ESPN.com - NBA.com Slam Dunk Roster

In the past, the Slam Dunk contest has featured some of the greatest stars the league has had to offer. Go all the way back to Julius Erving and Larry Nance, Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins, Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter. This year, the field shrunk to only four participants, and only one of them can be classified as well-known. But while 2000 runner-up Steve Francis had something to prove and last year's winner, Desmond Mason, hoped to repeat, it was a pair of rookies, one of them a lottery pick and playing good minutes (Jason Richardson) and the other barely playing at all (Gerald Wallace) in the final. It went down to the final dunk, and Richardson took the title to cap a big day.

The only star here, Francis didn't have a good night. He missed his first dunk, a strange attempt to catch his own lob and dunk the ball after kissing it off the backboard. On dunk No. 2, with Rockets teammate Cuttino Mobley trying to throw a pass in stride for a fly through the air, things went awry. After two aborted passes, Francis caught the third -- again, low -- and flew toward the hoop at an amazing straight angle, but his rattling dunk only earned a 40, as well as harsh words for Mobley. Needing a 45 to top Wallace, Francis took the safe route, going without a dribble, running from the right and slamming after crossing the other side of the rim. There was no cheering. He got a 37 and was done. Grade: C

Last year he flew over Rashard Lewis in a signature dunk that won him the competition. He flew over a much shorter Earl Watson this time, and fell short of advancing out of the first round. Mason started with a simple windmill dunk that impressed nobody, earning a 41. On dunk No. 2, the vertically challenged Watson threw a pass off the backboard, Mason jumped over Watson with legs spread and hammered it home. We liked it, the judges gave a low 43. Still, Mason had a chance to advance over Jason Richardson with a big final dunk. Mason walked in swiftly and took two dribbles, went up with the right hand and slammed the ball hard with a perfect swish, but it was ordinary. He got a 36, and got shown the door minutes later. Grade: C

On his first dunk, a 360-degree slam with the right hand, he was rewarded with a 48. The second dunk -- an aborted windmill off a pass from teammate Gilbert Arenas -- didn't go well. But copying the famous Dominique Wilkins tomahawk was a perfect fit, registering a 50. In the final, he got a break. Getting only a 36 on a failed attempt to replicate the famous Dr. J free throw line slam, he needed a 45 to win. JRich lost the ball on his through-the-legs attempt, and to Wallace's dismay, the official ruled it wasn't an attempt. The next dunk won it, as he caught his own lob after a bounce, started his takeoff and lowered the ball to his hips, then added the twist of a reverse dunk. The crowd went wild, the lights went out and the judges gave him a 49 and the title. Grade: A

After his messy 360 opener, Wallace redeemed himself with a solid 44 on try two when he flew over Chris Webber. On his third dunk, he showed his strength, following a dribble drive with a reverse slam that made noise he hit it so hard. He got a 40, which was enough to advance. In the final he was able to complete the famous Dr. J free throw line ramble, earning a seemingly low 44 (one foot over the line?). His second dunk cost him dearly. Even Webber yelled at him to replace it with another try. Wallace played it safe at the wrong time, dribbling left, rising with the right hand, and slamming the ball and getting his arm caught on the rim at the elbow. The 36 left the door open. Richardson shut it. Grade: B