The 2021 NBA Dunk Contest is right around the corner. New York Knicks rookie Obi Toppin will be the winner. Lock it in. No cap. I’m taking this one straight to the bank.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski recently broke the news that Toppin would be a participant in this year’s contest. He’s my pick to take home the crown on March 7 in Atlanta. Actually, he’s my pick to run away with the crown and not even let anyone else look at it.
Toppin is a Freak Athlete
Standing at 6’9″ with a 7’2″ wingspan, Obi can jump out of the gym. The guy was a human highlight reel in college. He had Dickie V’s blood pressure going through the roof on seemingly every Dayton fastbreak during his sophomore season last year. Toppin hasn’t yet lived up to the eighth overall draft pick expectations he had going into his rookie campaign with the Knicks. But he’s already showcased his freakish athleticism with some thunderous dunks at Madison Square Garden this season.
Toppin threw down dunk contest-worthy slams in actual games for the Dayton Flyers throughout his college career as well. Watch him go coast-to-coast and throw down a windmill and-one during a game against URI last year. That should be illegal. Has anyone checked on the URI men’s basketball team since this incident to see how they’re doing? Lord, have mercy.
Not impressed yet? Watch this clip. Toppin backs down his defender and dunks on his head from outside the restricted area. Later in the same game, he steals a pass and delivers a between-the-legs jam on the fastbreak to demoralize yet another collegiate men’s basketball program on national television. Simply put, Obi had no chill in college. So what in the world makes you think he’s gonna take it easy on the rims in this year’s dunk contest?
Not the Best Dunk Contest Lineup We’ve Seen
As if his frequent execution of absurd showtime dunks during live NCAA action wasn’t enough to convince you that Obi Toppin is winning the NBA Dunk Contest, the lineup for this year is not the most impressive.
Trailblazers guard Anfernee Simons and Pacers guard Cassius Stanley are reportedly the only other two participants next to Toppin. Both of those two players have what the kids nowadays would call “quiet bounce” but that doesn’t mean I’m taking either over Rim Rockin’ Obi Toppin to win on March 7.
Are you really picking Anfernee Simons or Cassius Stanley over Obi Toppin in this contest with confidence? I’m certainly not.
There’s only one man who can Defeat Obi Toppin
My only concern is that Zion Williamson might enter the contest at the last minute and crash Toppin’s dunk party. Obi is a freak athlete, but I’m fully convinced that Zion is not a product of this Earth. He is superhuman. I have to give the edge to Williamson over Obi Toppin in terms of who has more raw athleticism. What are they feeding that kid at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans?
One thing is for sure. The 2021 NBA Dunk Contest would be one hell of a show with Toppin and Williamson going head-to-head. With less than a week left until the All-Star break, we’ll have to sit tight and hope we get to see the two high-flying young guns battle it out for the dunk contest crown on March 7 in Atlanta.
