NBA Dunk of the Year belongs to Memphis Grizzlies PG Ja Morant

As we enter the ultimate weekend of the NBA season, there are just a few common season awards but to be wrapped up. Probably the most notable is the MVP race, however you’re delusional when you suppose I’m going to jot down about that. What I’m right here to speak about at present is the Dunk of the Yr. It’s not an official award but, so think about this a submission for Adam Silver’s suggestion field.

Whereas there’s nonetheless sufficient time left for an additional poster or alley-oop to garner our adoration, Ja Morant had been engaged on touchdown a 900 ever since he entered the league, and he lastly accomplished one Jan. 14 towards Jalen Smith and the Indiana Pacers.

There’s no different viable candidate. Like younger Andy Reid at a Move, Punt, and Kick competitors, or a Bob Baffert horse on the Kentucky Derby, there’s them, after which there’s all people else. After rewatching that 7 million occasions, I perceive why the NBA wouldn’t need to hand out {hardware} for one thing that disrespectful.

NBA Twitter thanks you on your service, Jalen Smith

Smith, the Pacer on the receiving finish of the baptism, goes to stay on in infamy for the remainder of his life. He can grow to be a really profitable and completed NBA participant, possibly even be a job participant on a finals staff, however he joined Timofey Mosgov, Frédéric Weis, and Shawn Bradley on the Mount Rushmore of tall guys recognized extra for being on the improper facet of a facial than for anything they did on the courtroom.

Possibly we can provide the posterizee (?) the NBA equal of a Razzie award and an outsized money prize in contrast with my make-believe Dunk of the Yr winner. Smith contributed to the spotlight as a lot as Morant. He may’ve simply made a enterprise choice, and nobody would’ve blamed him. However he didn’t. He did what massive males receives a commission thousands and thousands of {dollars} to do: Shield the rim. It could appear to be an insult at first, however whenever you take a look at it subjectively, we’re saying, “Thanks, Jalen, for doing the soiled work. Your sacrifice has benefited the larger good, and for that, we salute you.”

A win-win-win state of affairs for all events (besides Mac McClung)

It’s the very least we may do as a result of this has been a ardour undertaking for Morant for a while now. He’s been searching massive sport as evidenced by his many close to misses that also get pulled out, clipped, and shared on social media, and at last obtained one. He deserves acknowledgment for his feat, and since a G Leaguer received the dunk contest, I vote we take the trophy away from Mac McClung and provides it to Morant.

Shit, did I simply resolve the dunk contest? Take the 4 greatest in-game dunkers, compile their greatest finishes of the season, after which let the followers vote on their favourite spotlight bundle. It displays actuality and would give LeBron James a workaround to say he received a dunk contest as a result of he lacks the creativity to win one. Humorous how Bron will unleash his creativeness when it’s extremely profitable IP, however not when it’s one thing we truly need to see.

Alright, I’ve sufficiently gone off-topic to justify ending this. So, congratulations to Ja Morant and Jalen Smith on your roles within the NBA’s 2022-23 Dunk of the Yr.