Houston Rockets rookie Jalen Green expressed his desire to return to the NBA Slam Dunk Contest after an early exit in the annual event on Saturday in Cleveland, Ohio.
Green was among four players that competed, joining Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony, New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin and Golden State Warriors guard Juan Toscano-Anderson. Toppin was named the winner after out-dunking Toscano-Anderson in the final round.
The Rockets guard struggled to throw down his first dunk attempt, needing several tries before eventually getting it in. He initially wanted to catch the ball off of the side of the backboard from teammate Joshua Christopher but couldn’t throw it down.
He improvised and just did a windmill dunk off a lob from Christopher.
“You’re going to make or miss a dunk,” Green said afterward. “I didn’t really practice too much and just went out wingin’ it. It was still fun. I’m glad I got to go out there. I enjoyed that.”
Jalen Green's first dunk.
38. pic.twitter.com/xhl9n7i0AD
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) February 20, 2022
Green responded by having a better second attempt, earning a score of 45 from the five judges. On that try, Green did a 360 and put the ball between his legs to showcase his elite leaping ability. However, by that point, he was all but eliminated from the competition.
The 20-year-old entered the contest favored to win by most sportsbooks. However, the hype quickly faded after failing on multiple tries to throw down his first attempt. He wants to have a re-do and vowed to return next year when the event will be held in Salt Lake City.
“I for sure need a run-back because I messed up,” Green said. “I need to run that back next year. We’ll figure it out. … I need next year. I’ll be here next year.”
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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