Was Blake Griffin’s Dunk A Dunk?
Let’s take another look at Blake Griffin’s monster dunk from Monday night.
The question many have began asking is whether it was an actual dunk.
Yes! Hands down, without a doubt, absolutely, positively, it was a dunk. A big ol’ filthy, nasty, embarrassing, I can’t-believe-he-just-did that dunk.
Some people want to call it a throw-in. But that wasn’t a throw-in. This was a throw-in.
Pause both videos at the 21 second mark and look for the difference. It’s clear. In the first video, Griffin touches the rim. In the second, his hand comes nowhere near the rim. That’s the criteria. If you touch the rim, it’s a dunk. If you don’t, it’s not. It’s that simple.
If you want to label throw-ins dunks, then Dwight Howard’s ‘Superman’ attempt in the 2008 dunk contest would be considered a dunk. And there is no way in the world anybody can legitimately claim that Howard’s attempt was an actual dunk.
Many times, players opt to go up for a dunk but gently put the ball in the basket without touching the rim. Also not a dunk. If you remove your hands at the last second, that’s called a layup, although Merriam-Webster defines a dunk simply as “throwing the ball into the basket from above the rim.” Not so. Those gentle put-ins easily could be dunks if the player just grabs the rim. But, for whatever reason, they choose not to.
Those who remember David Thompson can attest to how not touching the rim doesn’t count as a dunk. For those who don’t know, Thompson was a 6-foot-4 swingman who starred at N.C. State and went on to become an NBA All-Star and Hall of Famer. Thompson, affectionately referred to as “Skywalker” because of his jaw-dropping leaping ability, played his entire college career during the days in which the slam dunk was outlawed because of the “Lew Alcindor” rule. Despite having a 48-inch vertical, Thompson only dunked one time in college. It came during a game in his final season, and the basket was immediately disallowed and ruled a technical foul.
To get around the rule, Thompson and Wolfpack teammate Monte Towe would hook up on alley-oop passes in which Towe would toss high above the defense and Thompson would deposit into the rim. The play was legal, and it popularized the alley-oop, which players these days more commonly finish with dunks.
Again, touch the rim while flushing the ball through the basket and it’s a dunk. Touch no part of the rim, and it’s a layup. It’s really simple.
-DM-
Clippers 112, Thunder 100
Some observations from the Thunder’s 112-100 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night at Staples Center:
- First thing’s first. Here it is.
- There’s really not much I can add, except that it was the most vicious dunk I’ve ever seen in person, and I’ve been there to witness some pretty wicked dunks from Blake Griffin the past few years – a baseline slam soaring in from the left wing in Norman comes to mind when he scrapped his head on the backboard, which thankfully was padded. I was seated behind the basket where Griffin threw down the dunk of the year in the NBA on Monday night against the Thunder. Truly scary. I can’t imagine what it looked like from Kendrick Perkins’ point of view. Glad I was lucky enough to see it. A truly amazing athlete, Griffin.
- Griffin’s dunk easily beat what LeBron James did Sunday as the NBA’s top dunk this season. James jumped over a crouching, 5-foot-somethin’ John Lucas III. Griffin threw it down over the 6-foot-9, 267-pound, get-outta-my-face Perkins. Any questions? Heck, even James himself chose Griffin with this tweet – @KingJames (LeBron James): “Dunk of the Year!! @blakegriffin just dunked on Kendrick Perkins so hard!! Wow!! I guess I’m #2 now. Move over #6“
- OK, one more look. Post-game reactions on the dunk:
- Griffin: “When they play the replay over the Jumbotron, you hear the crowd. DJ’s reaction is always my gauge on what the dunk was like. I think that time he screamed, grabbed me and bear-hugged me. I figure he thought it was cool.”
- Clippers point guard Chris Paul: “That’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen, just like the dunk (Griffin had) against the Knicks (last season). You’re watching the game, and I’m playing the game. So I can get excited for a split second, but I have to keep everyone locked in and let that one go.”
- Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro: “He’s going to do that when he gets moving. I thought it was a great pass and obviously a great finish. He’s such a tremendous athlete, you’re going to see things like that once in a while just because of his aggressiveness and the way he attacks the basket.”
- Perkins: “It happens. At the end of the day, if you’re a shot blocker, you’re going to get dunked on. It was a great play that he made. Obviously, I wish I wasn’t in it, but it was a great play that he made.”
