Key Takeaways:
– NBA player Jalen Brunson, and many fans, take to social media protesting against the 2024 NBA Slam Dunk scoring.
– Rookie Jacob Toppin is said to have been “robbed” of a spot in the finals.
– Despite the excitement surrounding Bruonson’s performance in the 3-Point Shooting Contest, his 24 points were not enough to place him in the final leg.
Social Media Roars Against Dunk Contest Judging
Jalen Brunson, an All-Star point guard for the New York Knicks, has sparked a controversy over the scoring in the NBA’s 2024 Slam Dunk competition. Brunson and an array of fans voiced their disappointment on social media platform X, previously known as Twitter. They believe that rookie teammate, Jacob Toppin, was unjustly prevented from progressing to the event’s finals.
Brunson, disappointed with Toppin’s elimination, sarcastically suggested on X that Toppin would perhaps have needed to “jump over the shot clock”, to get a score higher than 46 – Toppin’s controversial score.
Judging Panels’ Scoring Gets Heated Reaction
Anticipation had built around Toppin’s second dunk, a between-the-legs jump with a full 360-degree rotation. Despite the apparent skill and spectacle, a panel of five former NBA All-Stars and previous Slam Dunk champions awarded the move only a mediocre 47.2 score.
This underscored the salt in the wound as Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics advanced instead. Brown delivered a reenactment of Dee Brown’s famous no-look dunk from 1991, which many on social media didn’t perceive as anything special.
Brown’s Dunk Incites Widespread Criticism
Critics saw Brown’s dunk as a pale imitation, complete with an alley-oop pass from his teammate Jayson Tatum and jump over popular American streamer, Kai Cenat. Cenat was seated during the maneuver. Brown’s dunk was quickly degraded to meme status with the caption “lmaomeme”, as he appeared to cover his eyes only after his downwards descent following the dunk.
This imitation of Dee Brown’s win-winning stunt was further ridiculed in the TNT broadcast. Commentator Kenny Smith even likened Brown’s pose more to a sneeze rather than arm-covering-the-eyes motion.
Even Dee Brown himself weighed into the fray, quipping on Instagram that it’s challenging to pull off the no-look dunk, seemingly unmoved by Jaylen’s attempts.
Despite mockery and critique, Jaylen Brown managed a score of 47.6, leaving Toppin behind and advancing him to the finals. The scoring decision sparked further online uproar as many Knicks and general NBA fans felt aggrieved by the judges’ decision.
Brunson in the 3-Point Shooting Contest
Taking a step away from the Dunk Contest uproar, attention was also given to Jalen Brunson’s performance in the 3-Point Shooting Contest. Despite his commendable efforts, tallying 24 points, Brunson failed to qualify for the final round. Having missed the last three attempts on the rack, Brunson fell two points short of the 26 needed to stay in the contest.
Former Knicks Player Shines in Detroit
Evan Fournier, an ex-guard for the Knicks, seems to be rejuvenating his NBA career in Detroit. After being traded alongside the veteran Knicks’ duo Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic, Fournier is posting strong stats. Across his first two games in Detroit, he averaged 11.5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 25.2 minutes – a solid start that indicates good things to come.
This wave of updates keeps fans engaged but also serves as a reminder. Basketball, like all sports, is as much about controversies, upsets, and underdogs as the game itself. And that’s what truly makes the NBA an exciting spectacle.