1997 NBA Slam Dunk Contest

and now here are the competitors in the

1997

Nestle Crunch Slam Dunk. A powerful 6-7 rookie with explosive jumping ability. He won the final four Slam Dunk

contest

last year, for the Denver Nuggets. Darvin Ham placed second in last year's

contest

. Dallas Maverick has a quick first step and incredible elevation Michael Finley one of the most exciting players on one of the Minnesota Timberwolves' young and improving teams in the League Chris Carr another rookie and the youngest player in the Los Angeles competition Lakers Kobe Bryant a two-time All-American is an outstanding shooter with great jumping ability from the Milwaukee Bucks Ray Allen foreigner okay, those are the competitors, let's look at the rules now two rounds each scored separately first round each player must try three

dunk

s and a major note there, the maximum number of points that can be obtained will be 50.

An overall score will be awarded for all three. We will explain that later in the final it is simply the best score between two

dunk

s and we have five judges. Walt Frazier George Gervin Bob. Lanier Dr. J Lisa Leslie here's the money, the

slam

dunk prize money, same as in the ATT shootout for the Nestle crunch

slam

dunk, first place winner twenty thousand dollars, fifth and sixth place get a thousand dollars each and there are the judges, there is, uh, Walt Frazier. George Gervin Bob Lanier Julius Irving and for the first time a female Lisa Leslie six and five years old will play with the Los Angeles franchise of the WNBA Lisa Ken, yes, she probably has more dunks than Frazier, well, Frazier was a jump shooter, he does not. a dunker and George Gervin Figaro now remember three dunks first competitor Chris Carr 22 years old second-year player pick 56 Phoenix then signed as a free agent with Minnesota this year he has three he will get a score for the performance of the three this will be the Second attempt and named his mates.

He has a couple of names for him. How cute, oh no, he has one. He goes to touch the glass. He has one called The Windmill. He taps the glass in 360. That's where I think he'll go for now. Nobody missed it, remember that the judges will take a look at all three and give a score. Each judge will get a score of up to 10. That means the most a player can get on his score with all five judges would be 50 points here are the two that were successful for Minnesota's Chris Carr Chris Carr a nice combination of power and finesse , not much elevation on that, but it looked good.

I can't give a 10 on that, no, you know. What you think he's doing differently now that he didn't last year. He knows the crowd is there. One key thing about this year's event is that there is no clock. You can see him taking his time with it. Coming together and doing the dunks that Miss will hurt you and your composite score of those three from the judges is 44. Remember the maximum you can get is 50. Now our second competitor is a man who came here to replace Allen Iverson , who was unable to compete due to shoulder pain.

His name is Darvin Ham, you may not have seen him play much. He came out of Texas Tech and Texas Tech made the Sweet 16 last year. He won the NCAA dunk and you might remember him if you watch the NCAA tournament for the man. who broke the board last year is 23 years old and there he is Shadows break it here he can win it's all power with Darvin Ham you can see he said I don't know what I'm going to do Reggie, I'm I'll go out and figure it out if I see someone do something I like.

I will do it, but I will do it better. He is very confident and cocky, but what he is doing now. The first two were too fast. Yes, now. taking his time I think this is going to be his dunk right here, red, remember he only has three, oh that was hard, don't you understand, it wasn't easy, it didn't look pretty, but it wasn't easy. It wasn't easy, but sometimes the average guy who doesn't know much about dunks knows how hard Reggie is, see if you expect the judges to do it, but we do, but I don't think the fans did, that's why you did it.

