The NBA Slam Dunk Contest has lost a lot of luster through the years, but regardless of how the excitment from that contest has diminished over the course of several iterations, this event will always have a high ceiling in terms of thrill. This year's edition is no different. The 2022 NBA Slam Dunk contest may be lacking in star power, but the group consisting of Cole Anthony of the Orlando Magic, Jalen Green of the Houston Rockets, Obi Toppin of the New York Knicks, and Juan Toscano-Anderson of the Golden State Warriors will have their shot at making a lasting memory for NBA fans.

Among the challenges for the NBA Slam Dunk contest is giving something to the fans that they have not seen before. That is pretty hard to do, considering that this event has been around for decades. Fresh ideas are always hard to come by for participants, with the judges, hardcore basketball fans, and even casual observers getting harder and harder to impress.

But if there's one formula that has always done the trick in the Slam Dunk Contest, it's one that has nostalgia as its main ingredient. And the 2022 NBA Slam Dunk Contest is the perfect stage for Anthony, Green, Toppin, and Toscano-Anderson to do that. Not one of them needs to put a cupcake to blow on the rim to make this contest an unforgettable one. They don't have to embarrass themselves by pulling off a cartwheel just to embellish a dunk.

Two words: Kobe Bryant.

The last time the NBA All-Star break was held in Cleveland, some kid named Kobe Bryant electrified the crowd and the nation with an absolutely stunning array of dunks on his way to winning the event's crown in just his rookie season. For all the greater accomplishments in basketball that Kobe would later collect, his 1997 NBA Slam Dunk Contest title holds a special place.

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Any of Anthony, Green, Toppin, and Toscano-Anderson can use Kobe Bryant as an inspiration Saturday night and pay homage to the late great Los Angeles Lakers superstar by wearing his jersey and trying some of the dunks he did in '97. Of course, that would mean immense pressure for that player because nobody wants to fail while trying to be bold, but the payoff would be huge.

Do it for Kobe.