Nearly one year ago, LeBron James publicly stated that he was strongly considering participation in the 2010 NBA Slam Dunk competition. Unfortunately for all of James’ adoring fans, he has decided against this.
There have been speculations that James does not want to enter the contest because he has nothing to gain from it and everything to lose from it. First of all, James is already the biggest star in the league, and winning a Slam Dunk competition will not do too much to affect that status. Next there’s the possibility of getting hurt in the competition, which I consider to be the most valid reason for not entering. Finally, and maybe most importantly (to James), there is the chance that James loses the competition and goes down a notch in many peoples’ books. In other words, James is going with the logic that states that if he doesn’t compete, he can’t lose. And since he needs to lose to be lowered from the high pedestal that he is on, not competing seems to be the smartest choice.
However, what James is failing to realize is that his fans just want to see him compete. If he loses, yes it may be embarrassing for him, but if he throws down an epic dunk, people will remember that forever, not the fact that he lost. (Dwight Howard, who is also one of the league’s young stars, lost in the slam dunk competition to Nate Robinson, yet his star status has not been tarnished in any way. James should have looked at that before making his decision).
In my opinion, James needs to see it from the fan’s perspective because, at the end of the day, his fans are what made him who he is today. Without them, James would be worth nothing. So I feel that he owes it to them to compete in this dunk contest and give them a show that they will not soon forget. No matter if he wins or loses.
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