Obi Toppin is ready to give New York Knicks fans something to cheer for in a season that has been disappointing so far.
Toppin is the lone Knicks representative in the NBA All-Star weekend in Cleveland, and he vowed to go all out.
“Man, I just got to represent New York well and come out with this dub and just have fun,” Toppin told reporters a few hours before he vies for the Slam Dunk title he came close to winning last year.
Toppin will be the crowd favorite in one of the most anticipated side events of the mid-season classic. After all, Toppin became a college basketball sensation in Dayton, just three hours away from Cleveland.
Obi Toppin will be the fourth player to represent the Knicks in the Slam Dunk Contest in consecutive seasons. #NewYorkForever
The others: Gerald Wilkins (1986-1987), Kenny Walker (1989-1990), and Nate Robinson (2006-2007 and 2009-2010). Walker won in 1989 and Robinson won 3x.
— Elias Sports Bureau (@EliasSports) February 19, 2022
“I got some dunks never been done before in the dunk contest. So, just gotta wait and see,” Toppin said.
The Brooklyn native said he watched every Slam Dunk contest to prepare for his set this year. He considers the Aaron Gordon-Zach LaVine face-off as the best he’d seen so far.
“Just watch what everybody’s done and you just try to go outside the box and just create your own style moves,” Toppin said. “That’s what practice is for, like we had enough time to practice dunks. I felt like I got my dunks down pack now, so just going out there have fun and get these dunks right.”
Toppin attempts to become the first Knicks player to win the Slam Dunk crown since Nate Robinson in 2010. Robinson also ruled the event in 2006 and 2009. Kenny “Sky” Walker was the first Knick to win the event in 1989.
Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo