Can this year’s participants dazzle us like last year’s competition did?

That is the question heading to the 2009 NBA All-Star Break in Phoenix. And while some fans eagerly await what the All-Star Game will be bringing this year, I personally, would rather look forward to this year’s Slam Dunk competition and hope that it only gets better from the last time the league did this thing.

So who are the participants? Orlando Magic center and 2008 Slam Dunk champion Dwight Howard will be back to defend his crown. The picture of him soaring the air in a Superman costume while ridiculously throwing the ball down the hoop is probably still fresh on the minds of basketball fans who saw it last year.

The Orlando Magic superstar brought the house down in New Orleans when he defeated Gerald Green wearing a Superman suit. Howard is the leading vot-getter this year for the All-Star Game, probably because of the stunt he pulled in that Slam Dunk competition. You can bet our ass that everybody will be lobbying for him to win it again.

Joining Howard is Memphis Grizzlies superstar Rudy Gay and 2006 Slam Dunk champion, Nate Robinson.

Portland Trail Blazers rookie Rudy Fernandez won an online poll that let the fans vote in who they think should get the remaining spot for the Slam Dunk contest. Fernandez received 251,868 of over 500,000 votes casted on NBA.com, finishing ahead of Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook (147,279) and Milwaukee’s Joe Alexander (114,963) to complete the four participants that already has Howard, Robinson and Rudy Gay.

The native of Spain, who won a silver medal in the Beijing Olympics, Rudy Fernandez will become the first international player to appear in the contest. This was also the first time a vote was used to select a competitor.

I don’t know how this guy got the vote. Maybe NBA fans are just curious how bad will this guy make a fool of himself in Phoenix.

Can Dwight Howard win the 2009 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest and successfully defend his crown? SportsBetting.com has the odds.

Dwight Howard 1-1

Nate Robinson 3-1

Rudy Gay 3-1

Rudy Fernandez 4-1

Want more odds? Visit SportsBetting.com for more basketball betting odds. Want to watch the NBA live? Get NBA tickets online now.

Dwight Howard Rudy Fernandez