Dec 26th 2008 11:25AM by Tom Ziller (author feed)
Filed under: Bucks, Grizzlies, Knicks, Magic, Mavericks, Trail Blazers, NBA All-Star Game, ThunderThree-quarters of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest field has been set, and the confirmed are familiar faces: reigning champ Dwight Howard, former champ Nate Robinson and underwhelming 2008 competitor Rudy Gay. For the fourth slot, the league is holding a fan vote between three rookies: Joe Alexander, Russell Westbrook and Rudy Fernandez. There is no way Rudy loses this, between his rabid Portland base and the legions of devoted Spanish fans who will pump the vote. And while Joe was born with moon shoes on and Westbrook could be the best point guard dunker in a decade, I’m not mad at a Rudy candidacy. Howard, I suspect, might be.

It may be surprising that Gerald Green isn’t involved, given that he is a living champion and possibly deserved more consideration for last season’s Birthday Cake dunk. Like others before him, though, Green has separated himself from Dunk Contest immortality.”I don’t want to do it,” Green said. “They can keep it.”Sorry G. You can’t quit the dunk contest … the dunk contest quits you. (Unless you are Gerald Wallace.)