Embarrassed for Jericho Sims? 'No Need!' Says Knicks' Dunker

The New York Knicks' big man doesn't appear to be losing sleep over his polarizing performance at the Slam Dunk Contest.

The NBA's All-Star Weekend's annual Slam Dunk Contest in Salt Lake City turned Jericho Sims into a household name ... but not in a Spud Webb way, alas.

Sims, the New York Knicks' current primary center, partook in the annual slam showcase on Saturday night and drew a mixed-to-negative response. The 6-foot-10 center tried to let his lauded vertical speak for him, but it wasn't enough to move onto the final round, where Saturday sensation Mac McClung (Philadelphia) bested Trey Murphy III (New Orleans) for the dunk crown. 

Sims' second slam proved particularly controversial, as he pulled down an envelope clipped to the net before his attempt and opened it to reveal a piece of paper bearing the number "50," representing a perfect score from the five judges gathered. The panel, consisting of Basketball Hall of Famers Lisa Leslie, Karl Malone, and Dominique Wilkins, as well as Sixth Man star Jamal Crawford and two-time dunk champion Harold Miner, was not fully impressed, awarding Sims a score of 47.8. 

Despite the mockery, Sims did not finish last in the competition, beating out Kenyon Martin Jr. (Houston). 

With the All-Star festivities concluded, Sims has broken his silence about his futile showing in Utah. The Knicks' interior threat seems none worse for the wear, sharing a picture of himself vacationing in a tropical location on his Instagram story on Monday.

"No need to feel embarrassed for me," Sims writes as he toasts the viewer with a canned beverage. "I'm not." 

Sims' efforts for the Knicks in his sophomore season have been anything but embarrassing. The second-round pick from the 2021 draft has filled in serviceably for the team's regular top center Mitchell Robinson, who has missed most of the calendar year with a thumb injury. Since returning to the New York rotation on Jan. 18, Sims has averaged 6.3 rebounds a game and has hit 75 percent of his shot attempts.

While it's encouraging to see that Sims has shaken off any potential backlash from his Slam Dunk Contest appearance, hopefully he doesn't hit the beach too hard: the Knicks (33-27) continue their playoff push on Friday night, when they travel to the nation's capital to battle the Washington Wizards (7 p.m. ET, MSG). 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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