National Basketball Association

LeBron: 'All the dunks gone'

Published Feb. 20, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

LeBron James thought the NBA All-Star dunk contest was great, just not the best ever.

Los Angeles Clippers rookie Blake Griffin leaped over a car to win Saturday night's event, and the other participants incorporated props like a stuffed toy, a second basket, multiple balls, and some of their teammates.

''That's what you have to do now because all the dunks is gone,'' James said on the magenta carpet before Sunday's 60th All-Star game. ''You can't just go up there and dunk a basketball no more. You have to kind of add some flair to it.''

James isn't sure he's ever going to participate in the showcase event of All-Star Saturday night.

''I may think about it, but all the dunks is gone now and I don't have too much creativity,'' the Miami Heat star said. ''I'd have to get my mind working (to think of a good one).''

James weighed in on the prospect of the NBA adding a team in England.

''The problems would be the travel,'' he said. ''The great thing about it is it would make the game more global. Everyone loves it.''

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NERVOUS CLIPPERS: Blake Griffin created some nervous moments for Los Angeles Clippers management when they realized the rookie was planning to dunk over a car.

After all, he missed all of last season after breaking his kneecap in the final exhibition game.

Griffin won the slam dunk contest Saturday night, and didn't get hurt in the process.

''I noticed when I went in for my rehearsal Thursday night, everybody from the Clippers was there. All our upper management and then I realized, everybody is kind of nervous about this,'' he said. ''So I jumped over it and I kind of looked at them and they are like, 'All right, you can do it.' I understand why, but I guess they don't trust me enough.''

During the team's long road trip leading up to the All-Star game, Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro asked Griffin what he was planning for the dunk contest.

''He already knew what I was going to do, so I just played dumb and acted like, 'I don't know yet, man, I don't know,''' Griffin said.

Next year, Griffin will have to defend his title at the All-Star game in Orlando, Fla.

''I have to come up with something else, maybe a boat next year,'' he said.

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PISTONS SALE: NBA commissioner David Stern planned to catch up with prospective Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores during All-Star weekend.

''We know that there are very intense negotiations going on, which are in their final stages, which means either there will be a deal or there won't be a deal within the next week,'' Stern said Saturday. ''And every indication is that there will be a deal, and we'll see how that goes.''

Current Pistons owner Karen Davidson and billionaire Gores have been negotiating exclusively with each other. Gores is from Michigan, graduated from Michigan State and lives in California.

Davidson, widow of longtime owner Bill Davidson, has been considering a sale of the team by itself or as part of a package with Palace Sports and Entertainment, which includes The Palace of Auburn Hills, DTE Energy Music Theatre and Meadow Brook Music Festival.

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NBA IN 3D: The All-Star game was shown live in 3D internationally for the first time.

More than 100 theaters in countries like Belgium, Germany, Italy and Mexico carried the game.

The only 3D showing in the U.S. was held at Regal Cinemas near Staples Center on Sunday, and only American Express cardholders were invited.

The 2007 All-Star game in Las Vegas was the first-ever live sports event in 3D.

This weekend's All-Star events were broadcast in 215 countries and territories and in 43 languages. More than 1,800 media were credentialed, including a record 431 international reporters.

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Freelancer Victoria Sun contributed to this report.