Littlest Is Big in Dunk Contest

NBA basketball is a big man’s game.

Don’t tell that to 5-foot-9 Nate Robinson.

The New York Knick rookie won the NBA All-Star dunk competition Saturday night, beating out 6-6 Andre Iguodala of Philadelphia, 6-9 Hakim Warrick of Memphis and 6-9 defending champion Josh Smith of Atlanta.

Robinson, who earned a $35,000 first prize, electrified the Toyota Center by taking a bounce pass from Spud Webb, the 1986 champion, and leaping over the 5-7 Webb to jam. The stunt earned a perfect 50-point score to force a dunk-off against Iguodala, who had received two perfect scores.

In the dunk-off, Robinson jammed on the 14th try, catching his own pass off the backboard. He earned 47 points, edging Iguodala by a point.

“This is something I dream about,” Robinson said before the contest. “Hopefully, kids go out there and one day want to be like me.

“Hopefully I can just go out there and just send a message to some of these kids that, even though you’re small, you can mean so much more to yourself and your friends and family and to people all across the world.”

Each player dunked twice in the first round, with a panel of five judges awarding composite scores from 30 to 50 points. The top two scores advanced to the finals.

The dunk contest highlighted All-Star Saturday, which included the three-point shootout, the skills challenge and the shooting stars.

In the 20th three-point shootout, Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki, a 7-footer, outshot Seattle’s Ray Allen and Washington’s Gilbert Arenas in the final round to win the $35,000 first prize.

Nowitzki scored 18 points, topping Arenas’ 16 and Allen’s 15.

Miami guard Dwyane Wade edged Cleveland’s LeBron James in the final round of the fourth skills challenge.

*

Associated Press

*

*

Laker officials denied there was anything to a published report that the team is pursuing a Lamar Odom-Steve Francis trade with Orlando.

“He knows at this time there are a lot of rumors out there,” said Odom’s agent, Jeff Schwartz, “and he’s taking them with a grain of salt.”

-- Mike Bresnahan