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Cole Anthony dunks in Timberlands but fails to advance in Dunk Contest

Cole, with the help of his dad, threw down a New York themed dunk

NBA: All Star Saturday Night Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The basketball world awaited while Cole Anthony laced up his Timberlands.

Anthony opened the Slam Dunk Contest by having his father, Greg Anthony, bring him out a pair of Timbs to change into. He sat on the bench lacing them for what seemed like a comically long time, put on his dad’s No. 50 Knicks jersey, and stepped onto the court to attempt a New York themed dunk.

With his dad holding the ball at the basket, Cole grabbed the ball and threw down a left-handed windmill after multiple tries for the first dunk completed wearing Timberlands in NBA history. The multiple tries hurt Cole as it took the buzz out after some showmanship, earning him a score of 40.

“I thought having the Timbs on, [they would] give me a little more credit,” Anthony told reporters after the contest. “You know Timbs heavy. You may not know how heavy Timbs are because people only wearing Timbs out in New York. Them joints are like bricks on your feet. I probably could have done a little more. Maybe a reverse windmill that next time, but I don’t think there’s going to be a next time. This might be a one-and-done appearance for me.”

NBA: All Star Saturday Night Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
2022 NBA All-Star - AT&T Slam Dunk Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

On his second dunk, Anthony tried lobbing the ball to himself and scooping it with one hand while doing a 360, but was unable to convert in three attempts, receiving the lowest possible score of 30. He finished with a combined score of 70, failing to advance to the final.

“I froze up in the spot,” Anthony said.

As for Anthony’s competition in the first round....

Obi Toppin went behind his back while jumping over someone for a 44 and what I thought was the best dunk of the contest. For his second dunk, he went off the glass and threw his legs for a reverse dunk that scored a 46, sending him to the final with a combined total of 90.

Toscano-Anderson, after having Julius Erving sign an ABA basketball, jumped over teammate Andrew Wiggins for the windmill dunk on his first attempt for a score of 44. He then did a 360-windmill on his second dunk for a 43, combining for an 87.

Jalen Green took the court wearing a chain with a cell phone hanging from it as it played his own dunk highlights. After multiple attempting trying to catch a lob off the side of the backboard from teammate Kevin Porter Jr., he instead threw down a traditional lob for a 38. Green then went under his legs while doing a 360 for a 45 for a total of 83 that wasn’t enough to advance.

Toppin, who lost in the finals of the contest last year to Anfernee Simons, defeated Toscano-Anderson in the final. He wrapped up what was one of the more forgettable dunk contests by going through his legs and tapping the backboard for a dunk that received a 47 and looked better on replay than in real time...

While Anthony said the Dunk Contest is probably a one-and-done for him, he is still hoping to return to All-Star Weekend.

“Next time I come to All-Star,” he said, “my goal is to be an All-Star.”