LeBron James isn't in the Sprite Dunk contest and he should be. James is the best player in the game right now. Kobe Bryant is at the end of his career and there's nobody else in the NBA with the accolades or skill sets comparable to James right now. So why doesn't he participate in the All-Star Weekend exhibitions?
His teammate Dwyane Wade was put in charge of confirming the participants for the exhibition games for the 2013 All-Star Weekend in Houston. He pleaded James to participate in the Slam Dunk contest, James said no. Wade then pleaded James to participate in the Three-Point Shootout and James also said no.
Why is James, who is the greatest player today though Michael Jordan might not agree to that, not participating in the dunk contests? Wade might have the answer.
"I told him I'd throw him a lob and we'll win," Wade said. "He turned me down; I think he got nervous."
If there's anybody who knows James, it's probably his teammate Wade. But are we surprised the James got nervous?
All his life, James has been expected to be the best, the greatest. He was probably crowned King of basketball before hitting puberty. His face was in the cover of magazines without ever playing in the NBA. He was offered multi-million dollar sneaker deals when he was barely eligible to vote.
Along with the hype comes pressure, pressure James couldn't master in his first eight seasons in the league. He had a chance to win a championship in 2011 and blew it. At that point, he was playing angry basketball coming off the public declaration that he was leaving his fans in Cleveland behind. They were upset by the Dallas Mavericks and ultimately, this became a learning lesson for James.
He succeeded in 2012 putting together an incredible season as the stars aligned and saw James winning everything but the All-Star MVP award.
James seems to be the perfect candidate for the Slam Dunk contest. He's agile and the way he finishes, only Blake Griffin can compete with him. James is dynamic, he's strong and he's smooth, which is a rare combination. The man glides through the air.
Are exhibition games too much pressure for James or is James lacking creativity?
He blew the East's chances of winning the All-Star game last season, but was able to take the Miami Heat all the way to a championship. It just doesn't add up.
Kobe Bryant participated and won a dunk contest. Michael Jordan also destroyed the competition with his dunking. So why doesn't James step up and participate? He really can't be afraid of the spotlight. Can he?
Sound off on the comment section. How badly would you want to see James participate in a dunk contest or do you think he's better off watching from the sidelines?
Follow me on Twitter @Frankie_SWR.
