Lebron James Takes a Stand on Pre-Game Dunks

The All-Star dunk contest may need to change, but King James won't let it affect what he does. 

Whether it's behind the back, between the legs or a quadruple somersault with a twist over 5 school buses, Lebron James has decided to continue his pregame dunk routine.

"I don't do it for anybody besides our team,"James stated. "We came up with something and said, 'Let's get warmed up even more.' Actually, [Mario Chalmers] was the one who really started it. He said, 'Let's get hype, let's get up.' We're happy that our fans love it. We're going to continue to do it. It's something we enjoy."

Getting hyped must be working. The Miami Heat are currently on a 12 game win streak and hold the best record in the Eastern Conference. James has faced criticism of late regarding his pregame exhibitions. Fans emotions ranged from disappointment to irritation that James never used those dunk skills on the biggest stage: the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk contest. 

James has long shunned the contest, with his latest reason for not competing being his age. The criticism affected him so much that this week he pondered ending the pregame routine altogether telling ESPN "Maybe I should stop because it's making a lot of people mad about what I do. They're like 'Well, if you can do it in warmups, why don't you want to be in the dunk contest? Stop it." 

Everyone from fans to Forbes.com had an opinion about Lebron taking his talents to the All-Star dunk contest. We haven't heard this much controversy over practice since...well, Allen Iverson. 

I mean, what are we really talking about...Practice?

Miami Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra dismissed opinions that players could get injured in the pregame activities as "absurd." The only thing more absurd is Lebron James play of late. This season, the All-Star forward is averaging 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists a game. In the Heat's most recent game, he scored 40 points and 16 assists in a double overtime win against the Sacramento Kings.