I didn't quite hear the big applause when he came up and stopped. Watch him pause. Oh, that's just the windmill there, but look at the power of Darvin's ham. This is Darwinham's second dunk. Oh yeah, there's also a knife between the legs. Now look at it. Pause. Look. he pauses hello uh turn the glass over he overturned the glass to that one these judges don't know him very well either they haven't respected his mate only 36 points and you know how colossal how much it cost he didn't build the Pack the crowd and attract the crowd and that made him think his dunks were better than cars, but he didn't play with the crowd as well as the cards like I said in the open field, guys, it's all a spectacle when you walk on the court. and start judging you Ray Allen with a beauty to open it Ray Allen, 21, arrived after his junior year out of college, connects Connecticut of course, plays for the Milwaukee Bucks, here's his second try, oh, pretty , very cute, very soft, but look, no one is really understanding it. the crowd is involved, no one is playing for the crowd, you'll get a much bigger reaction if you let the crowd into the game and he missed his third dunk.

Now the highest score so far was from our first dunker, Chris Carr, who received a composite score of 44 just 36 points for Darvin Hamm and remember three Breakthroughs, here are the three dunks where you saw it was a hip touch and touch the knee, it was a good one, but you got it right, it's soft, very soft, it's great at basketball. boom not good at Dunk Contest you don't want to be smooth you want to be powerful you want to be me and you want to be aggressive look at this all these guys when they play during the season they do the dunk, they go into the crowd and everything else, another one, they come out here where it's show time and they're quiet and look at this, that's a surprise, only 35 points have been awarded to Ray Allen, so Chris Carr is way up front and remembers. these six the first three will advance now some people feel that our next dunker is the favorite who is 18 years old six six Kobe Bryant of the Lakers and I think he is a favorite for a reason many people thought he should have won the MVP in a game of rookies, so he's comfortable too, oh yeah, but style, look at this beat, look at the way he walks, he's cocky, he looks cocky, checking my eye contact with the crowd, love this kid, he was doing this in this time last year in Lower Marion.

High School in Ardmore Pennsylvania uh-oh that will hurt him that will hurt him a lot he says I'm not going to tell anyone what my dunks are but keep it just surprises people I think you should get points for the fact that he bounced everything The way he He almost hit Bobby, sir, on the head. I think I should get points for wearing purple shoes. See Brian or did they check his eyes. 18 and a half for the third time, oh, that was big, he fell between her legs and did the reverse jump, but. These judges have been very harsh with scores of 36 and 35 on the previous two competitors.

The score here is 44. Let's take a look at all three. I'll tell you which Bob missed on one, but I'll continue. the limb and say they're going to give this guy a higher score. They understand that he should have won MVP08. A lot of people think he should have won the MVP. I like the fact that these judges are tough and Here we are not just giving away dunks look how difficult only 37. I will have to improve 37-3 Advance now here is the local favorite this could influence the judges this is Bob Sora he is the most competitive under 6'5 23 years old sophomore from Florida State his all time leading scorer and he can jump.

I know he can jump, but he'll have to show me something. I haven't seen him do much yet. He's going to have to show me because during the season I see Bobby, sir, dunk the ball hard. but he does it only in an overhead way with one hand in the middle, that's what he did well, he has a big advantage, if he can achieve something, he has a big chance to attract the crowd, he really will have to achieve it. Now, oh, he had good height, he threw it up good, but they were weak Dutch, yeah, he's in trouble and he's home and the crowd don't like him, but you know what to kill him, right?

You have some Legends here, they are not. I'm going to break this crowd, they won't mind, it was a smart idea. Remember that it doesn't count against you if you decide no. I don't know at this moment. Kobe Bryant is second with 37. Chris Carrs 44. So to eliminate Darvin Ham, our final competitor. Michael Finley will have to be over 36. Look, it was a good throw, but look, no lift didn't make any jump, no extension didn't have time for the cameras to take a picture of him. I don't know if it was like that. elevation of time, neither of them looked that good, you have to give time, so when you get there, Bob, you and your score reflect that 35, which means that Bob Sura will not advance, so our top three in this moment they are Carl Brian. and ham and Michael Finley has to be 36 years old to advance.

