Q&A with Crash and LetShannonDunk.com.
Gerald Wallace vs. Shannon Brown. Shannon Brown vs. Gerald Wallace.
Anyway you look at it, the two of them will be going toe-to-toe in the Slam Dunk contest next weekend in Dallas, Tex. And although neither one would never admit as much, you get the feeling that both these cats want to win.
Hey Gerald Wallace, forget about the whole nonchalant routine. Shannon Brown, you know humbleness will only take you so far in life.
Come on, real recognizes real.
Deep down, both these cats want to bring home the hardware as the dopest dunker in the NBA. Both want to impress the judges, and fans alike. Both want to be known as the best in the business, the best the League has to offer.
Sure, we’re well aware of the fact that Nate Robinson, and either Eric Gordon or DeMar DeRozan, will also be participating.
But for the purposes of this particular feature, we’re only concerned with one thing, the Gerald Wallace vs. Shannon Brown match-up. Or perhaps it’s the Shannon Brown vs. Gerald Wallace match-up. Nothing else matters.
That said, we had a chance to talk with both these cats earlier this week when Charlotte was in town, Los Angeles, to take on the Lakers. Here’s an inside look at some of the things they had to say about the Slam Dunk contest.
SLAM: Who’s going to win thing?
Gerald Wallace: Not sure man.
Shannon Brown: Couldn’t tell you.
SLAM: Figured you guys were going to say something like that. Guess you’ve been bombarded with question after question about the Slam Dunk contest ever since the announcement was made. Ever get tired of the all the hype?
GW: No, it doesn’t bother me. I’m used to it.
SB: Yeah, sometimes. It’s part of the job.
SLAM: You know each other well from last year when Shannon was in Charlotte, before he was traded to the Lakers. Who was the better dunker during those Bobcat practices?
GW: Shannon can get up. He’s a great athlete. I’ve always encouraged him to enter the dunk contest. It‘s his time to show everyone in the League what he can do.
SB: Yeah, back in the day, he mentioned something about All-Star Weekend. He told me to do my thing, and all that. It’s ironic that we’re both going to be out there.
SLAM: So, Shannon is going to win?
GW: It’d be a big accomplishment if he did.
SB: We definitely have a mutual respect. One of us is going to win.
SLAM: Will there be any friendly wagers made beforehand, on who does better?
GW: Nah, no betting man.
SB: Dinner, maybe.
SLAM: Can you give us any insight, a hint on something we might end up seeing when the time is right?
GW: I don’t plan on doing anything off the wall. Don’t want to hurt myself, hurt my team. I’ll be out there having fun. That’s about all I can say.
SB: I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Can’t tell you anything about them though. Don’t want to give anything away.
SLAM: Last chance to make a prediction. Who’s lifting the Slam Dunk contest trophy over their head next Saturday night?
GW: It would be nice to come away with the title. It’s all about making your dunks, that‘s the main thing. If I do that, I‘m not worried.
SB: We’re both competitors. We like to compete. There will be some trash-talking, this, that and the other. I want to put my mark on the on the NBA, my stamp. I’m handling things accordingly.
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