Please, Zion Williamson: Save the NBA Slam Dunk Contest next year

Gerry Broome, The Associated Press Duke’s Zion Williamson (1) drives for a dunk against Clemson during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It takes more than one classic dunk to make a classic Slam Dunk Contest, and that’s why this year’s event will soon be forgotten.

Hamidou Diallo was a crowd favorite and a worthy champion, springing over 7-foot-1 Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal to finish a Vince Carter-style elbow dunk that deservedly drew a perfect “50” from the judges. But the little-known Oklahoma City Thunder guard needed some real competition, and Dennis Smith Jr., John Collins and Miles Bridges simply weren’t…