New dunk a winner for Richardson

Steve Addy

Thursday, Nov. 2, 2000 | 10:19 a.m.

Without much of a safety net, UNLV junior Chris Richardson was forced to ad-lib some new material before an expectant crowd Wednesday night.

The results were just as resounding as Richardson's previous two victories in the Rebels' Fan Jam dunk contest.

In the team's annual coming-out party at the Thomas & Mack Center, Richardson retained his title with an improvised dunk in which he scaled a 4-foot basketball rack and threw down a one-hander. All six judges awarded perfect 10s, and a crowd of about 2,500 roared its approval.

Richardson's dunk highlighted a night in which UNLV fans got their first look at recruited newcomers Lafonte Johnson, Jermaine Lewis, Omari Pearson and Steve Scoggin, and key walk-on Jevon Banks. The Rebels open the season Tuesday with a home exhibition against the Delta Jammers.

"Everyone had a good time, and the crowd was really good," coach Bill Bayno said.

Richardson said it was the first time he had performed the ball rack dunk. He won the last two years by leaping over someone in a chair -- earning him a photo in Sports Illustrated in 1998 -- but he had to get more creative this year after Pearson dunked over the seated Scoggin.

"Omari took my dunk, so I had to come up with something different," said Richardson, a 6-foot-6 power forward. "I thought about doing that Vince Carter dunk where he stuck his elbow down in the rim, but then it hit me -- get the ball rack."

Richardson positioned the rack a couple of feet inside the free-throw line, but a cautious Bayno moved it a bit closer, about six feet from the basket.

"I was worried. I probably shouldn't have let him do it," Bayno said. "But if he tripped, I had (Kaspars Kambala) ready to catch him."

But no spotter was needed. Richardson cleared the rack easily and made the dunk. End of contest.

"I told coach I knew what I was doing," Richardson said. "I still would've made it from (the longer distance)."

"All he did was jump over a ball rack," fellow dunker Banks joked. "That's all he can do is jump."

Lafonte Johnson won the 3-point contest, nipping Vince Booker 24-23 in two rounds. Johnson also gained a 15-14 win over Lady Rebels 3-point champ Dayna Gambill.