- Thunder All-Star Kevin Durant: “Man, I don’t care about that dunk.”
- Back to the game. The Thunder took a 4-0 lead and then stunk. If Durant and Russell Westbrook hadn’t shown up offensively, we’re looking at a 50-point loss. Seriously. Hey, bad games happen, and this was one of them. However comma, the Clippers are starting to figure things out, which is trouble for the rest of the West. Thunder coach Scott Brooks said it was the best team OKC has played thus far and he’s right. Now the fun begins for the Clippers, who play seven of their next eight on the road, just like the stretch the Thunder currently is experiencing right now. Keep an eye on the Clippers. They were wicked good on Monday.
- Brooks said his team is at its best when it defends, and he’s right, but OKC also has the ability to score. They’ve got the two-time scoring champ, fercryinoutloud, and a sidekick scoring 20-something. There’s no polite way to put this, but imagine how good the Thunder could be if it shared the ball like the Clippers? LA had 28 assists on 45 field goals. OKC had 15 assists on 38 field goals. Look, I know Durant and Westbrook have the ability to score off the dribble and not off the pass and James Harden is like a knife through butter, but there’s nothing prettier to watch in basketball than good ball movement. Nothing. You’re telling me whipping the ball around and finding Durant or Westbrook or Harden or anybody for an open shot would be a bad thing?
- When Brooks shows his team footage of this loss, I hope he doesn’t do it for defensive purposes. I hope he tells his players to watch how the Clippers did it offensively. LA had six players score in double-digits and three had 20 or more points. Three guys took 16 shots each, and the other three took 11, nine and seven. Good luck defending that.
- Clippers guard Chauncey Billups has played a lot of basketball. He’s in his 15th NBA season and also has played internationally. At no time does Billups recall any team going on a 12-0 run in a span of 51 seconds by hitting four straight 3-pointers, which is precisely what LA did to deflate OKC at the end of the first half Monday. “I don’t believe I have,” Billups said. Not even during Team USA’s 121-66 victory over Angola at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, or four days earlier in a 35-point win over Tunisia? “Maybe. Maybe,” Billups said with a smile.
- With the acquisitions of the three C’s (Chris, Chauncey and Caron), the Clippers instantaneously have transformed themselves from three-plus decades of being a punch line to being a potential powerhouse.
- Brooks: “They are good team. They are the best team we’ve played all year. They have everything – a talented team, their bench is really good and they played well. Give them credit. They took it to us and we have work to do.”
- Nick Collison: “They’re good. Man, they’re a really good basketball team. I was impressed with them. They have a lot of guys that can play. We can play much better, but they do a good job of moving the ball and finding open players.”
- Bad news arrived 90 minutes before tipoff when Brook announced Thabo Sefolosha would not play because of a sore right foot. He remains day-to-day. OKC’s rhythm and substitution rotation was completely out of whack all night. Would the Thunder have won had Sefolosha played? Perhaps. Perhaps not. The entire dynamic of the game likely would have been different. Sefolosha has now missed two starts and OKC has lost both games (at home against Portland being the other). Games like Monday’s are why Sefolosha starts, why he must start. This is not to pin the loss on Harden, but if Harden starts and he’s off the mark, you get what you got on Monday — the Thunder hanging on for dear life.
- Collison on the importance of Sefolosha: “We definitely missed him out there. Defensively, he’s as good as there is. Offensively, he does a lot of things, too. He’s kind of like the motor oil out there offensively where he does a lot of small things that make things go smoothly. He makes a good hard cut to get somebody else open. Obviously, defensively he’s great, too. We gave up a lot on the perimeter and he would have helped. He allows our second unit to play with James. It’s a big loss. Hopefully he can get healthy. We need him back.”
- Brooks said the Thunder has played one bad game. Ever the realist, Collison smiled and clicked off all four losses: “We didn’t great in D.C. In Dallas, um … against Portland …”
- Larry King walked by roughly 5 feet in front of me. Dude looked old. Then again, he is 78 if my math is right (did I carry the one?). King’s seventh wife (eight marriages), Shawn, looked half his age – and she’s 52.
- At Dallas on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
- JOHN ROHDE
Durant The Awesomest Dude Of 2011?
