Rudy Fernandez Was Robbed At The Slam Dunk Competition
Total Pro Sports- He can't jump over a 7 foot player, he doesn't wear a cape or use stupid props, he simply throws down awesome dunks.
His name is Rudy Fernandez, he plays for the Portland Trailblazers and he got screwed bad in this years NBA Slam Dunk contest. In what was one of the worst judged contests I have ever seen, Rudy received the lowest scores for both of his dunks, when he should have been among the leaders.
I don't know if David Stern was greasing the pockets of the judges, or they just didn't like this guy because he is from Europe, but the fix was in. Dwight Howard, who won the competition last year, used every gimmick imaginable to make it to the finals. He also attempted his first dunk a handful of times before he got it, while Rudy on the other hand, needed only one attempt to complete both his dunks. Howard used a cape, another basket, a forklift and a telephone booth to complete his dunks and all Fernandez needed was a ball.
I thought the dunk contest was about Slam Dunks and not about props and jumping off other peoples backs. Next year they should just use trampolines and let the contest be open to everyone in America. I used to like watching it, now I would rather watch re-runs of dancing with the stars, because at least I know they won't be using props.
David Stern, you should be ashamed of yourself for putting that garbage on T.V. and ruining the once great contest. I think you owe an apology to Rudy Fernandez.
To Rudy, I feel really bad that you had to be embarrassed like that, maybe next year you could wear a stupid costume and use a bunch of dumb props and you might have a shot.
By the way, Nate Robinson was the winner, but who really cares.
He got ROBBED!!!!! SON
Rudy got screwed, it was going to be nate and dwight in the finals before the contest even started. the judges were clueless and dependent on each other. i had great respect for nate and dwights dunks but rudy clearly should have been a finalist.
I’m writting from Spain and have a couple things to say.
First of all thanks for this article saying the truth: Rudy was robbed. Despite he didn’t get both dunks at first try as you say, but he didn’t deserved the lack of respect that judges used with him. I mean, we understand that this is an NBA’s show made to he bigger glory of certain players, but then they shouldn’t invite to participate to players who take it seriously and make an effort to improve the contest: use puppets.
Second: I can’t understand that when Rudy showed a jersey with the number 10 of the Blazers and the name “Martin” on his back, one of the speakers of american tv didn’t know who Fernando Martin was, (first spaniard player on NBA, first european player not arriving from american University, first player opennig a new path, and unfortunately dead at car crash in1989 when he was 27), and this speaker couldn’t hold his desire of showing his ignorance by saying:”Martin? Who is Martin? Ricki Martin?”. Excuse me sir: Who gave you this job as an NBA expert? Donald Duck? Mr.Mickey…Mouse
im with you novarga.
i was there last night and was embarrassed with my panel of phoenix suns judges. it was obviously rigged to get nate and dwight to the finals.
im thankful that you can describe the frustration i have with the NBA inviting real players with real dunks to compete hopelessly against a circus act.
nate and dwight are amazing, but rudy’s 2 dunks were the best of the night.
(rudy’s 2nd dunk was not on the 1st attempt though, it was his next to last!)
and for your second point, it is ridiculous to listen to kenny smith and chris webber act cocky all night like they would win the contest if they were in it, and then have no clue who fernando martin is.
Well put Novarga! Lack of respect is exactly what I was thinking, for that announcer to make a comment like that without finding out who the player was. Even if Martin was not a great dunker it is still someone that Fernandez clearly respects and idolizes. Let’s face it the reason that Fernandez did not win this particular dunk contest was not because of his lack of creativity but i feel it was based on his ethnic backround.
I agree with the panel here, this was a complete and utter disrespect of the game of basketball. Penalize a spanish player who doesn’t use anything flashy except pure skills. The fact he didn’t have a cape and do a plain two handed dunk on a twelve foot net cost him, it didn’t really matter what dwight howard did he was going to receive a 50. Rudy Fernandez was ultimately robbed and I hope he is reinvited next year and receives a fair voting not this nonsence we saw last night. And as for Kenny smith and the rest of the announcers to disrespect Fernando Martin was just rididuclous, like kenny “the jet” was so special.
