Dwight “Superman”
Howard, the first overall pick 0f the 2004 NBA draft, won the
2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest Saturday night. The third year pro and two-time NBA All-Star from the Orlando Magic found a new nickname for himself with his second dunk of the contest. After taking off his Magic jersey to reveal a Superman shirt and donning a red cape, Howard took off and made one of the sickest dunks I’ve ever seen. While I’m not sure if the move really counted as a dunk since he actually threw the ball through the hoop after getting way too high in the air, nevertheless the dunk was awarded the perfect score of 50 by the panel of NBA all time greats.
This was after his first dunk which consisted of bouncing the ball off the back of the backboard and dunking the ball under the backboard while his head was still behind the hoop. That dunk also scored a perfect 50 catapulting into the Slam Dunk Contest finals. For his first dunk of the final round Howard completed a third straight unbelievable dunk by throwing himself an alley oop, then after jumping into the air he slapped it off the backboard with his left hand and in the same motion caught it with his right hand for the monster throw down. It was a truly ridiculous dunk that could only be appreciated in slow-motion replay.
To end the night Howard grabbed a ball mid-flight, which had been resting on the backboard from a mini-hoop stuck on the regulation hoop, and windmill dunking it to cap off one of the most amazing slam dunk competitions in recent history. Howard brought fun and imagination back to an event that truly needed a pick-me-up and definitely earned his new nickname of Superman.
Dwight “Superman” Howard, the first overall pick 0f the 2004 NBA draft, won the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest Saturday night. The third year pro and two-time NBA All-Star from the Orlando Magic found a new nickname for himself with his second dunk of the contest. After taking off his Magic jersey to reveal a Superman shirt and donning a red cape, Howard took off and made one of the sickest dunks I’ve ever seen. While I’m not sure if the move really counted as a dunk since he actually threw the ball through the hoop after getting way too high in the air, nevertheless the dunk was awarded the perfect score of 50 by the panel of NBA all time greats.
This was after his first dunk which consisted of bouncing the ball off the back of the backboard and dunking the ball under the backboard while his head was still behind the hoop. That dunk also scored a perfect 50 catapulting into the Slam Dunk Contest finals. For his first dunk of the final round Howard completed a third straight unbelievable dunk by throwing himself an alley oop, then after jumping into the air he slapped it off the backboard with his left hand and in the same motion caught it with his right hand for the monster throw down. It was a truly ridiculous dunk that could only be appreciated in slow-motion replay.
To end the night Howard grabbed a ball mid-flight, which had been resting on the backboard from a mini-hoop stuck on the regulation hoop, and windmill dunking it to cap off one of the most amazing slam dunk competitions in recent history. Howard brought fun and imagination back to an event that truly needed a pick-me-up and definitely earned his new nickname of Superman.
