The 2012 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest was more than a little too contrived in the opinions of just about everyone watching. But that doesn’t mean that there weren’t a few dunks that are worth reliving, and Chase Budinger provided one of them for us in the event’s final round.
Twenty years ago, Cedric Ceballos won the dunk contest with this blindfolded number that was both exciting and innovative at the time. Sure, we all knew he could see through it, but it was an original idea that he pulled off on his first try.
Chase Budinger paid tribute to Ceballos, and his reverse jam on his second attempt while blindfolded was impressive. We wish he hadn’t excessively played up the gimmick by trying to make us believe he truly couldn’t see when he awkwardly tanked his first attempt, but on a night saturated with silliness, this throwdown was still one of the four or five best.
