When the initial list of 1991 Slam Dunk Contest participants released, Dee Brown discovered himself to be the odd man out before eventually rotating in as a potentially easy-to-overlook alternate. As fate would fittingly have it, all it took was a crowd-stirring, no-look dunk for the 6-foot-1 Brown to officially put himself firmly into history’s sights for the rest of time. Recognizing a goal of being creative and playing to the Charlotte Coliseum crowd throughout February 9, 1991’s festivities, Brown fulfilled it through a rolodex of jams that included a double-pump self-alley-oop and a thoughtful two-basketball dunk, among others. Searching for something groundbreaking with the contest’s trophy hinging on his next sequence, Brown offers a display that would become replicated by everyone from rappers and dancers to professional wrestlers, pumping his shoes before elevating skyward into an iconic, self-blindfold jam. Brown’s efforts were rewarded with a 97.7-point finish, prompting little argument regarding the winner. The first No. 7 to don the Celtics’ green-and-white with “Brown” on the back, Boston’s No. 19 pick in the 1990 NBA Draft would parlay that success into helping propel both a 56-win season and a fourth-place finish in the Rookie of the Year balloting. · Feb 9, 1991