An unresponsive crowd helped to turn Chris Carr's bid in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest into a second-place finish Saturday night at All-Star Weekend.
On his second of the final round - the last dunk of the night - Carr, the Timberwolves guard, bounced the ball high, ran down the lane, leaped, caught the ball, spun around and slammed it with two hands. But the fans at Gund Arena barely reacted, and the judges gave Carr a 45 on a scale of 50.
That meant that Lakers rookie Kobe Bryant, who had scored a 49 several minutes earlier, won the event. Bryant's winner was reminiscent of former Wolf J.R. Rider's winning dunk in 1994: Bryant raced along the baseline, jumped, wrapped the ball between his legs and then dunked it.
Carr clearly was disappointed. "A toss 360 [degrees]? Catch the ball, spin and dunk? I'd like to see them do it," Carr said of the uninspired audience. His biggest fans were Wolves teammates Kevin Garnett and Tom Gugliotta, sitting courtside.
Carr, a 1995 second-round pick by the Phoenix Suns who signed with the Wolves as a free agent last summer, earned $10,000 for finishing second. He had posted the highest score in the first round, 44, of all six dunkers. But the subjectivity of the scoring, the contest's structure (three finalists taking turns for two dunks each, with the best single dunk winning) and the fact that most of the players missed one or more dunks kept the event from building to a climax.
Cleveland guard Bob Sura, the hometown favorite, walked onto the floor to chants of "Bob-by! Bob-by!" yet missed his opening dunk and got eliminated in the first round. Dallas' Michael Finley had probably the most creative attempt, bouncing the ball and turning a cartwheel before trying to catch and slam it. But he missed in the finals and finished third.
The NBA production crew did the dunkers no favor by showing a highlight reel of Julius Erving, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins and other legendary slammers just before the contest.
Carr still has one of the most memorable dunks of this season, when he drove and slammed over Atlanta's shot-blocking terror, center Dikembe Mutombo.
Iverson stars for East rookies
Sixers guard Allen Iverson had 19 points, nine rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots in leading the East over the West 96-91 in the Rookie Game. For his performance, he received the game MVP award, and then a chorus of boos. Iverson has been villified by NBA players past and present, and the crowd, picking up on the vibes, apparently refused to concede that he had played an excellent game.
As if responding to criticism, Iverson took only two shots in the first half and totaled eight assists. "I figured everybody thought I was going to come out and shoot up all the balls," he said. "So I decided to get everybody else involved."
A revolutionary idea that his Sixers teammates would love to see him use in the games that matter.
Bryant scored a game-high 31 points.
The West point guards - Matt Maloney and Steve Nash - did not provide much of a challenge for Iverson. Maloney had the dubious distinction of having his shot blocked twice on the same possession.
Kerr is top marksman
Behind a crowd that treated him as if he still played for the Cavaliers, Bulls guard Steve Kerr won the AT&T Shootout, dethroning defending champion Tim Legler 22-18 in the finals.
Kerr said he felt right at home. "I had a lot of good karma behind me," he said. "The fans treated me great. I even recognized a lot of faces and it felt comfortable. I've been in this event so long, I think I had to win it one time just on the law of averages."
The Bullets' Legler, wearing a heavy brace on his right leg, has not even played this season because of reconstructive knee surgery last April.
Both finalists have Timberwolves connections. In the Wolves' second year, Legler was the last player cut in training camp. Forty-five minutes before his contract would have become guaranteed, Legler was relased, leaving room for Doug West. During that same era, the Wolves also signed Kerr, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet, but the Cavaliers matched it.
Sharing the spotlight
For eight days, Tom Gugliotta stood alone as the Timberwolves' All-Star representative, the first player in franchise history to earn that honor and, therefore, the only one who would get attention for it this weekend in Cleveland.
Then teammate Kevin Garnett was added to Western Conference roster, and Gugliotta's spotlight was cut in half. Or worse. Garnett already is one of the NBA's most popular young players, and has been a magnet for camera crews and reporters. The interest in Gugliotta was far more calm.
But Gugliotta, who has been a little overshadowed all season by Garnett and rookie Stephon Marbury, said he did not mind. "Not at all," he said. "I'm happy for him. It's good for me - ----------I'll have someone out there with me - and he deserves it."
