If you were underwhelmed by yesterday's NBA Slam Dunk Contest, you're not alone.
Once the jewel in the NBA's crown and a highlight of the sports calendar, the Dunk Contest has had its ups and downs in recent years. Last night, the NBA debuted the new 'team dunk' format, and it didn't really work. Like, at all.
Despite featuring the strongest field of dunkers in years, the confusing new format let everyone down, resulting in a 'contest' that ended without any clear winner and without the best competitors getting a chance to face off against one another.
The reaction from players and fans was fierce.
The end of this year's dunk contest was like the end of "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire". Ur like huh.. Is that it? Shouldn't there be more
— Roy Hibbert (@Hoya2aPacer) February 16, 2014That's it?
— Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) February 16, 2014One Dunk n You Win?
— Jason Thompson (@jtthekid) February 16, 2014ThAts it??
— Anthony Morrow (@MrAnthonyMorrow) February 16, 2014Wait it's over ?
— Derrick Williams (@RealDwill7) February 16, 2014This year dunk contest format might is probably worst than the wheel back in 2002 lol
— Jason Richardson (@jrich23) February 16, 2014So confused on the rules lol
— Jason Richardson (@jrich23) February 16, 2014Dunk contest needs to go back to the way it used to be back in The MJ days! All these new rules and challenges are killing the dunk contest!
— Ben Hansbrough (@bhans23) February 16, 2014I don't know if I'm feeling that open/freestyle round in the dunk contest
— chuck hayes (@c_hayes44) February 16, 2014I hope the league goes back to the traditional slam dunk contest format
— chuck hayes (@c_hayes44) February 16, 2014I don't like how the dunk contest is set up now
— Brandon Rush (@BRush_25) February 16, 2014They didn't even let T Ross defend his title really. That new format Wack
— Tony Wroten (@TWroten_LOE) February 16, 2014this teamwork shit is weird.
— Kendall Marshall (@KButter5) February 16, 2014Dunk contest was corny smh
— PETEROCK.COM (@PeteRock) February 16, 2014despite reading these rules numerous times and listening to them being explained, @Nat77 and I have no idea how this dunk contest works.
— Holly MacKenzie (@stackmack) February 16, 2014I'm breaking out my abacus so I can under the new rules to the dunk contest.
— Scott Cacciola (@ScottCacciola) February 16, 2014This freestyle stuff is weak.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) February 16, 2014The freestyle round kills the moment where everyone stops and admires a great dunk.
— Kevin Pelton (@kpelton) February 16, 2014Best dunk contest participants in years and the NBA is ruining it with this insipid production and needless rule changes.
— Kelly Dwyer (@KDonhoops) February 16, 2014If the Dunk Contest was dead, it just rolled over in its grave. #SprintDunk
— K.O.⛳ (@The_Real_KO) February 16, 2014This was by far the worst dunk contest I've watched lol
— TJ Gunn (@YeahbuddyTG3) February 16, 2014This may be the stupidest format for a dunk contest ever, and that's saying a lot.
— Milton Kent (@SportsAtLarge) February 16, 2014This stupid ass new format ruined what coulda been a sick dunk contest
— Your name (@TheREALkevinwax) February 16, 2014This dunk contest sucks
— Ross Childs (@DangeRossChilds) February 16, 2014WTF is this? @NBA #DunkContest
— Ben Hague (@BenHagueComedy) February 16, 2014Its unanimous… This sucks #DunkContest
— Sam Sweeney (@SamuelSweeney) February 16, 2014This dunk contest just went from comical to unbearable
— Patrick Gilbride (@PatrickG42) February 16, 2014Man what happen to the dunk contest I mean seriously what happen
— Oklahoma_Veteran (@Bigslim002) February 16, 2014And I thought the dunk contest couldn't get any worse
— George Spires (@gspires24) February 16, 2014Exclusive interview with Harrison Barnes after the dunk "contest" pic.twitter.com/22tCTR9eTl
— Lach (@TheLTRAIN7) February 16, 2014... Because his dunks were trash.. #ImPrettyFunny
— Lach (@TheLTRAIN7) February 16, 2014This Dunk Contest HAD ME LIKE... pic.twitter.com/y9nEiLl16n
— TheNBALegion™ (@TheNBALegion) February 16, 2014Despite John Wall leaping over a mascot to win Dunk Contest, he still failed to get higher than Lamar Odom.
— The Fake ESPN (@TheFakeESPN) February 17, 2014