Lakers’ Shannon Brown receiving support to be in dunk contest

When TNT announces Monday the participants for the 2010 NBA All-Star game dunk contest, Lakers guard Shannon Brown said that’s when he’ll know if he was selected.

Brown has had his Lakers teammates, Lakers fans and Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, who won the dunk contest in 2008 and was the runner-up in 2009, all say they want to see him in the contest that will be held Feb. 13 of All-Star weekend at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Brown has become a YouTube sensation because of his dunking exploits, and there has been a groundswell of support on Facebook called “Let Shannon Dunk.”

“I haven’t heard nothing,” Brown said. “I’m waiting until Monday like everybody else. I’ll be just as surprised. I hope it works out.”

Brown was told that with all the support he has received this season, and because of his dunk highlights, it seems as if he’ll be selected.

Clippers guard Eric Gordon and Toronto rookie guard DeMar DeRozan, a USC product, were told that they had to compete in the NBA All-Star dunk-in to determine participants in the contest.

Because Brown wasn’t asked to be in that contest, he was told that it was assumed that he would be in the slam dunk contest.

“I hope he makes it,” Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. “It would be good for him.

“Now, I don’t see any need for [Cleveland’s] LeBron [James] to do it. Everybody kind of wants to see him in it. If Cleveland is hosting the game, then it’s something else.”

Jackson recalled the 1988 dunk contest in Chicago had plenty of big names such as Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Clyde Drexler and Spud Webb.

“I don’t think it has the luster it had in those days,” Jackson said.

“Now these guys get like three chances to make their one dunk. It’s not really like a contest. It’s not like a show, like do your animal tricks and now you can leave type of thing.”

Another celebration

It’s been seven months since the Lakers won the NBA title, but the spoils of success are still being felt.

The team will visit President Obama at the White House on Jan. 25, a day before the Lakers’ road game against the Washington Wizards.

The Lakers went to the White House only once when they won three consecutive titles in the early 2000s. They haven’t been there since January 2002, seven months after beating the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals.

“Obviously, it’s an experience because you’re going to see the president,” said Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw, who was a guard on those championship teams. “Plus, Obama knows the game and respects the game. It’s not going to be a scripted visit.”

Obama called Jacksona few days after the Lakers won the championship last June and talked about the keys to the Lakers’ success, as well as his personal interest in the Lakers’ triangle offense, according to a brief synopsis released by the White House.

Obama, a former senator from Illinois, also told Jackson he had admired him since his days as the Chicago Bulls’ coach.

broderick.turner@latimes.com

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Times staff writer Mike Bresnahan contributed to this report.