I think Rudy should have won the competition. And I agree this Slam Dunk Competition is turning into a circus
they should stop having a dunk contest!!!!! and just put on an entertainment contest>> they put a black president for change but they don’t know what change is…. white boy can dunk too!!!! he was really SCREWED!!!!
Completely disappointing… I am also writing from spain and the feeling I got from yesterdays circus is… I mean, Howard first dunk a 50!!! WTF! Nate using a trampoline… and the jump over Howard it helps himself with the left hand (amazing dunk any way, but it uses the other hand). Rudy did very good, may be not enough to win (well, we don’t know what he had prepared for the third and forth dunk) but he was completely underestimated… Very sad.
And TNT commentators, what can I say… Pay me a quarter their salary and I could do it better.
Completely agree with all you guys. Objective and serious comments.
Regards from spain.
PEOPLE,DONT TAKE IT SO PERSONALLY.KENNY SMITH DID NOT SAY RICKY MARTIN,HE SAID LaRUE MARTIN,WHO WAS THE 1ST PICK IN 72 DRAFT BY THE BLAZERS,AND CONSIDERED THE WORST 1ST PICK EVER.HE COULDNT BELIEVE THAT HE WAS HONORING A BUM LIKE LaRUE MARTIN.AND AS FAR AS FERNANDO MARTIN HE ONLY PLAYED 24 GAMES FOR THE BLAZERS IN HIS ILLUSTRIOUS NBA CAREER-WHICH MAKES HIM AN EVEN BIGGER BUM.
Actually, first they said “LaRue Martin?” Then he jokingly said “Ricky Martin?” Kenny Smith was disrespectful during both of Rudy’s turns. I kept wishing he would just shut the heck up and keep his ignorant comments to himself.
DENNYBOB on February 15th, 2009 11:46 pm
Just a remark: 2009, NBA as a world entertainment show in which insterest for other countries markets has made it so open for no american players, from balcans, spain, YAO MING (chinese huge market) but still happen this things like Rudy Fernandez at the dunk contest.
How do you think life was for an euroean player in the 80s?
Great players coming from around the world, some need years to gain respect, some go back to a less money maker basketball but richer in concepts. (Jasickevicius, Navarro…) Sometimes is not that they can’t adapt, sometimes is the coach, the mates…
Do you know some NBA team is interested in bringing Ettore Messina? Bussiness or they wanna start introducing more basketball concepts to get NBA where it used to be…
We’ll see
Do you know
Hi guys! The dunk contest was completelly unfair, i’m from spain too, and i’m doubting if see the next year contest, if I want to see a circus, i will go to the circus… but make the contest a litlle serious please, david stern should be embarassed… and the judges should have to be persons like Dr.J, Wilkins, etc, people that knows what a dunk is, not the judges of thata year… and what to say of the TNT commentors, they aren’t professionals, they are racist!
Byes and see you.
Rudy got robbed. To restore some credibility to the contest next year they better get a panel of real judges rather than the knuckle-dragging chuckle heads they had this year. It was a total joke, like some bit you’d see on a WWE episode. It was rigged, how can Rudy get a 43 when another guy gave up and didn’t dunk but also got a 43?! Those judges were idiots, i bet they majored in Sociology in college and got a
1.2 GPA.
I agree with your article wholeheartedly , Fernandez was robbed for sure , but suggesting he lower himself to the level of Stern , Howard and Robinson is wrong .The NBA looks more like the WWE than the WWE does , in other words the sport itself isn’t good enough anymore to entertain us .I beleive these ideas come from those like Stern who’ve never played are probably 5 feet tall and bald and crunch numbers .There are great atheletes out there and they are thrilling to watch , if they are left to play without the pathetic window dressing .My friends and I ( a local sports watching group ) no longer watch basketball , except for the final 5 mins .The rest is like a video game , no meaningful defense allowed and if tried a free throw contest results .We long for the days of Frazier vs West or Monroe , when a great scorer had to duel a great defender , we now love the MSG channel that shows the older games when just good basketball was more than enough .JUST LET THEM PLAY !!!