First off, the dunk contest hasn't been relevant in many years; there was a time, though... MJ vs. Dominque was something else, something that changed the direction of the NBA entirely. It took the NBA from Magic/Bird, players that were built up from their college days, and built up because of their rivalry, to what would be the hallmark of the 90's - the Jordan Era. This dunk contest didn't do it by itself, obviously, but it was one of the biggest steps of building the legend that would become Air Jordan.
The '87 dunk contest started it all. And for the following years, it became something that had to be watched, maybe more so than the actual All-Star game itself. I remember the '90 dunk contest... actually, no, I don't remember the '90 dunk contest, meaning I don't remember who won or how. But I do remember that I watched it, at home, along with a friend. At some point one of us remembered that the Tyson fight was on HBO at the same time, and we turned in time to watch the last three rounds of that fight. When we saw it was in the 8th round, we were shocked... no one took Iron Mike past the third round. Mike was 37-0, and fighting a 30-4-1 chump. Despite it being the 8th round, Tyson knocked his chump ass down. Amazingly, he got up, and, in something that to this day still shocks me, even 20 years later and despite all we know now about Tyson and his career and skills... this chump Buster Douglas got up and knocked Tyson out. For the first time ever.
In my lifetime there has been no bigger upset, and I don't know if historically you can really name a bigger upset. It's one thing when a team beats a superior team in an upset (NC State in '83, for example), but for an indivual, especially one of Tyson aura at the time... I mean, you could have sent Muhammad Ali from 1973 into the ring against Tyson, and if Tyson had lost most people in the world would have suprised. But for Tyson to lose to some random cat named Buster Douglas... inconceivable. But that's all a digression.
The NBA hasn't tried to evolve its dunk contest. Dwight Howard did, requesting a 12 foot rim. The NBA should have honored his request, not just because it would have made this year's contest ten times hotter, but because it would have made the future contests relevant. Then the true high flyers of the NBA, they who stay away from the dunk contest nowadays because it really isn't worth the effort to most veterans... the Kobes, the Vince Carters, the JR Smith, Gerald Wallaces, LeBrons, et al... they would be back next year if the contest was no longer about who can do the best through the leg 360, when everyone can do it nowadays anyway. Even 5'9 little men.
But if you had the dunk contest become a leap contest - now you have a real challenge, and now the pride and competitive spirit of most NBA stars will lead them back. Not only that, but the fans will devour it, and the media will hype it in the weeks leading up to the contest. Seriously, who can leap the hightest in the NBA? I don't know, but I bet there would be articles and stories about it leading up to the contest, if the NBA was smart enough to do it.
As for Dwight Howard last night: his dunk is here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5saBDOE6Sc
In my opinion, it's as simple as this... it's a great leap (amazing, something that lends itself as a modern rival to the stories of the greatest of all time, the Goat himself), but in the end it was not even all that cool of a dunk. It was just a regular alley-oop dunk, one that lacked any artistry or complexity, beyond the fact that Howard showed he can reach heights that make most regular NBA players seem like me, you, and regular fan ilk-dom reaching for the backboard or rim.
It's time for the NBA to take it to the next level. Evolve or Extinct?
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True, but not because of the degree of difficulty relative to the physical skills used. Put it another way: If I throw you an alley-oop, on a 8 foot rim, with a slightly smaller than regulation basketball (one you could easily palm), do you think you could dunk it with one hand will clapping on the backboard... I know I could (I've had lots of fun dunking on biddy rims). So relative to his skills, the dunk wasn't inherently difficult; it was meant to showcase his leaping abilities, nothing else (no creativity or style).
The fact that he put that sticker up there with his left hand, while catching the alley oop with his right, and completing the dunk is what made it a special dunk. Not to mention the fact that he did it on one try.