“Oh, let me show you this one,” Houston Rockets center Christian Wood said at practice as he dribbled towards the goal.
The 6-foot-10 Wood explodes off the ground, puts the ball through his legs, and dunks it with ferocity. His teammates high-five him as they all stand around waiting for their turn to emulate what they saw.
One player stood on the sideline watching with two basketballs in his hands, trying to comprehend a new dunk that just popped into his mind.
Rookie Jalen Green calls for his backcourt mate Kevin Porter Jr. to explain to him what he is going to try, and next thing you know, Green is in the air with his head above the rim — trying to execute a nearly impossible dunk.
“Let’s try it again,” Green said. “I think if I jump a little higher, I can grab the other ball quicker.”
Green, now 20 years old, is one of four participants who is set to compete in the AT&T Slam Dunk contest in Cleveland on Saturday, Feb. 19 during NBA All-Star Weekend. Historically, he will be only the fifth Houston Rockets player to compete in the competition.
“I have some exciting things planned,” Green said on Tuesday. “It’s going to be a show. It’s going to be fun. I’ve been dreaming about moments like this, and I have to make the best of it. I have some ideas planned, but I don’t want to say too much, but it is going to be exciting.”
Joining Green in the contest will be Orlando’s Jalen Suggs, Golden State’s Juan Toscano-Anderson, and New York’s Obi Toppin.
“I do expect Jalen to win,” teammate Eric Gordon said after practice on Tuesday. “I definitely expect that.”
Christian Wood echoed the sentiments of Gordon when asked to predict the outcome of the dunk contest. “I think he is going to win it,” Wood said. “I am choosing Jalen. I got him for sure. He is going to bring out something that we have seen many times in practice.”
Green, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, will also compete in the Clorox Rising Stars event during All-Star Weekend. He will be accompanied by teammates Jae’Sean Tate and Alperen Sengun, who were each selected to compete in the tournament, as well.
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