CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It takes more than one classic dunk to make a classic Slam Dunk Contest, and that’s why this year’s event will soon be forgotten.
Hamidou Diallo was a crowd favorite and a worthy champion, springing over 7-foot-1 Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal to finish a Vince Carter-style elbow dunk that deservedly drew a perfect “50” from the judges. But the little-known Oklahoma City Thunder guard needed some real competition, and Dennis Smith Jr., John Collins and Miles Bridges simply weren’t up to the task on a night filled with good ideas poorly executed.