Said Wolves vice president Kevin McHale: "If you start getting into that petty stuff, you're not going to win anyhow. When you win, there's plenty of praise to go around."
Run from the Wolves
The Wolves have gotten a good amount of upbeat coverage for their on- and off-court improvement this season, but that didn't stop Milwaukee's Ray Allen from recoiling Friday. Allen, who was drafted by the Wolves in June but almost immediately traded in the Marbury deal, had just sat down for the media session Friday when a reporter shocked him.
"He was asking me about when I first came to the Wolves, and what I hoped to provide for the Wolves in the second half of the season," said Allen, disappointed at the mix-up. "He didn't even know who he was talking to."
In and out
Marbury, who had to decline his invitation to the Rookie Game because of his bruised right thigh, flew into Cleveland Saturday morning for a promotional appearance for And 1, the shoe company he represents. After the autograph session, he flew back to the Twin Cities in the afternoon. Marbury is expected to return to action Wednesday against the Lakers.
Big-game jitters
Don't be too disappointed if nerves get in the way today for the Garnett or Gugliotta. It happens to the best of them. "In the past, I've come out and played tight, because of the respect you have for the game and the respect you have for these individuals," Seattle's Shawn Kemp said. "You see Michael, you see Hakeem and these guys, you know you have to be aggressive. This year, I'm going to let it all out."
Carr falls short on final dunk; Lakers' Bryant wins; Iverson rookie MVP.(SPORTS)An unresponsive crowd helped to turn Chris Carr's bid in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest into a second-place finish Saturday night at All-Star Weekend.
On his second of the final round - the last dunk of the night - Carr, the Timberwolves guard, bounced the ball high, ran down the lane, leaped, caught the ball, spun around and slammed it with two hands. But the fans at Gund Arena barely reacted, and the judges gave Carr a 45 on a scale of 50.
That meant that Lakers rookie Kobe Bryant, who had scored a 49 several minutes earlier, won the event. Bryant's winner was reminiscent of former Wolf J.R. Rider's winning dunk in 1994: Bryant raced along the baseline, jumped, wrapped the ball between his legs and then dunked it.
Carr clearly was disappointed. "A toss 360 [degrees]? Catch the ball, spin and dunk? I'd like to see them do it," Carr said of the uninspired audience. His biggest fans were Wolves teammates Kevin Garnett and Tom Gugliotta, sitting courtside.
Carr, a 1995 second-round pick by the Phoenix Suns who signed with the Wolves as a free agent last summer, earned $10,000 for finishing second. He had posted the highest score in the first round, 44, of all six dunkers. But the subjectivity of the scoring, the contest's structure (three finalists taking turns for two dunks each, with the best single dunk winning) and the fact that most of the players missed one or more dunks kept the event from building to a climax.
Cleveland guard Bob Sura, the hometown favorite, walked onto the floor to chants of "Bob-by! Bob-by!" yet missed his opening dunk and got eliminated in the first round. Dallas' Michael Finley had probably the most creative attempt, bouncing the ball and turning a cartwheel before trying to catch and slam it. But he missed in the finals and finished third.
The NBA production crew did the dunkers no favor by showing a highlight reel of Julius Erving, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins and other legendary slammers just before the contest.
Carr still has one of the most memorable dunks of this season, when he drove and slammed over Atlanta's shot-blocking terror, center Dikembe Mutombo.
Iverson stars for East rookies
Sixers guard Allen Iverson had 19 points, nine rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots in leading the East over the West 96-91 in the Rookie Game. For his performance, he received the game MVP award, and then a chorus of boos. Iverson has been villified by NBA players past and present, and the crowd, picking up on the vibes, apparently refused to concede that he had played an excellent game.
As if responding to criticism, Iverson took only two shots in the first half and totaled eight assists. "I figured everybody thought I was going to come out and shoot up all the balls," he said. "So I decided to get everybody else involved."
A revolutionary idea that his Sixers teammates would love to see him use in the games that matter.
Bryant scored a game-high 31 points.
The West point guards - Matt Maloney and Steve Nash - did not provide much of a challenge for Iverson. Maloney had the dubious distinction of having his shot blocked twice on the same possession.