From video games to flag football, Kevin Durant let fans from all over the world get an up close and personal look at him throughout 2011.
Is Kevin Durant the “awesomest” dude of the year?
ESPN’s SportsNation wants you to decide in an online poll.
Voting for the first round of eight nominees ends today.
Durant is matched up against L.A. Clippers forward Blake Griffin. Other matchups include Tim Tebow versus Jared Allen, Hope Solo versus Travis Pastrana and MMA/UFC fighter Jon “Bones” Jones versus The Rock.
Pretty tough first-round opponent for KD. But the Thunder’s star shouldn’t have a problem prevailing. Griffin had a nice 2011. But his body of work pretty much consists of winning the dunk contest and a slew of spectacular in-game slams. His off-the-court performance, save a few comedic videos, needs a lot of work in order to be considered more awesome than KD.
The four winners of round one will be announced today on SportsNation, the one-hour show airing weekdays at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.
Go vote!
-DM-
What’s Not To Love About Super Teams?
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh didn't form the league's first super team. And they clearly won't be the last.
Count me in.
Today, I officially got on the super team train.
Bring ‘em on, I say. The more the merrier.
Some people say they weaken the league. I say that’s hogwash. A trio of stars on one team is nothing but interesting. For everyone. The fans, the league, the networks and, yes, for competition.
This is now a topic because less than two weeks after the NBA lockout was lifted, star players went right back to throwing around their weight and orchestrating their way out of their small towns and on to big-market teams with other big-time talents. I’m speaking, of course, about Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Though the scenario was originally floated by Mark Heisler 10 days ago, trade rumors that would land both Howard and Paul in Los Angeles to team up with Kobe Bryant are now heating up and seemingly becoming more realistic by the hour.
And you know what? I would pay to see that team. And most of you who are NBA fans would, too. Whether you’re rooting for them, against them or perhaps just want to see what they’re capable of, you’d be glued to the tube. Television ratings would go through the rough for Christmas games and the All-Star Game and the NBA Finals. Which, isn’t that the point of sports to begin with? To entertain us? To give us an outlet? To provide something we can come together with as a community to share and support?
Put arguably the league’s best point guard (Paul) with arguably the game’s best shooting guard (Bryant) with undoubtedly the world’s best center (Howard) and you’ve created 82 games (or 66) of non-stop excitement. We’d be talking about a season filled with alley-oops and game-winners and 20-assists nights and triple-doubles and a six-month-long block party. More than that, we’d be talking about championships. Plural. A trio like that would immediately have the makings of a dynasty-caliber team. Howard and Paul, both 26, could easily carry the 33-year-old Kobe for three title runs.
But here’s the best part. The Lakers wouldn’t be guaranteed anything. There’s enough quality teams throughout the league, including right here in Oklahoma City, that L.A. could combine those three All-World players and still fall short. Take a look at some of the core units that have blossomed throughout the NBA.
Atlanta: Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford.
Boston: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
Chicago: Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng.
L.A. Clippers: Eric Gordon, Caron Butler and Blake Griffin
Memphis: Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.
Miami: Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
New York: Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and (reportedly) Tyson Chandler
Oklahoma City: Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka
San Antonio: Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan. (more…)
Wanna Spend Christmas With The Thunder?
Could Oklahoma City get a Christmas game?
Before we explore that question, allow me to ask another. Do you even want a Christmas game?
If so, would you prefer it to be at home, where you can attend it, or on the road so you can watch from the comfort of your couch with your family?
Last season, the Thunder played its first ever Christmas game and everything worked out quite well. OKC beat Denver 114-106, Kevin Durant scored a game-high 44 points and a sold out crowd of 18,203 showed up and enjoyed a great night.
It’s possible that we could be in for a repeat performance.
The NBA will expand its Christmas lineup from three games to five, and the Thunder could be one of the four teams added to the slate. The league is expected to announce the Christmas schedule Friday and release the entire 66-game 2011-12 schedule next week.
But the scuttlebutt is the Thunder will host the Grizzlies at 7 p.m. inside The Peake. It would be the fourth game in the lineup, following Boston at New York, Miami at Dallas and Chicago at the L.A. Lakers. A fifth game would be played at 9:30 p.m. central time.
So who are the best possibilities for the Thunder? (more…)
Russell Westbrook Styling In GQ
Sometimes I don’t think dunk. It happens so quickly, I don’t know what’s happened.” — Russell Westbrook.
