So the 2019 NBA Slam Dunk Contest has come to pass. And that's what happened. It just passed. Another year, another forgettable contest.

Sure, Hamidou Diallo's insane Vince Carter-esque elbow dunk over a 7-foot-1 Hall of Famer in Shaquille O’Neal will go down as an instant classic.

Likewise, it was a breakout night for the Oklahoma City Thunder rookie to make himself known to NBA casual fans with a rock solid performance in the annual dunk showdown. But overall, the dunk contest this year was a bust, as we didn't really see anything that will stand the test of time aside from Diallo's dunk of the night.

What's that saying again? It takes two to tango? Unfortunately, the newly-crowned champion didn't have anyone to tango with.

Hometown boy Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets failed to execute on his first dunk of the night – an off-the-backboard between-the-legs attempt – that garnered him a score of 33 and virtually eliminated him from the competition early. He did, however, redeem himself with 360 off the side of the board dunk that earned him the first 50 of the night.

Atlanta Hawks high-flying big man John Collins didn't put up much of a fight either. His first dunk was underrated but only earned a 40 from the judges.

This one, however was… not good. (But it scored higher than the first one?)

Seriously, what was he thinking with that dunk? We've seen other players jump over much higher objects. He even destroyed whatever that make-shift plane is.

Related NewsArticle continues below
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) holds onto the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center.
NBA rumors: Nets, Bulls, Heat named as early Jonathan Kuminga suitors
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) in the first half during game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at TD Garden.
NBA rumors: Warriors linked to trade for $126 million Celtics star

The biggest disappointment, however, was the supposed favorite of the night, Dennis Smith Jr. of the New York Knicks. The high-flying 6-foot-2 guard flopped under the bright lights of All-Star Saturday night's main event for the second year in a row.

He was simply hard to watch as he botched attempt after attempt in almost all of his four dunks on the night, especially on his last one. He was doing so many re-do's that even Raymond Felton was bored.

After finally getting his final dunk to go down following several re-takes, the judges even gave him a very eyebrow-raising 50 just to make things interesting.

Fortunately, Diallo didn't need to do much to seal the deal. Yes, Smith Jr.'s questionable 50 gave a little bit of a scare, and opened the slight possibility of a highway robbery happening in Charlotte. But this simple and safe slam over Quavo was enough to win him his first Slam Dunk title.

You know a dunk contest isn't special when the only reason a competitor wins is because of his overall consistency. Now, this isn't by any means a knock against Diallo. He had the best dunk of the night, and he deserved every bit of recognition he earned from his high-flying act.

But the underwhelming performance from the rest of the field didn't allow Diallo to showcase his full repertoire. He simply didn't need to. Yes, Diallo's hops were on full display on the night, but you just know there's still more under his belt than what he showed last night.

I guess we'll just have to look forward to next year… again. I heard there's this Zion kid who'll be here by then?