February 19, 2011. The Staples Center was buzzing. Everyone knew what was coming, or at least they thought they did. Blake Griffin, the rookie sensation who was basically a walking highlight reel for the Clippers, was about to do the "car dunk."
Most people remember the gospel choir singing "I Believe I Can Fly." They remember the silver Kia Optima rolling out onto the hardwood. They remember Baron Davis sticking his head through the sunroof to lob the ball. But if you talk to any die-hard hoop head about the Blake Griffin slam dunk contest win, you’re going to get an earful about why it was either the peak of All-Star weekend or the moment the contest "went corporate."
The Setup Nobody Talks About
Before we get to the car, we have to talk about the competition. This wasn't a one-man show. JaVale McGee was there, and honestly? He was doing some wild stuff. He dunked on two separate baskets at the same time. He dunked three balls in one jump. Statistically and technically, McGee’s repertoire that night was arguably more difficult than anything Blake put up in the early rounds.
Blake started the night with a 360-degree hammer. Then he did a self-toss off the side of the backboard. It was clean, powerful, and very "Blake." But he actually struggled. He missed a few attempts on his second dunk, nearly flaming out before the finals even started.
Then came the finale.
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The Kia Controversy: What Really Happened
Here is the part that drives people crazy. Blake didn't actually want to jump over a Kia Optima. He’s said this multiple times on podcasts like Pardon My Take and 7PM in Brooklyn. His original plan? Jump over a convertible.
He wanted his teammates in the car, top down, with a straight-up lob. Jumping over the middle of a convertible is a massive feat because of the width. But the NBA had a deal with Kia. Kia didn't have a convertible in their lineup back then. So, the league basically told him, "You’re jumping over this Optima sedan."
"I don't know if you guys have stood next to a Kia Optima, but it's a pretty tall vehicle," Blake told Carmelo Anthony. "There's no way I was going to make it over the entire thing."
Because he couldn't clear the roof, he had to jump over the hood. To the casual fan, it looked incredible. To the dunk purists? They saw a guy jumping over the lowest part of a car. They called it a glorified commercial.
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Why the Fan Vote Changed Everything
In 2011, the winner wasn't decided by the judges (who included legends like Dr. J and Shaq). It was decided by a fan vote via text message.
- Blake Griffin: 68% of the vote.
- JaVale McGee: 32% of the vote.
The pageantry won. The choir, the car, and the hometown L.A. energy were too much for McGee’s technical brilliance to overcome. It felt like a movie production. When Baron Davis threw that pass out of the sunroof, the stadium exploded. But if you watch the replay closely, the camera angle almost misses the jump because the timing with the choir was so chaotic.
The Aftermath: Did it "Rig" the Contest?
JaVale McGee has been vocal over the years about feeling like the contest was rigged. And look, from a certain perspective, he has a point. You don't bring out a choir and a car sponsor if you plan on losing in the final round. It was "manufactured" hype.
However, calling it "easy" is a stretch. Even jumping over the hood of a mid-sized sedan while catching a lob is something 99% of humans—and 90% of NBA players—can't do with that much grace. Blake’s head was still well above the rim. The power was real.
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What’s interesting is how this moment changed Blake’s career. It wasn't just a trophy. It turned into a massive multi-year endorsement deal with Kia. It led to those hilarious commercials where he’s time-traveling or dunking over barbarians. It made him a household name outside of just basketball circles.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
If you’re rewatching the Blake Griffin slam dunk contest performance today, here is how to actually analyze it without the bias:
- Watch the floor spacing: Notice how far back Blake starts his jump. He isn't just "stepping over" the hood; he has to clear the width of the front end while maintaining momentum.
- Compare the "Miss" Rate: Blake’s win was partly due to him finishing his dunks. McGee and DeRozan (who was also in that contest and was incredible) had amazing ideas but took multiple tries, which kills the crowd energy.
- The "Marko Milic" Factor: If you want to see someone jump over a whole car (not just the hood), look up Marko Milic from the 1995 Slovenian All-Star game. It puts Blake’s jump into a different perspective.
The 2011 contest was the bridge between the "streetball" era of the dunk contest and the "prop" era. It was theater. It was marketing. But at the end of the day, it was still one of the most athletic humans on earth doing something legendary in his home arena.
If you want to understand the modern NBA's obsession with "the show," you have to start with that silver Kia in the middle of the Staples Center. It changed the business of All-Star weekend forever.
To get the full picture of Blake's athleticism during that era, you should watch his "Mozgov" dunk from the regular season—many argue that was actually more impressive than anything he did in the contest.
Next Steps for the Deep Diver: Go to YouTube and search for the "Phantom Cam" version of the car dunk. It shows the clearance Blake actually had over the hood in slow motion. You'll see that while he didn't clear the roof, he was high enough that he probably could have cleared a smaller car entirely. Compare that to JaVale McGee’s two-basket dunk from the same night to decide for yourself who actually had the better "hang time."