Nate Robinson One of the Greatest Dunkers of All Time?

By: Martin Rand, III
Date: February 14, 2010

So, Nate Robinson won his 3rd NBA Slam Dunk Contest last night and he is the first person in the history of the competition to reach this milestone. Let me also add that he is a 5'9" point guard, who plays for the New York Knicks. Now I ask, can anyone remember the slam dunk contest last night?

Did anyone besides Spike Lee really feel like Robinson did anything speculator worthy of putting his name up there with the likes of Michael Jordan,Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter and Jason Richardson. Although, I guess the best comparison would be to Spud Webb. He is the shortest player ever to win a NBA Slam Dunk Contest at 5'7", and in the 1986 dunk contest he surprised the whole world with a variety of dunks that no one thought possible out of someone his height. Webb put the bar up high and Robinson should've raised it but he didn't.

Robinson won the contest three times, but I feel like he earned only one of those titles. His first title consisted of him missing one dunk 13 consecutive times until he finally got it right on the 14th try, which led to the NBA rule of only getting two attempts per dunk. He only got it because it was short and he finally completed the dunk. His second title was deserving. Dunking over Dwight Howard,a 6'11" man who calls himself Superman and reigning champ that year, is no easy task. Then dressing up in all green resembling kryptonite, Superman's only weakness, was a classic moment in slam dunk history. This year I feel like he won due to lack of competition. No one did anything new, including Robinson; so, who else would they give the title to besides the defending champion.

Robinson may have one three titles, which is a record, but I wouldn't call it historic. In the true sense of the word, historic is something that people will be talking about for generations to come, and I honestly don't think people will be talking about his three titles 20 years from now. Robinson was fun to watch for one year; but he will not be ranked as one of the greatest dunkers of all-time.

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