Milwaukee Bucks: Slam Dunk Contest History, 2017 Preview
By Adam McGee
Giannis Antetokounmpo – 2015
There was a lot of anticipation surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo’s dunk contest debut. A freakish young athlete, exceptionally long and powerful, and one of the most exciting in-game dunkers in the league. What could possibly go wrong?
Giannis emerged in theatrical fashion with a Greek theme showing that he didn’t shun his moment in the spotlight. In fact, Antetokounmpo brought all the right ingredients for Dunk Contest success on the night, only to be let down by his execution.
Giannis’ first dunk was an ambitious attempt which saw him bounce the ball to a ridiculous height before following it up and trying to slam it down. Unfortunately Giannis would fail to execute on all three attempts of that dunk.
The Greek Freak would recover well by bringing out his brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo to set him up for a strong reverse dunk, but considering his shortcomings on his first dunk, his combined score of 65 wouldn’t be enough for him to finish anywhere but last.
Zach LaVine would go on to win with some of the most emphatic jams the contest has seen in recent years.
Next: 2017?