Thomas In It For The Money

The general consensus seems to be that this year's dunk contest will be nothing short of awful. You'd be

hard-pressed to find anyone who's excited about it. Hell, not even the players dunking seem to be looking forward to the event. Some have no problem admitting that they're only going to Vegas to make themselves a quick buck.

Take the case of Tyrus Thomas, the Chicago Bulls' exciting rookie forward. Despite the opportunity for the relatively unknown youngster to make a name for himself, he sounds as excited about the contest as someone who's describing an upcoming trip to the dentist.

"I'm just going to go out there, get my check and call it a day," Thomas said.

Asked if an opportunity to rub elbows with some of the game's greats could be beneficial for a rookie, Thomas kept unlacing.

"I'm just into the free money," he said. "That's it. I'll just do whatever when I get out there."

"I might have to break out some tapes of old contests," he said. "But I'm just taking it for what it's worth."

This is what the dunk contest--a once proud tradition--has become, ladies and gentlemen.

In case you're wondering, here's how the pot will be divided among the flight-fest participants: $35,000 goes to the winner; the runner-up receives $22,500; and third and fourth place are each worth $16,125.

For a guy making $3.6 million this season (Thomas), that prize money doesn't seem all that enticing. Then again, $35,000 is still $35,000.

(HT: Can't Stop The Bleeding)