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For the first time, fans will have the final say
deciding the winner of the Sprite Slam Dunk competition. Following the
concluding round of dunks, fans will be able to cast their votes via
SMS TXT message and at NBA.com to determine this year⁈⁚s winner.
The dunker with the most fan votes will be named the winner of the
Sprite Slam Dunk. A panel of judges will continue to play a key role by
determining which two participants advance to the final round. During
the final round, each judge⁈⁚s vote will count the same as a fan
vote.

Last year in Las Vegas, Green, then a member of the Boston Celtics, outlasted defending champion Nate Robinson
of the New York Knicks for the Sprite Slam Dunk championship. Green
tallied the three highest scores of the night, including a perfect
score of 50 on his final dunk as he windmilled while hurdling an
All-Star table.

Golden State⁈⁚s Jason Richardson
was the last player to win back-to-back Sprite Slam Dunk titles,
capturing the 2002 and 2003 competitions. The only previous repeat Slam
Dunk champion was Chicago⁈⁚s Michael Jordan, who won the 1987 and
1988 contests.

The dunker with the
lowest total score from the first round will compete first in the final
round. Dunks then will alternate until each player has completed two.
Time limit rules still apply. After the four finals dunks are
completed, fan voting polls will open via SMS TXT message and at
NBA.com. Each judge will then provide commentary on the dunkers and
hold up a placard with his vote for the winner. The judge⁈⁚s votes
will be combined with the SMS TXT and NBA.com votes to determine the
champion.

As with all of this
year's All-Star participants, G.ay, Green, Howard and Moon will join
over 2,500 members of the NBA Family for the NBA Cares All-Star Day of
Service on Friday, Feb. 15. The volunteers will participate in a
variety of service projects at 10 different sites throughout New
Orleans.

The Sprite Slam Dunk is
part of NBA All-Star 2008 , which also includes the T-Mobile Rookie
Challenge & Youth Jam; Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout;
PlayStation ® Skills Challenge; Haier Shooting Stars; NBA All-Star
Jam Session presented by adidas; and the 57th NBA All-Star Game.

Sprite is the world⁈⁚s leading lemon-lime soft drink and has been the official soft drink of the NBA since 1994.

2008 Sprite Slam Dunk rules

NBA.com Sprite Slam Dunk coverage: Dunk history | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007

NBA.com All-Star Dunk-a-Thon