His monster slam in Atlanta came in front of legends Dominique Wilkins and Julius Erving and served notice he's ready to challenge two-time champ Mac McClung.
CHARLOTTE , N.C. – With NBA high-flying royalty on hand Wednesday night in Atlanta , Spurs rookie Stephon Castle delivered like the slam-dunk king he hopes to soon become. After collecting a pass from Devin Vassell out on the perimeter late in the first quarter, Castle created a lane to the basket with an up-fake that froze Larry Nance Jr.
in his tracks. A couple of dribbles later, the 6-foot-6 Connecticut alumnus elevated inside the paint to throw down a thundering two-hand slam over Garrison Matthews that brought his teammates on the Spurs bench to their feet. It also likely prompted a couple of nods of approval from NBA Hall of Famers and past dunk champions Dominique Wilkins and Julius Erving from their seats at State Farm Arena, where the Spurs held on for a 126-125 win over the Hawks in a game televised nationally by ESPN. 'I'm trying to follow in their footsteps right now with this dunk contest, so I hope I impressed them a little bit at least,' Castle, a native of nearby Covington, Ga., said of Wilkins and Erving after he played his first NBA game in his home state. Castle finished with 11 points, three assists and a steal in 20 minutes off the bench, but it was his dunk over Matthews that drew the most attention. 'Clearly, he was prepping for the dunk contest,' Spurs forward Harrison Barnes said Friday after shootaround in preparation for that night's game against the Hornets. Castle will square off against two-time defending champion Mac McClung of Orlando, Andre Jackson Jr. of Milwaukee and fellow rookie Matas Buzelis of Chicago on Feb. 15 at All-Star Weekend in San Francisco. READ MORE: All-Star draft lands Wembanyama on squad loaded with international stars Castle is the fourth Spur to participate in the annual event and the first since Greg “Cadillac” Anderson in 1988. Johnny Dawkins and Edgar 'Helicopter' Jones also represented the Spurs in NBA dunk contests. For the past several weeks, Castle has practiced for the event with dunks at practices, shootarounds and games both at home and on the road that have impressed his teammates. 'He pulls out some crazy stuff just in warm-ups, so I can only imagine what he's going to try and do in the slam dunk contest,' Devin Vassell said. Castle's highlight-reel slam against the Hawks highlighted his unique ability to explode skyward just feet from the basket. 'I know he has kind of got that slow pace, but once he gets to two feet , it's over,' Vassell said. 'He comes out of nowhere and he just explodes.' Castle said he is still trying to figure out which dunks he will use in San Francisco and if he will use props. 'It's not all the way finalized, but it's getting there,' he said. Castle said when he thinks about the competition, he experiences a mix of anxiety and confidence. 'I get nervous for most games, so I think it's just going to be another event for me,' he said. The NBA announced Thursday the judges for the contest will include former NBA stars Baron Davis, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady and Jason Richardson. MIKE FINGER: How Fox proved San Antonio was a preferred destination at NBA trade deadline Castle's teammates are confident he will thrive in the spotlight. 'The variety of dunks he's had, the force he's played with, the confidence he's building as a rookie, it has been impressive,' Barnes said. Impressive doesn't begin to describe what Wilkins and Erving did back in the day. Wilkins, nicknamed 'The Human Highlight Film' won the NBA dunk contest in 1985 and 1990 while with Atlanta. Erving, dubbed 'Dr. J,' won the ABA dunk contest in 1976 while with the New York Nets in a strong field that included the Spurs' George 'The Iceman' Gervin and Larry 'Special K' Kenon, the Denver Nuggets' David 'Skywalker' Thompson and the Kentucky Colonels' Artis 'A-Train' Gilmore. Erving won the event thanks to his famed three-strides-to-the-rim-from-15-feet-away slam. 'I remember the afro,' ESPN quoted Gervin in an anniversary piece about the contest. 'Doc's hair was flying back.' Castle said he enjoys watching video clips of greats like Erving in action 'all the time.' 'I feel like they made the dunk contest what it is today, so I'm really trying be in the same kind of feeling they had,' he said.
Hawks ESPN NBA Hall Of Famers Denver Nuggets ABA New York Nets Kentucky Colonels How Fox Stephon Castle Julius Erving Devin Vassell Mac Mcclung Johnny Dawkins Matas Buzelis Garrison Matthews Larry Nance Jr. Harrison Barnes All-Star Andre Jackson Jr. Greg ``Cadillac'' Anderson Edgar ``Helicopter'' Jones Larry ``Special K'' Kenon George ``The Iceman'' Gervin David ``Skywalker'' Thompson Artis ``A-Train'' Gilmore Doc Baron Davis Jason Richardson Tracy Mcgrady Kevin Garnett Spurs State Farm Arena Atlanta CHARLOTTE Connecticut San Francisco Milwaukee Chicago Orlando Ga. Covington All-Star Weekend N.C. Wembanyama Castle Dominique Wilkins
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