2009 Sprite Slam Dunk Competition Contenders Unveiled

The 2010 NBA All-Star festivities are less than a month away, and the NBA has begun rolling out the list of participants in the events. They recently announced the lineup for Feb. 13's Sprite Slam Dunk competition, one of the most anticipated events each year. 

New York Knicks' Nate Robinson, last year's winner, is returning this year in his bid to become the first three-time winner of the competition. He won in Phoenix last year by edging out defending champion Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic with a classic dunk, and won the 2006 event by dunking over 1986 champ Spud Webb.

According to Robinson, who will compete against the Charlotte Bobcats’ Gerald Wallace and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Shannon Brown,"the champion has to go back." 

"The NBA, they asked me, 'Do you want to do it?' And at first I wasn't sure," Robinson admitted. "The NBA, they asked me: 'Do you want to do it?' And at first I wasn't sure. This is my fourth time doing it, so I know people probably get sick of seeing me dunk, but like I said, the champion's got to go back."

“From capes and kryptonite to blowing out candles and leaping over legends, Sprite Slam Dunk has produced some of the most creative moments in NBA All-Star history,” said Ellen Lucey, director of sports marketing for Coca-Cola North America. “It’s only fitting that we reveal this year’s dunkers with a spark of creativity as Nate, Gerald and Shannon prepare to wow fans by pushing their performance to new heights in Dallas.”

Additionally, the Toronto Raptors’ DeMar DeRozan and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Eric Gordon will compete in the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk-In, a single-round slam dunk competition that will be held at halftime of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Feb. 12. The winner will get a shot against the other three contenders in the Sprite Slam Dunk competition.

The Sprite Slam Dunk and T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam are part of NBA All-Star 2010, which also includes the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk-In, Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Haier Shooting Stars, NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas and the 59th NBA All-Star Game. 

Sprite, the world’s leading lemon-lime soft drink, has been the official soft drink of the NBA since 1994 and the title partner of the All-Star Slam Dunk competition since 2003. Head to NBA.com for more, including a look at Hoopsvibe's redesign Sprite sponsorship!