Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith is a regular fixture in the All-Star Dunk Contest. Though Smith is known for his commentary and judging during the contest, he was a part of the contest and took part in three editions, 1990, 1991, and 1993. Even though Smith never won the competition, many believe the 1990 contest should have gone to him.
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With this year’s dunk contest being rather lackluster, let’s turn back the clock and revisit Smith’s best moments from his three appearances in the contest.
The 1990 Dunk Contest
The first contest Kenny Smith participated in was way back in 1990. Being drafted by the Kings just three years ago, everyone was aware of Smith’s athleticism. Smith started cold, with his first dunk being an up-and-under dunk which landed him a score of 43.4. The second dunk was Smith’s redemption (49.6 points), as the 6’3 guard would pull off a between-the-legs, off-the-backboard dunk.
For the second round, Kenny started with a 360 dunk off the bounce which would land him an impressive 49.1 points. His second dunk for the round was rather more impressive, off-the-bounce single-pump reverse jam. The Dunk got a reaction from the crowd and Kenny would land himself a spot in the final with a score of 49.2.
The final round of the contest saw Kenny Smith up against Dominique Wilkins. Kenny would open the finals with a monstrous free-throw line dunk, landing him a score of 48.1 points. His second dunk was a repeat of his between the legs off the backboard, only this time, ‘The Jet’ decided to do a reverse on his finish, landing him a score of 49.8.
Things would quickly go south for Smith, as the young guard would mess up his final attempt. With no reserve dunks available to Smith, the Kings player settled for a score of 47.5 for his final attempt. Wilkins would take home the trophy, as he would finish off the contest with a thunderous windmill, leaving many feeling that Smith had been ‘robbed’.
The 1991 Dunk Contest
The following year Smith was out for vengeance. The 6’3 guard began the first round with his iconic off-the-backboard dunk which granted him a score of 48.5 points. For his second dunk, Kenny did a single clutch behind the head maneuver, which guaranteed his passage to the second round.
For his first dunk of the second round, the Kings guard would settle for a 360-degree single-handed jam (46.6 points). With most of the field pulling ahead, Smith recognized that his shot at the title might be over, as he ended his campaign with a simple double-clutch dunk, as he walked off the floor.
The 1993 Dunk Contest
The 1993 dunk contest would be Smith’s final appearance as a participant. Unfortunately for Smith, he wouldn’t make it out of the first round this time. The King’s guard would begin the show with a 360 Slam which he put away powerfully, landing him a score of 46.5 points.
For his second dunk, ‘the Jet’ would attempt a self-lob dunk, where he would end up catching hold of the rim. The Judges didn’t seem too impressed, giving Smith a 38.5 for the attempt. Smith messed up his final dunk, resulting in the 6’3 guard being eliminated from the competition altogether.
Barkley roasted Kenny Smith for his dunk contest history
The TNT crew often keeps going back and forth roasting each other. With Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal usually going at it, it’s fun to see other TNT panelists getting heated too. After calling out the 2024 Dunk Contest, Kenny the Jet Smith returned to the TNT crew, where Barkley was waiting to roast the 2-time Champion.
While talking about Dominique Wilkins’s past performances in the Slam Dunk Contest, an agitated Kenny quickly confessed, “I got robbed by Dominique”.
To which Barkley quickly responded,
“Please Stop It! We’re still trying to figure out why you were in the Slam Dunk Contest.”
Jokes aside, Kenny Smith was an athletic phenom back in his playing days. He gave Wilkins a run for his money in 1990 and ended up winning two championships with the Rockets. Smith was an important piece during the Rockets’ run, and even with his failures in the Dunk Contest, he was rather successful when it mattered most.
