I am as big of a fan as any of the NBA's slam dunk contest, but for the event to regain the prestige it previously held, LeBron James and company need to appear.
While Amare Stoudmire's alley-oop off Steve Nash's head was unbelievable and Josh Smith's homage to 'Nique was classy, the results would have been validated by the presence of the dunking elite.
What will it take for James, Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter to take off their gloves and duke it out? Instead of having four competitors, open up the event. At the inaugural slam dunk contest, held in Denver in 1984, there were nine dunkers. Until 1994, there were at least seven.
Next year, let's see the big names -- past champs like Carter, Bryant and Jason Richardson -- and the young guns. Syracuse's Hakim Warrick is a senior, and Washington junior Nate Robinson could go pro.
It wouldn't be Jordan vs. Wilkins, but it would be a step in the right direction.
