The 1997 Slam Dunk Contest competitors Kobe Bryant: Kobe wasn’t KOBE just yet but he was still Kobe, everyone knew this guy was going to be a star, it was just a matter of time.

The last time NBA All-Star Weekend was in Cleveland, an 18-year-old rookie named Kobe Bryant won the Slam Dunk Contest. To secure the title, he defeated Michael Finley, Ray Allen, Bobby Sura, and ...

Creative excellence. Youthful exuberance. The 1997 All-Star Game is where it all started. I followed him for the remainder of his career, even idolized him. He was my Dr. J, my Magic, my Bird, my MJ.

Using this 1997 Dunk Contest that Bryant won as an example of why James could have won is not ideal, though. This edition was so underwhelming that the NBA actually canceled the 1998 Dunk Contest ...

The then-18-year-old claimed the 1997 NBA All-Star Game Slam Dunk title in the contest held at the then-Gund Arena in downtown Cleveland.

LOS ANGELES - Former Saginaw High standout Darvin Ham, along with his fans, will always remember the 1997 NBA Dunk Contest as an injustice. Kobe Bryant officially won the dunk contest with a ...

While many consider the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest as one of the worst—and call out that the next two years were called off because of it—you can’t overlook the greatness of the Lakers legend.

Over All-Star weekend during his rookie season on the Lakers in 1997, Bryant set a Rookie Game record with 31 points. The next night, Bryant won the Slam Dunk Contest in dominant fashion.

However, in 1997, Kobe Bryant made his Slam Dunk Contest debut and brought home the Lakers’ first trophy. At just 18 years old, Bryant’s leaping ability was already legendary.