Kerr is top marksman
Behind a crowd that treated him as if he still played for the Cavaliers, Bulls guard Steve Kerr won the AT&T Shootout, dethroning defending champion Tim Legler 22-18 in the finals.
Kerr said he felt right at home. "I had a lot of good karma behind me," he said. "The fans treated me great. I even recognized a lot of faces and it felt comfortable. I've been in this event so long, I think I had to win it one time just on the law of averages."
The Bullets' Legler, wearing a heavy brace on his right leg, has not even played this season because of reconstructive knee surgery last April.
Both finalists have Timberwolves connections. In the Wolves' second year, Legler was the last player cut in training camp. Forty-five minutes before his contract would have become guaranteed, Legler was relased, leaving room for Doug West. During that same era, the Wolves also signed Kerr, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet, but the Cavaliers matched it.
Sharing the spotlight
For eight days, Tom Gugliotta stood alone as the Timberwolves' All-Star representative, the first player in franchise history to earn that honor and, therefore, the only one who would get attention for it this weekend in Cleveland.
Then teammate Kevin Garnett was added to Western Conference roster, and Gugliotta's spotlight was cut in half. Or worse. Garnett already is one of the NBA's most popular young players, and has been a magnet for camera crews and reporters. The interest in Gugliotta was far more calm.
But Gugliotta, who has been a little overshadowed all season by Garnett and rookie Stephon Marbury, said he did not mind. "Not at all," he said. "I'm happy for him. It's good for me - ----------I'll have someone out there with me - and he deserves it."
Said Wolves vice president Kevin McHale: "If you start getting into that petty stuff, you're not going to win anyhow. When you win, there's plenty of praise to go around."
Run from the Wolves
The Wolves have gotten a good amount of upbeat coverage for their on- and off-court improvement this season, but that didn't stop Milwaukee's Ray Allen from recoiling Friday. Allen, who was drafted by the Wolves in June but almost immediately traded in the Marbury deal, had just sat down for the media session Friday when a reporter shocked him.
"He was asking me about when I first came to the Wolves, and what I hoped to provide for the Wolves in the second half of the season," said Allen, disappointed at the mix-up. "He didn't even know who he was talking to."
In and out
Marbury, who had to decline his invitation to the Rookie Game because of his bruised right thigh, flew into Cleveland Saturday morning for a promotional appearance for And 1, the shoe company he represents. After the autograph session, he flew back to the Twin Cities in the afternoon. Marbury is expected to return to action Wednesday against the Lakers.
Big-game jitters
Don't be too disappointed if nerves get in the way today for the Garnett or Gugliotta. It happens to the best of them. "In the past, I've come out and played tight, because of the respect you have for the game and the respect you have for these individuals," Seattle's Shawn Kemp said. "You see Michael, you see Hakeem and these guys, you know you have to be aggressive. This year, I'm going to let it all out."
Carr falls short on final dunk; Lakers' Bryant wins; Iverson rookie MVP.(SPORTS)An unresponsive crowd helped to turn Chris Carr's bid in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest into a second-place finish Saturday night at All-Star Weekend.
On his second of the final round - the last dunk of the night - Carr, the Timberwolves guard, bounced the ball high, ran down the lane, leaped, caught the ball, spun around and slammed it with two hands. But the fans at Gund Arena barely reacted, and the judges gave Carr a 45 on a scale of 50.
That meant that Lakers rookie Kobe Bryant, who had scored a 49 several minutes earlier, won the event. Bryant's winner was reminiscent of former Wolf J.R. Rider's winning dunk in 1994: Bryant raced along the baseline, jumped, wrapped the ball between his legs and then dunked it.
Carr clearly was disappointed. "A toss 360 [degrees]? Catch the ball, spin and dunk? I'd like to see them do it," Carr said of the uninspired audience. His biggest fans were Wolves teammates Kevin Garnett and Tom Gugliotta, sitting courtside.
Carr, a 1995 second-round pick by the Phoenix Suns who signed with the Wolves as a free agent last summer, earned $10,000 for finishing second. He had posted the highest score in the first round, 44, of all six dunkers. But the subjectivity of the scoring, the contest's structure (three finalists taking turns for two dunks each, with the best single dunk winning) and the fact that most of the players missed one or more dunks kept the event from building to a climax.
