Everything Is Wrestling

The 2016 NBA Slam Dunk Contest provided one of the rarest forms of competition you will ever see, a clean match with a clean finish.

So much of the narrative of competitions, in sports and sports entertainment, takes the typical face vs. heel dynamic. Two faces going up against each other with no animosity towards each other and obeying the rules is clean. A victor emerging without either sides turning heel and without outside factors or interference is the cleanest it will ever get. Throw in nearly flawless execution into the mix and it is possibly one of the rarest things you will ever see. Not even Kevin Hart commentary or the appearance of a Hoverboard could ruin it.

Zach LaVine successfully defended his title his 2015 Slam Dunk Contest Championship against Aaron Gordon in Toronto on Saturday in a battle that took a double overtime to decide. LaVine received a perfect score of 200, edging out Gordon's 197.

What determines a great match is its staying power. The All-Star Game is the main event the skills competitions are in support of. And rather than still talking about the Kobe send off or Paul George coming close to breaking the record for the most points scored in an All-Star Game, reports are still coming in about the dunks.

One is the report that Zack LaVine had more left in the tank.

Jordan Clarkson said Zach LaVine has a double through-the-legs dunk that he didn't bust out: "It's like a video game."
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) February 17, 2016

Another is ESPN Sport Science dissecting the physics of the jams.

This budding feud has made the Slam Dunk Contest a must see again and the 2017 contest can't come soon enough. Anything can happen between now and then. But this feud is dying for a payoff. If it's just as clean it will be transcendental.