A critical part of the Slam Dunk Contest every year is the actual dunks. Sure, that sounds like it should go without saying. But someone on TNT’s production team needed that reminder during NBA All-Star Saturday Night.
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown became the first All-Star to partake in the Slam Dunk Contest since 2018 on Saturday. The setup for his first dunk was confusing, as he pulled someone wearing a Dominique Wilkins Atlanta Hawks jersey onto the court. The person coached Brown on Wilkins’ windmill dunk, then got out of the way.
The camera initially switched to an overhead shot. Naturally, when Brown began his dunk attempt, the camera switched. Only, it did not switch to Brown. Rather, the camera focused on the judge’s table, focusing on the man wearing the Wilkins jersey and Wilkins himself. When it switched back to Brown, the dunk was complete.
If you're going to broadcast the dunk contest, showing the dunks feels like it should be a priority. pic.twitter.com/YX4UCO9BLZ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 18, 2024
Fortunately, some cameras were locked on Brown during his attempt. So, even though fans didn’t get to see his dunk live, they did get to see it via replay.
If anyone is curious how the actual dunk turned out. pic.twitter.com/PUVFiBcLam
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 18, 2024
That’s better than nothing, we suppose. But still an embarrassing miss. Showing the actual contest feels like it should be the most essential part of the broadcast. Barring a technical issue, it’s hard to understand how that didn’t happen here.
[Photo Credit: TNT]