Michael Finley as a sophomore, he finished second last year. Finley did it with Brent Barry, who won this all-rookie competition last year and went to Dallas and Jason Kidd came out of the University of Wisconsin, you know. But look how he took his time. He's been here before. He is not a novice at this. He knows how important he is, but he goes out and misses his first dunk. And that has been the key for the Cardinals here that you are missing. He's from Proviso East High School, so that just means he was cold when he went to school here in Cleveland.

Michael Finley from Chicago went to Wisconsin. Now Dallas was selected by Phoenix and here is his third attempt. very big for him, well, I tell you that until now I have not seen anyone shoot the ball better than Chris Carr, even that last dunk over Michael Finley was good, but I have seen him shoot better people than that. what you don't want you don't want anything that was good that was good the judges the judges can give any score any way they want to these three remember that it is not every dunk that has been taken it is a composite score so let's see what Michael Finley gets here, his number to beat is 36 to advance to the final three.

I think these judges are looking for something new here, a nice soft dunk, but you really know that was what to me is worth as much as Whatever he's doing now, he's also a veteran of the competition and the judges can appreciate that. and if they do, it gets 39 points, which is the second-highest total, meaning Chris Carr, Michael Finley and Kobe Bryant will advance to the finals. Kobe Bryant Michael Finley and Carr and Finley, of course, Bo and Carr, both former Phoenix Suns players, now with different teams and the first player to leave will be Kobe Bryant, 18, this is the final round, three players As they advance, each player will attempt two dunks here on a rotating basis for Kobe to dunk and then the other two will also dunk one more time.

Oh, it's hard to see him as a tough guy, although Rich is so scared that he's not a fight document, yeah, the kid has a little taste of rhythm head and after he throws his ball, take a good look at him between his legs above , look at it, that's so hard that some people can't dribble between their legs, crouching between their legs, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, boy, there's the Hulkster and look. on the score look at this 49.50 for Kobe Bryant now remember it's the best score of two, each cup competitor will dunk once and then do it again so our second dunk is Michael Finley, runner up last year, he Bob's taking his time, he's trying to get the crowd involved a little bit, that's what he was talking about, that's right, that's why he said he could have caught it, you know, give the guy credit for trying something new, but the judges will penalize him for fishing and he gets a total of only 33, but remember it's not my compound here, it's the better of the two, so Chris Carr who had the better performance and the first round will get the first of his two here, only one score counts, it's the best.

From his two scores, you know the big advantage Chris Carr has here is look at how long his arms are, this guy can stand up straight and scratch his kneecap, the incredible length of his arms and he said he can't wait, wait for Finley and the. get to the final because he can really get in, his friend, oh, look, see, you have to understand what that was. Bob, let me, let me help you with this, just when he got there, he twisted his body twice before dunking him, now the judges. maybe you know that some of these people have never dunked the ball you would know that Dr.

J would know that Dr. J um maybe Bob Lanier on the point dunk Lisa Leslie would know look at this look at him when he goes up look at the torque in his body? what is it? I don't know that, only us dunkers know and the judges say Chris Carr gets 42. Now these scores don't matter unless they don't perform as well on their next dunk, the better of the two, except Kobe Bryant's . He's already sitting at a 49. That's what we know, one of these guys is going to have to have something better than a 49 to beat Kobe Bryant, no matter what Kobe does in this trick, that means Kobe Bryant now has the ability to let everything hang.

He has 49 on the bench, well, Bobby said the number, he said that he was going to take it out when he entered the court and the degree of difficulty in that first dunk is whatgave the big score. Brandy is there cheering her on. Dude, he took her to prom, they're really good friends in LA, he took her to prom, it's not that funny talking about an 18 year old, here you just reminded me, Reggie, here we go, oh no , he didn't, well, he will have it. aviaja with his 49. I'll take that one, which is a good bet for him, that it was an incredibly difficult shot, but he tried it because he already has a 49, yes, give him both points, do it exactly, but look, he almost made it.

