Los Angeles  - For the first time, fans had their say and voted high-flying Spaniard Rudy Fernandez of the Portland Trail Blazers as the fourth member to participate in the Slam Dunk Competition on Saturday night of NBA All-Star Weekend, February 13-15 in Phoenix, Arizona.

"It's very exciting for me to play in the slam dunk contest for the fans and for me," told Fernandez local reporters at a Monday afternoon press conference following the announcement. "It's my dream, you know."

In a popularity contest, more than 500,000 votes were cast on-line and Fernandez received 251,868, to easily outdistance fellow-rookies Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder (147,279) and Joe Alexander of the Milwaukee Bucks (114,963).

"It's important that fans in Europe and Spanish people voted online for me for the dunk contest," Fernandez said. "I think that's an honour for me to just be included with the other guys.

Fernandez also recognized it was a ground-breaking event.

"This is the first time a European player has been a part of the slam dunk contest," he said. "I think it's very good for European basketball."

Fernandez recalled the treat of getting up in the wee hours of the morning in Spain, to watch the thrilling competition. And now to be part of it.

"I remember when I was younger, I wake up four o'clock in the morning and watch the slam dunk competition and I think I want to dunk," he said.

"If that's important to the players, I think it's spectacular for the fans to see the players do it. I think it's going to be great."

Fernandez, however, will face stiff competition, going against reigning Slam Dunk Champion Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, Rudy Gay of the Memphis Grizzlies, and New York Knicks Nate Robinson, the 2006 winner.

"I saw the slam dunk contest last year, Howard is just incredible," Fernandez said. "Maybe it's impossible to win, but just to be a part of the dunk show on the court, for me, is a blessing."

However, Fernandez, who had a memorable jaw dropping one-handed dunk over Howard at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games, isn't conceding anything just yet.

"It's a great opportunity to go to All-Star and maybe show to the world I'm a good dunker," he added. "I think it's possible that everybody will be surprised by the good dunks from me."

For the second consecutive year, fans will be able to cast their votes and decide the winner of the fan-favourite competition. (dpa)