Obi Toppin becomes third Knick to win NBA Slam Dunk Contest

He went into the second round tied for first as Juan Toscano-Anderson of the Warriors also netted a 44 on his first dunk. Toppin knew he didn't have to do anything crazy to advance, as the Magic's Cole Anthony and the Rockets' Jalen Green had lackluster performances beforehand, so he threw down a simple -- yet obviously incredibly difficult -- off-the-glass, between-the-legs dunk.

It was indeed enough to advance him to the finals, as he got a 46. Toscano-Anderson also impressed once again, moving the two onto the championship against each other.

Toscano-Anderson's first dunk was underwhelming, so Toppin could've played it safe again. He didn't want to do that, however, spending his first two attempts trying to complete a difficult dunk in which he tapped the ball off the backboard before flushing it home. After two misses, he returned to an easier third attempt that looked similar to his second.

Toppin went into the final round with a six-point lead. Toscano-Anderson donned a Jason Richardson jersey and attempted to mimic one of the Golden State legend's former Dunk Contest slams, but came up empty and received a 30 -- the lowest possible score.

This meant Toppin just needed to complete a dunk and he'd be crowned the champion. He could've played it safe, as one commentator suggested he could win with a lay-up. But instead, Toppin returned to the bank-shot dunk he tried in the previous round, and this time threw it down on the first try. His score didn't matter at that point, as it was clear to everyone watching that he was the champ.

Toppin makes up for his loss in the final round of the 2021 Dunk Contest, in which Trail Blazers young star Anfernee Simons came out on top. He will return to the Knicks as the third player in franchise history to win the event, and did so not far away from his alma mater of Dayton.