Cleveland guard Bob Sura, the hometown favorite, walked onto the floor to chants of "Bob-by! Bob-by!" yet missed his opening dunk and got eliminated in the first round. Dallas' Michael Finley had probably the most creative attempt, bouncing the ball and turning a cartwheel before trying to catch and slam it. But he missed in the finals and finished third.
The NBA production crew did the dunkers no favor by showing a highlight reel of Julius Erving, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins and other legendary slammers just before the contest.
Carr still has one of the most memorable dunks of this season, when he drove and slammed over Atlanta's shot-blocking terror, center Dikembe Mutombo.
Iverson stars for East rookies
Sixers guard Allen Iverson had 19 points, nine rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots in leading the East over the West 96-91 in the Rookie Game. For his performance, he received the game MVP award, and then a chorus of boos. Iverson has been villified by NBA players past and present, and the crowd, picking up on the vibes, apparently refused to concede that he had played an excellent game.
As if responding to criticism, Iverson took only two shots in the first half and totaled eight assists. "I figured everybody thought I was going to come out and shoot up all the balls," he said. "So I decided to get everybody else involved."
A revolutionary idea that his Sixers teammates would love to see him use in the games that matter.
Bryant scored a game-high 31 points.
The West point guards - Matt Maloney and Steve Nash - did not provide much of a challenge for Iverson. Maloney had the dubious distinction of having his shot blocked twice on the same possession.
Kerr is top marksman
Behind a crowd that treated him as if he still played for the Cavaliers, Bulls guard Steve Kerr won the AT&T Shootout, dethroning defending champion Tim Legler 22-18 in the finals.
Kerr said he felt right at home. "I had a lot of good karma behind me," he said. "The fans treated me great. I even recognized a lot of faces and it felt comfortable. I've been in this event so long, I think I had to win it one time just on the law of averages."
The Bullets' Legler, wearing a heavy brace on his right leg, has not even played this season because of reconstructive knee surgery last April.
Both finalists have Timberwolves connections. In the Wolves' second year, Legler was the last player cut in training camp. Forty-five minutes before his contract would have become guaranteed, Legler was relased, leaving room for Doug West. During that same era, the Wolves also signed Kerr, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet, but the Cavaliers matched it.
Sharing the spotlight
For eight days, Tom Gugliotta stood alone as the Timberwolves' All-Star representative, the first player in franchise history to earn that honor and, therefore, the only one who would get attention for it this weekend in Cleveland.
Then teammate Kevin Garnett was added to Western Conference roster, and Gugliotta's spotlight was cut in half. Or worse. Garnett already is one of the NBA's most popular young players, and has been a magnet for camera crews and reporters. The interest in Gugliotta was far more calm.
But Gugliotta, who has been a little overshadowed all season by Garnett and rookie Stephon Marbury, said he did not mind. "Not at all," he said. "I'm happy for him. It's good for me - ----------I'll have someone out there with me - and he deserves it."
Said Wolves vice president Kevin McHale: "If you start getting into that petty stuff, you're not going to win anyhow. When you win, there's plenty of praise to go around."
Run from the Wolves
The Wolves have gotten a good amount of upbeat coverage for their on- and off-court improvement this season, but that didn't stop Milwaukee's Ray Allen from recoiling Friday. Allen, who was drafted by the Wolves in June but almost immediately traded in the Marbury deal, had just sat down for the media session Friday when a reporter shocked him.
"He was asking me about when I first came to the Wolves, and what I hoped to provide for the Wolves in the second half of the season," said Allen, disappointed at the mix-up. "He didn't even know who he was talking to."
In and out
Marbury, who had to decline his invitation to the Rookie Game because of his bruised right thigh, flew into Cleveland Saturday morning for a promotional appearance for And 1, the shoe company he represents. After the autograph session, he flew back to the Twin Cities in the afternoon. Marbury is expected to return to action Wednesday against the Lakers.
Big-game jitters
Don't be too disappointed if nerves get in the way today for the Garnett or Gugliotta. It happens to the best of them. "In the past, I've come out and played tight, because of the respect you have for the game and the respect you have for these individuals," Seattle's Shawn Kemp said. "You see Michael, you see Hakeem and these guys, you know you have to be aggressive. This year, I'm going to let it all out."
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