NBA Dunk Contest Not What it Used to Be

As a 10-year-old, Cedric Ceballos dunking blindfolded was the coolest feat in the world. Ceballos was a Phoenix Sun, played with my favorite player Charles Barkley and could slam it home.

The slam dunk and 3-point competitions during NBA All-Star weekend back then used to be circled when I glanced over the black pages of a TV Guide - of course it was tough to get past the entertaining glossy pages.

It was interesting to see which mediocre player would make their mark in either competition. The star-studded festivities in the mid-90s evolved into a memorable Saturday for performers such as Isaiah Rider, Harold Miner and Tim Legler. The game itself was pointless.

After Ceballos went blindfolded or Rider threw down one of his spectacular slams, me and a group of friends would stick our 7-foot goal in the driveway and create our own contest.

Let's just say I would fare better on the 3-point shoot-out and when spring rolled around for wiffle ball. My NBA interest was at an all-time high in the early to mid-90s.

It's no secret everyone wanted to be like Mike, but he wasn't the only person to imitate either in the driveway or against the goal on the bedroom door. The woeful Dallas Mavericks had an entertaining trio that included Jason Kidd, Jamal Mashburn and Jim Jackson. Or it was fun to pretend to be Kevin Johnson or John Stockton if you were an assist man. Hakeem Olajuwon and Alonzo Mourning were also available to block shots.

You could never go wrong with Anfernee (Penny) Hardaway. Penny was one of the top players to mimic since Li'l Penny was a popular action figures on Nike commercials. Penny Hardaway was also a movie star with limited roles in "Blue Chips" and "Space Jam." As the years progressed, so did the interest in the NBA, maybe it was because of "Space Jam."

I paid attention to Barkley after he made a trek to the Houston Rockets and the last piece of NBA merchandise I acquired was a poster of Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler scrunched together for a shot of fading 40+ stars.

If the NBA was still high on the list, I would have been pumped about this year's game in Las Vegas. It's the first time "Sin City" has hosted a major sports event, and for three days it recruited a sport that cares more about glitz and glamour than it does about representing quality athletes and citizens. It's hard to escape the weekend event when Las Vegas is involved.

On the other hand, the NHL All-Star game completely bypassed me a few weeks back, while the NFL's Pro Bowl has turned into a boring exhibition that does nothing but make you jealous of those vacationing in Hawaii.

In the NFL, it's a ritual to play the Pro Bowl immediately following the Super Bowl. It took me until Thursday of Pro Bowl week to realize the game had been shifted from Sunday to Saturday. That just shows how pointless most All-Star games are.

It offers a reward for those individuals with outstanding seasons. However, half of the stars back out at the last minute because of a sore thumb. Maybe that's why the contest passes with little outside attention.

At least the All-Star game in baseball has an extra incentive. It's not the most clever idea, but the winning league earns home-field advantage in the World Series. It's still a time to relax for the players and it gives the fans a reason to watch.

Until then, I'm going to research and see how Li'l Penny is spending his time these days.