Nate Robinson Makes History as First Ever Three-Time Sprite Slam Dunk Champion

Nate Robinson is the Slam Dunk king once again.

Or rather, once again, yet again.

Robinson became the first ever three-time Sprite Slam Dunk champion by defeating a field that included Los Angeles Laker Shannon Brown, Charlotte Bobcat All-Star Gerald Wallace and Toronto Raptor highflier DeMar DeRozan. In the end, Robinson defeated DeRozan in the finals with 51-percent of the fan vote.

The 5-foot-9 diminutive guard brought the American Airlines Center crowd to its feet right from the get-go with an imaginative dunk that showed off his tremendous athleticism. Nate tossed the ball in the air and caught it off the bounce as he rose in the air, throwing down a powerhouse windmill before slapping the backboard on the way down. The flush earned a 44 from the judges, which was the highest score after the first set of dunkers.

After DeRozan raised the bar with a spectacular slam, Robinson brought out teammate Danilo Gallinari to seal his entry into the second round. Gallinari lobbed the rock from one side of the key to Robinson who caught it in the middle of a 360 spin for a dunk that easily advanced him into the finals with a 45.

With the rookie DeRozan, who earned a place in the contest after winning the first ever dunk-in vs. Los Angeles Clipper Eric Gordon the night before, having a higher cumulative score in the first round, Robinson was first to dunk. Nate kicked things off by bringing out four Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders to root him on in a move that clearly resonated with the hometown fans.

"The best thing I brought with me (were) the Dallas cheerleaders of course," Robinson said after the competition. "I asked if they could help me out with the dunk. They did their job and I did mine."

Based on crowd reaction, however, the dunk itself was a bit disappointing by the high standards Nate has set for himself over the years. He tossed the ball in the air once again and caught it off the bounce, but this time rather than display his athleticism, he showed off his strength with a vicious power slam.

Like a true champion,after realizing he needed an extra special flush to ensure victory, Robinson rose to the occasion. In what will most likely be the final dunk in his Sprite Slam Dunk Contest career, Nate delivered what was probably the best dunk of the entire night. He started it off by throwing the ball from about 18-feet away off the backboard. Racing in from just above the foul line, he caught it, did a 180-degree turn and pumped once before dunking home the reverse jam. To add a little more flair to his dramatic slam, Nate grabbed the cheerleaders' pom-poms and cheered on the crowd.

Moments later, it was the crowd that cheered him on after he was officially awarded his third Slam-Dunk title, raising the trophy high above his head.

After leaving the court, Robinson quickly dismissed any notion that he would return next year to try and win a fourth crown.

"No, no, no, no, no. I don't think I can bear anymore," he said. "I'm just happy with this third one. This is the last one... I'm retired."

If that's the case, Saturday night marked the end to the greatest performer in the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest history, with Robinson walking off into the Dallas sunset with a much deserved record-setting third title.

Click here for an exclusive photo gallery of Nate's record setting performance