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The defining moment in Saturday night’s slam dunk contest was when Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala, not only a preeminent defender but also one of the game’s most acrobatic dunkers, folded over his “10” placard to award Jeremy Evans, a rail-thin forward from southeastern Arkansas, a “0″ for his effort. Evans’ dunk, which featured a camera clipped to his headband, embodied a night akin to what would occur if Saturday Night Live was turned over to four mediocre professional athletes: pointless antics that lack humor, timing or creativity.

That Iguodala would be the unimpressed judge is fitting, as he was the first victim of the dunk contest’s transformation into a Midway. In 2006, Iguodala performed two of the most gymnastic slams of all time: an under the rim reverse jam (on a backboard pass from Allen Iverson, no less) and a behind-the-back stuff. In a result that changed the course of All-Star weekend history, Iguodala was beaten by the NBA’s resident homunculus, Nate Robinson, who seemed to continually impress the judges with his stature.

Since that point, what once was a celebration of athleticism in its most primal form has turned into a clumsy parade of skits. The ineptitude was palpable from the earliest point Saturday night, as Chase Budinger, a high-school volleyball star pulled from the beaches of Southern California, asked Diddy (clearly in on the fun) for the chance to dunk over him.

What followed was clearly the worst dunk contest in NBA history. The dunks were overshadowed by half-baked ideas: nearly half the dunks were contestants dunking over things, whether it was a motorcycle (Minnesota’s Derrick Williams), two teammates (Indiana’s Paul George) or Kevin Hart dressed as a mailman (Evans, the eventual champion).

The death knell of the era of slams-as-skits has sounded. The dunk contest seems to be another American institution that has spiraled out of course, much like an untied balloon: the unleashed progress is, at first, captivating but ultimately only a deflated rubber pouch remains.

The most encouraging sign of the night came after midnight, when Kevin Durant, the NBA’s scoring prodigy, voiced a clarion call via Twitter, saying that LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Dwayne Wade, and Russell Westbrook should compete in next year’s dunk contest. Whether the possible 2012 Olympic teammates will show is yet to be seen, but the malaise throughout this new cabal of young stars may have effects beyond the shimmering palms of Orlando. The fraternity of the nouveau NBA elite has proved to be reluctant to compete: by and large, they kept their mouths shut during the lockout, and save Wade’s championship run in 2005, they are without rings.

So for Iguodala, a victim of not only the changing dunk contest but also a top-notch defender in an era where points-per-game delimits success, that folded placard may have meant more than a failing grade to the slam participants.

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