Russell Westbrook sure cleans up nice.
Wait, can I say that? Is that against somebody’s man code or something?
Anyway, for a photo shoot with GQ the Thunder point guard recently got all dolled up like he was going to the city. He took part in the piece with fellow high-fliers Blake Griffin, Andre Iguodala, Javale McGee and Shannon Brown. GQ contributor Bethlehem Shoals writes a short accompanying piece arguing that we’re in the middle of a dunk renaissance.
Griffin and Westbrook are opposite extremes with one thing in common: A decade ago, players like them weren’t getting up like this. Big men now bring some of the most acrobatic moves, and a team’s playmaker can serve up a ruthless facial. It used to be, everyone wanted to be like Mike. Today the dunk is whatever anyone can make of it—which is why it’s been reborn.”
Pictured above in a navy Prada suit with designer gear down to his socks, Westbrook, with the help of GQ, illustrates how to spice up a conservative color. According to GQ: “Nothing’s more conservative than navy, but you don’t have to look stiff. Add some razzle-dazzle with a colorful tie and socks.”
Is there a better look for Westbrook. I mean, it flawlessly embodies him as a player. Competing for a franchise that can at times be considered bland, Westbrook is a breath of fresh air. We’ve all witnessed how his athleticism, at any moment, can turn a routine play into a spectacular one (see below). For that, GQ absolutely nailed it by getting Westbrook involved in this piece.
-DM-
Kevin Durant Brings Basketball Back To OKC
Kevin Durant (left) and LeBron James combined for 82 points Sunday night.
News, notes and observations from Sunday’s US Fleet Tracking Basketball Invitational.
- This thing had the look and feel of a real NBA game…right up until the ball was thrown up. The place was packed in pre-game. The lights went down for intros. And in typical Oklahoma City tradition, a minister from Life Church trotted out and gave the invocation just before the lineups. Sandi Patty, a Grammy winning Gospel singer, delivered the national anthem. Event organizers talked about doing this the right way, and I’d say they did just that.
- Then the game started. When that happened, host Kevin Durant took the liberty of jacking up a 40-footer from the right wing on the opening possession. I joked on Twitter that it was right out of the Thunder playbook. Even the miss. Unfortunately, it set the tone for a largely defenseless showcase between star-studded teams more interested in putting on a show for fans. That’s just the way these things go.
- I may be different than others, but these types of games largely do little for me. It’s been that way for me all lockout, and it didn’t change one bit when these guys came into my backyard. But judging by fan reaction, I’d say many share my sentiments. While the game no doubt was fun and provided fans a rare opportunity to see so many stars up close, the basketball value is terrible. I got the sense many fans lost interest midway through the second quarter. By the fourth quarter, hundreds, if not thousands, of empty seats were visible in the upper bowl. This much is clear: if the lockout lingers and players want to keep up these barnstorming games one of two things must absolutely happen. 1) They’ll have to lower ticket prices, or 2) They’ll have to bring some defense to the games. Customers aren’t going to continue to spend big bucks on the equivalent of And 1 ball.
- I didn’t look at stats all night. At 11 p.m. I realized KD had a triple-double…WITH 42 POINTS, 26 REBOUNDS and 11 ASSISTS!! Durant is good. But make no mistake, he’s not Wilt Chamberlain. That says much more about the quality of ball being played folks.
- Since I’m on the subject. Chris Paul had 25 assists, 13 of them coming in the first quarter. OK, so that’s not really the same. Dude really could probably do that in a real game.
- Did anyone really miss Blake Griffin? Did I really just ask that? Considering our location, I can assume the answer to that is yes, probably with a few expletives. But my point is, this was still a great night if you’re a basketball fan.
- A whole lot of no-shows tonight. The list includes, in addition to Griffin, Kendrick Perkins, Amar’e Stoudemire, John Wall, Monta Ellis and Rudy Gay for three quarters. Gay showed up in street clothes at the start of the fourth after being announced as “running late” during pre-game intros. Wall was said to have missed his flight. And there was no word on the other guys. I guess that’s the risk you take when you throw an event like this together in a matter of weeks with no compensation for players.
- The no-show who carried the biggest disappointment was Perk. Obviously that has nothing to do with wanting to see him in an All-Star-styled event. I wanted to see how much weight he’s lost, how his knees look and whether he’s regained some of his explosiveness.
