CLEVELAND — Kobe Bryant is taking a pass on the slam dunk contest, no matter what Shaquille O'Neal has in mind.
Bryant nearly burst out laughing
Thursday when asked about O'Neal's idea that the Lakers superstar
should appear in next month's All-Star weekend dunk event with LeBron
James and Vince Carter.
O'Neal suggested the star-studded
field as a way of luring James, who is skipping the dunkathon after
initially saying he was in.
Bryant won the dunking crown when he
was a rookie. He says players should not feel a responsibility toward
entering the contest as a way of giving back to the league. James has
been criticized for backing out. Bryant would like to see the MVP take
part.
"Responsibility? No," Bryant said
following the Lakers' shootaround. "People want to see it, so it's good
to do it at least one time in your career. It's fun."
The contest is Feb. 13 in Dallas, and
Bryant has been giving tips to Los Angeles teammate Shannon Brown. Does
Bryant think James would win?
"I think he would come in a close second behind Shannon Brown," he said.