NBA Press Release Crowned Blake Griffin Slam Dunk Champion Before Contest
Blake Griffin is without question the NBA’s best dunker. He throws down dunks like this one and this one on a nightly basis, and we have become so accustomed to seeing it that we tend to under-appreciate what the beast is capable of. The NBA, however, has plenty of respect for the Clippers star.
Remember how we (or, I) told you we thought the NBA had predetermined that Griffin was going to be the winner of the 2011 Dunk Contest at any cost? Thanks to Ben Maller, we now have that in writing. Have a look at this NBA press release, paying particular attention to the 1:20 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. time slot under “HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE.”
Griffin was indeed the winner of the contest after jumping over a car, but the issue lies in the timing of the press release. It was sent out via email at 5:28 p.m. EST on Saturday Feb. 19. The competition began over an hour later.
The NBA sent out a corrected version of the press release later that evening, but the error has to leave fans wondering if calling Griffin the “winner” was a type-o or Freudian slip. Those of us who weren’t impressed by the car dunk are going with the latter.