- Replacing Ellis was a nice surprise, Thunder rookie Reggie Jackson. And this setting was a great opportunity to see just how skilled and athletic he is. Unfortunately, the rook chose to largely defer to the stars. Probably a good decision on his part. He took just seven shots and made five for 10 points in six minutes.
- Tell me you loved this quote from Jackson as much as I did. When I asked him why he passed up a breakaway dunk attempt to throw it off the glass to KD for a dunk, Jackson said “I”m a point guard. I don’t need to score. I don’t really care about scoring. I just care about wins. So if it’s getting people baskets, getting assists, or sitting on the bench and watching a win, I’m cool with it.” The pick is looking better and better.
Should Kevin Durant Be Able To Diss OU?
Can't a guy rep his school while in the backyard of its biggest rival? Some folks don't want Kevin Durant to.
For the first three seasons, it was all fun and games.
Well, to be accurate, to some folks it was.
But now, Kevin Durant is growing into a bigger superstar by the day. His every move is being watched and scrutinized more than it’s ever been. People near and far have begun hanging on to his every word like never before. And locally, nothing seems to rattle folks’ cages like when Durant talks smack about their beloved OU Sooners.
The Thunder star started slinging jabs the moment he stepped foot in town in 2008. At that year’s Thunder media day, Durant said he “loves being in Oklahoma thus far and I’m going to love playing for (the people here).”
Then Durant was asked if he’d ever root for the Sooners.
“Never,” Durant vowed.
Durant then added that Longhorns and Sooners never will get along.
“I like the rivalry the way it is now,” Durant said. “OU hates Texas and Texas hates OU. That’s how it’s always going to be.”
From that day on, Durant has enjoyed jabbing the Sooners and their die-hard nation every chance he gets. He’s added the phrase “Hook ‘em Horns” to each autograph he’s signed at OU football games. He’s sat courtside at OU basketball games and flashed the two-finger Hook ‘em Horns sign. He’s even taken his needling to Twitter. On Saturday, Durant posted a simple but around these parts scathing message: “LSU > OU…”
Today, one of the Sooners, sophomore defensive back Tony Jefferson, fired back.
Kevin durant. Please stop talking trash about the sooners. You play in Oklahoma. Regardless if you went to Texas. We support u #jerk : (
It brings up an interesting question.
Should Kevin Durant be able to diss OU?
Jefferson is right. This state supports Durant. And not all, but a good majority of sports fans around here cheer for the crimson and cream. But is that enough to prohibit Durant from being able to rag on OU?
Absolutely not.
Catching Up With Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant has every reason to smile this summer
BATON ROUGE, La. — After spending a day on the set of Kevin Durant’s upcoming movie “Switch” on Friday, today was media day, the day to ask Durant about his movie and any and everything else that’s been up with him this summer.
And that’s a tough job.
Try making a list of questions you’d like to ask Durant. Now try and trim that list to make sure you get the best ones in.
Because you’ve only got 10 minutes. After that, time’s up and you’re being shooed away so the next person on the circuit can come in and do it all over again.
But, we do our best. And all things considered, I actually covered a lot of ground with KD in a one-on-one interview this afternoon. Be sure to pick up The Oklahoman and stay on NewsOK.com in the coming days for a Q&A on a variety of topics. In the meantime, here’s some of the more significant tidbits that emerged from of our chat.
PBL to send contract offers to Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin
Thunder forward Kevin Durant was "drafted" by PBL fans to play for the league's new team in Scranton/Wilkes Barre. PHOTO BY JOHN CLANTON, THE OKLAHOMAN
If NBA players and owners fail to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement, many superstars, including Thunder forward Kevin Durant, have spoken about the possibility of playing overseas.
That may not be necessary.
The independent Premier Basketball League, which has four teams, conducted an online lockout draft over the past week, allowing fans to “draft” their favorite NBA stars onto PBL teams, which will send contract offers to the top-10 vote getters.
Durant was the No. 5 vote-getter, with PBL fans selecting him to play on the Scranton/Wilkes Barre team, which is beginning operations in 2012. Clippers forward and former Oklahoma star Blake Griffin came in ninth, going to the Chicago Muscle.
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was the top vote-getter, with fans selecting him for the Rochester RazorSharks.
