Robinson Only Wants to Defend Dunk Title Against LeBron

DENVER -- Nate Robinson is willing to defend his NBA dunk title during All-Star Weekend in February under one condition: he wants to face LeBron James. And he vows to win if given that opportunity.

"If LeBron is in it, I am,'' Robinson, a 5-foot-9 New York guard said in an interview Friday with FanHouse about the Cleveland star who never has been in a dunk contest in his six previous NBA seasons. "If he's in it, I'm in it. But if he's not in it, I might not be in it.''

Later, Robinson was even stronger about being unlikely to participate if he doesn't have the 6-foot-8 James as a target to topple. He said he has nothing else to prove.

"I don't want to keep being labeled as a dunker,'' said Robinson, who also won the contest as a rookie in 2006. "I can do more than just dunk. Like I said, if LeBron is in, it's going to be that much better. If I'm in it and make it to the finals, I beat him. That's something I can always tell my kids.''

Wait a minute. Did Robinson say he would beat King James?

"Yeah, I think I would,'' Robinson said. "There's more short people in the world than there are tall people. I got that by him.''

LeBron James and Nate Robinson

It wasn't totally clear what Robinson means by that. But one thing is clear: Robinson is offering a challenge to James.

Whether Robinson will have a chance to issue the challenge in person remains to be seen. The Knicks don't face the Cavaliers again until Feb. 6 in Cleveland, which is a week before the Feb. 13 contest in Dallas, but might be after James has already made a final determination on his status.

The Knicks played host to the Cavaliers on Nov. 6. However, Robinson said, due to being injured, he didn't get the opportunity to talk to James.

Robinson is the second-shortest player ever to win the dunk contest. Come February there should be plenty of nostalgia surrounding the shortest victor considering 5-foot-7 Spud Webb did it in 1986 when the All-Star Game last was held in Dallas.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com or on Twitter @christomasson.