It began as a veritable slap-stick routine . . . and might end with an unhappy one-and-done.

Magic center Dwight Howard tells us he was so disappointed after his first all-star dunk contest that he might not ever compete in it again.

"Sprite [the event's sponsor] has asked me to do it next year. . . . .I don't know if I will now," Howard said.

Howard placed third in a field of four dunkers Saturday night in Las Vegas, finishing ahead of Tyrus Thomas and behind Nate Robinson and winner Gerald Green.

Howard felt judges short-changed him on a dunk in which he leaped to near the top of the backboard to slap a sticker of himself on it while throwing down an alley-oop slam. Teammate Jameer Nelson measured the sticker on the glass at a jaw-dropping 12 feet, 6 inches, but the five judges awarded him a score of just 42 out of 50.

Asked if he had soured on the event, "Kind of. I just don't think it's for tall guys."

Howard's camp was hoping a dunk title, coupled with a credible debut in Sunday's all-star game, would heighten his fan appeal and marketing profile.

"I was mad," Howard, 21, said. "I just sat in my room after it was over and watched the [replay highlights of the dunk] contest on ESPN. It was a little sad."

Julius Erving, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter and Kobe Bryant were the judges. Bryant said Sunday, "Vince and I were actually talking with Mike and Dr. J across the table because we felt like they were way too harsh on [Howard].

"But you are talking about Michael and Dr. J. It doesn't get anymore serious than that."

At a Legends brunch Sunday, TNT reporter Cheryl Miller called out Dr. J. on Howard's behalf. While accepting a humanitarian award, she asked Erving why he didn't give Howard a "10." Erving said something about the dunk being easier for taller players, embracing Howard's fear.

Howard said the judges, "Just didn't get it."

Fan Joe Regala writes in a funny e-mail, "I only wish that there'll be no 'Russian judge' again in next year's NBA Dunk Contest."

Howard agreed with the notion that he or somebody from his camp should have alerted them before the contest to carefully watch the entire routine.

Maybe he'll feel differently next season. For now, the 6-foot-11 Howard feels he got shorted.

STICKLER FOR DETAILS

If the judges knew the work that went behind Dwight Howard's clever sticker slam, they might have appreciated his creativity. Teammates gave him the idea, but Rusty Morris and Melissa Miller from the Magic's Creative Services Department made it, uh, stick.

On Tuesday, they snapped photos of Howard for an all-star logo and found the materials for the sticker. Then they had to help Dwight figure out a way to slap the sticker on the glass backboard. "We had to find a material that wouldn't get stuck to the backboard like a label after he dunked," said Morris, who turned to Oscar Gonzalez of C & S Press.

Gonzalez came up with a compound and special laminate for the sticker, which had "double-sided sticky tape," Morris said.

They then had Dwight wrap the sticker around the ring finger on his left hand. With the sticker concealed in his huge hand, Howard practiced the dunk with 30 stickers.

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Good for him do not participate next yr that event is becoming an EPIC JOKE.

[Edited by - TrueBlue on 02-20-2007 1:02 PM]

Yeah, we was robbed on that dunk...I don't think the judges knew about the sticker before they scored the dunk...They were trying to be particularly harsh I think...Kenny mentioned that Jordan's was the "Russian judge" during that contest...

Jordan shouldn't judge anyone harshly after wearing that outfit, much like isiah, mj can't do anything right off the court (nice pick on morrison)

Posted by TrueBlue:

Posted by holfresh:


Yeah, we was robbed on that dunk...I don't think the judges knew about the sticker before they scored the dunk...They were trying to be particularly harsh I think...Kenny mentioned that Jordan's was the "Russian judge" during that contest...

Well Dr.J.'s comments stamped the metality that's present when judging. Build up the little guys Tear down the big guys. Jordan for all his comments on creativity he mentions during interviews, I guess didn't value Howard's creativity. If for nothing else it was a dunk that had never been attempted before and had some degree of difficulty. There's a lot of talk that he was going to do a Kiss-The-Rim Dunk if he had advanced.

I just hope he's not too mad if you get my drift. He was on a tear right before the All-Star break.

[Edited by - TrueBlue on 02-20-2007 1:14 PM]

IMO it is Stern's fault. The slam dunk contest used to be the highlight of the All-star weekend, with some classic battles. But Stern has minimized it and made it the equivalent of that shooting stars crap and skills challenge. In fact, he got rid of it for one year. He needs to go back to the old format and let 8 guys really battle it out. Stern's totalitarian policies have hurt the NBA as much as they has helped the game. I wish he would stop trying to make all the players clones.

yea it is unpopular for big guys in dunk contest, except for larry nance who at that time, did something not seen before. Dunking two balls, he also did some dunks where he glided, something different for big men. When you are that tall, especially with some sort of athleticism, I am sure you can get up there pretty high. I am sure curry can probably get close to 12 feet, or 11'5" for sure. Dalembert can probably get 12 feet, heck I am sure tyrus thomas can get damn close.

didnt Chris Anderson win?

Posted by NYKBocker:

Dwight is becoming my favorite non-Knick active player.

has been mine for a while

Dwight Howard is what the NBA needs more of and loves ..... the ex dunkers Jordan and Dr J need to retire again.

lol... that pic cracks me up.

If i recall correctly, the other judges, Bryant and Carter gave the dunk a 9. MJ and Doc gave it an 8. I would have given it a 9 or 10, MJ seemed angry about something all night with that cranky look on his face. Doc J just hates tall people.

Probably lowered his points because of grafitti.