New York, NY (My Sportsbook) - Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith has been chosen to replace the injured Rudy Gay of the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2009 Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix on February 14, the league announced on Tuesday. In his third season with the Nuggets, Smith came into Tuesday averaging career-highs of 13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists in a career-best 27.7 minutes per contest through 50 games this season. This will be Smith's second appearance in the annual Slam Dunk Contest. As a member of the New Orleans Hornets, he finished third in the 2005 Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Denver's high-flyer will become the fifth Nuggets player to appear in an official NBA Slam Dunk Contest, joining Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (sixth place in 1993), Robert Pack (second in 1994), Darvin Ham (fourth in 1997) and Chris Andersen (third in 2004). |
