FanShot

Dunk contest participants announced!

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More than just something that's on after Landry wins MVP at the Rookie Challenge, the NBA has invited to its 2011 dunk contest Blake Griffin, Serge Ibaka, JaVale McGee (!!!), and all-purpose prop and oop-thrower Brandon Jennings (but really, he'll be dunking as well).   I love the dunk contest. If you truly love basketball, you do too. For the first time in years the contest should be about something other than empty personal branding (Griffin's buttoned-down enough to resist the temptation) so expect a noticeable improvement from last year's atrocity, which was so bad that all of the candidates were visibly yearning to not endure the shame of winning. The best post-Carter dunker of the 2000s turned down a chance to dunk this time around, but he's done enough already.