
