Josh Smith Won't Try For Dunk Title

[Skins2K9]

Hawks forward Josh Smith was invited to participate in next weekend's slam dunk contest, but decided not to take part for a variety of reasons.

"First and foremost I'm just not healthy enough for something like that," Smith said. "You have to be at your best to compete in something like that. All-Star Weekend is actually a chance to rest your body for a few days and get totally away from everything before recharging and getting ready for the second half push."

Smith has missed twelve games this season with an ankle sprain.

[Kuzzy Powers]

IMO he would've won it had he gone. Hes improved his dunk game and was already a Dunk Champion previously. Dude throws it down HARD.

[Onez]

Well, at least that shows they did try to get some good dunkers in the contest. I still don't like the fact that Nate Robinson and Rudy Fernandez will compete though.

[Onez]

^Good point, but what about Moon? And I also wouldn't mind seeing Gerald Green compete again, instead of Fernandez or Robinson.

[Kuzzy Powers]

Moon isnt going because they dont like to take irrelevant players. Moon is pretty much that, irrelevant. He was a good story last year so it worked.

[Onez]

And why did they decide to let Nate compete again? He has no story that hasn't been told already and I doubt he got any dunks that will top the dunks he's already showed.

[Vinsane]

And why did they decide to let Nate compete again? He has no story that hasn't been told already and I doubt he got any dunks that will top the dunks he's already showed.

Nate is an "energy" player. If you ever catch a Knicks game (god forbid) that place goes crazy, New York loves Nate and being such a marketing powerhouse; why not have a Knick in the dunk contest and boost your ratings by having the Knick faithful tune in to see if lil' Nate can do it.

[LC AAU]

Nate Robinson is overrated.

[Vinsane]

I don't disagree with that one bit. The NBA is playing Nate as a poor man's Spud Webb.

[dboy_dc]

If you think about it though, the dunkers that everyone wants to see are all elite players and they really don't want to endanger their bodies. D-Wade, Kobe, Lebron, all these guys can't take that risk. If they go up and come down on their ankle and it's broken - their team is done for, no questions asked.

It's a big risk for some of these big names to take, it's not like it was before where the best of the best competed. The Dunk Contest is fun to watch, but just imagine what it could be like if the truly best dunkers competed.

DHoward doesn't need to worry about injury because when he dunks he is only 4 inches off the ground anyway, hah.

I see what you saying but look at Jordan/Dawkins/etc... It dont matter who you're up against, if your ankle is going to break then that's their fault. You wont get a tech for hanging on the rim at the Dunk contest. I mean hell they "fly all crazy like" for the All Star Game

[NAHSTE]

Glad he skipped, but wouldn't mind seeing him compete next year if fully healthy. Also, falconfrenzy, you have my favorite sig so far. Joe is my favorite Hawks player of all time, so there ya go.

[Irish]

He is a sweet dunker, thats how he made his name.

He could have beaten Nate

[Sean]

i remember when he did his dunk here over k mart in the chair, but the funnier thing was that there were also 2 future Nuggets in that competition. Mr Million Attempts (Chris Anderson) and Denver fan favorite (JR Smith)

[NAHSTE]

Smoove's dunk legacy will always be as follows: the inventor of the jersey homage (last used by Rudy Fernandez but everyone has done this since) and the failed masking tape behind the FT line experiment.