The 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Contest is the showcase event of All-Star Saturday Night. Hometown hero Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers is dunking on his home floor, and will undoubtedly be the crowd favorite. What are the details of tonight's event? Glad you asked...
- Official Name: 2011 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest
- TV Broadcast: TNT, as part of the NBA All-Star Saturday Night broadcast
- Time: Sometime after 7 p.m. PST; the TNT broadcast runs from 5:30 to 8 p.m., with three events in front of the dunk contest
- Competitors: Griffin is the crowd favorite, but will have to battle fellow L.A. native DeMar DeRozan of the Raptors, and high-flying big men Serge Ibaka of the Thunder and JaVale McGee of the Wizards
- Favorite: Griffin is a heavy favorite in Vegas, at -275. DeRozan, who made the finals in last year's contest, is +275. McGee is at +600, with Ibaka at +750.
- History: Find out the past winners here, including local boys Brent Barry of the Clippers in 1996 and Kobe Bryant of the Lakers in 1997
- Why You Should Watch: Well for one thing, Griffin might jump over a car. Or, he could simply recreate this alley-oop dunk from Friday night:
NBA All-Star Saturday Night begins it's telecast on TNT at 5 p.m. PST with a pregame show of sorts. The Sprite Slam Dunk Contest will be the final event of the night, following Haier Shooting Stars, the Taco Bell Skills Competition, and the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest.