San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant sees how the Slam Dunk Contest catapulted legendary participants in their NBA careers.
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant will look to make franchise history by becoming the first Spur to ever win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
And he is relishing the opportunity to do just that and more.
Specifically, he sees how the event vaulted many of the league’s greats, and he is hoping it will do the same for him in his budding NBA career.
“I’m super excited. It’s a blessing. To have the opportunity to do that,” he said. “I feel like all the guys I saw growing up that I enjoyed really watching, it was Kobe (Bryant), Mike (Jordan), and Vince (Carter), guys like that. They got to compete in those. So understanding that was the start of them immersing into their greatness, I feel like I have the opportunity to do the same.”
Carter will have to navigate tough competition, as Jaxson Hayes of the Los Angeles Lakers, Keshad Johnson of the Miami Heat, and Jase Richardson of the Orlando Magic are all vying for the league’s best dunker nod.
The rookie forward certainly showed off his leaping ability this season and should be a strong contender to win the dunk contest. He’s even impressed his teammate Victor Wembanyama.
In fact, oddsmakers project the Spurs forward to win the event.
But if he does, it won’t be because he will simply duplicate prior dunks. He is coming into the event with something new.
“I definitely want to do my own thing,” he said. “I think that was something that made it so unique and made them stand out was the kind of arrogance, the swagger that they had going into it. So I just want to be myself.
Early in the season, dunking the ball was a problem.
He whiffed a few in-game to the point his teammates warned him that if he missed more, they would shave his head.
That motivation set him straight.
“It’s funny how the tables kind of turned, going from missing some dunks early in the year to seeing a few drop.”
He even said he wouldn’t participate in the event near the start of the season, but things have changed since, specifically his confidence.
“I think just understanding the game and confidence going to fluctuate up and down, but trying to find a path throughout all of your work,” he said.
Bryant is following his teammate, Stephon Castle, who came up short in last year’s dunk contest, losing in the finals to Mac McClung.
His advice to the rookie was simple: Make the first dunk.
“Just making sure you get that first one to go down,” he said.
Bryant has all the tools to win the dunk crown. His repertoire includes size, length, energy, explosive leaping, and power dunks.
Ultimately, he just has to get on that court and put it all together.
“Nothing specifically,” he said about any special dunks. “I don’t want to give away too much, but I’m just ready to go out there and jump.”
If you are in Los Angeles for All-Star Weekend, Panini America is hosting the Spurs forward, along with other NBA players and legends, at the Panini Prizm VIP Lounge. Fans should head to Walmart, Target, or hobby stores nationwide to find new releases from the Panini Donruss Basketball and Panini Signature Series Basketball at PaniniAmerica.net.