The legs and everything just drooped a little bit, you're used to that part. I've never hung up before in my life because when I dunk I make sure Kobe Bryant is so athletic. I have participated in several Lakers games this year. sometimes he gets the body from him so maturity loses control, but if you're 18 you can only do that with a 35-5, but throw it away right now. The number to beat is the score that Kobe Bryant got on his first dunk in the final of 49. Here comes Michael Finley he must be 49 years old. Bob, that means it has to be better than perfect to get a 50.

Perfect, look at this, look at this, one ball is new and the other is a little old, yeah that could make a difference but you'll have better grip on one than in the other, that is very true. Reggie, oh God, we are extremely tough and that's probably why you know what I'm saying. He came up with those weapons while he was sleeping. Yeah, you know, come on, you should know what Larry. dance is six foot ten, he could get up with two balls because he's on the square when he gets up, he didn't even have a chance to put one of those balls in, there's Kobe cheering on the competitor, oh Kobe, he wants to win that.

He only scored 30.5, so Finley was eliminated. The only hope now is that Chris Carr does better. He can now do better than 49 and not get 50. In other words, there are dozens of points that the judges can award, but he has to have better ones. than a 49. Yeah, he's messing with a high school legend too. Now you're talking about Chris Carter. Now he remembers that he did it, it's called The Windmill and one that plays from the glass and spins 360. where you might have to do both. He's not going to get that, no, I don't think he'll win if not, if not, Kobe Bryant will be our dunk Bob, I'm going to go to the line, I'm going to the line here, you know, I think Kobe has this.

Guys yeah that's a breakthrough guys yeah I think Toby has this and you know Kobe was a fan favorite on this weapon well you know he had an advantage guys because he played in the rookie game right before this and he had 31 points, so these fans have been cheering him on all morning, yeah, they were happy. I think everyone wanted to see Kobe Bryant do well. I don't think many people picked him to win. I did it well. I had him or Darvin. I was very happy to see him win. yes, I would have liked to see Darvin Ham make it to the final, the fine that the judges give to Chris Car 45-8, which is the second best score of the night, but that's it, it's the second best Kobe Bryant, the 18-year-old rookie, Sylvania, straight to the NBA. to Hollywood and now to Cleveland he is the

1997

Slam Dunk champion let's take a look at Kobe and look at the style look at my presence this boy is 19 years old he has a president of mine a fan and everything else the only thing I hope Reggie doesn't have the winter curves of mates after this.

Oh no. Kobe is very confident and he has his mind set on straight guys. I see it all the time at Lakers games. This guy is for Real Craig Sager with Kobe Bryant. Obviously he impressed all of our announcers, but I spoke to Dr. J a few moments ago. He said he stood up from his seat the first time he did that as a judge. He said it was a shock. What was his plan? He just wanted to get in. And you know, I did my best, said hello to everyone at the dunk competition. I had a lot of time.

I know someone had planned to sleep, so he came to the dunk car and played everything after scoring 31 points. but not getting the MVP in the rookie game made you even more excited, so I mean you know you want to win as much as you can, you know coming in, you know, in the NBA it doesn't count because I was psyched up. just like he is, so you know, he encouraged me a little more a year ago in high school, coming to take the big step, what do you say to your friends at home now that they came to see you?

They are here this weekend cheering you on. Well, you know, thank you for being in the gym with me and helping me with my dogs and all that stuff and all that good stuff, thank you for your support right now and I can't wait to see you when I get home in a couple. Fellow star Shaquille O'Neal Eddie Jones expects a lot from the Lakers' second half oh yeah, definitely uh no, we're trying to go to jail together as a team right now. We did a good job later in the first part of the season. In the second half, hopefully, we can do the same.

You have time later. Could you show that move to Reggie Theus and Doc Rivers? Oh sure, Reggie really taught me that Kobe Bryant wins the Slam Dunk. Well, you know what the hell Bobby wasn't supposed to. to tell you that's cheating, so our winner is the presentation of Kobe Bryant by Gordon Neal, senior vice president of chocolate at Nestlé.