It's getting a lot of attention with some calling it the early favorite for NBA Photo of the Year and others seeing it as nothing more than another indication of the Nets' long-running status as a basketball joke: Julio Cortez's great photograph of a ball hitting Shelden Williams square in the face following what was a thunderous dunk.

Lost in all the merry-making is that the dunk in the second half of the Nets game vs. the Pacers was off a nifty pass from Deron Williams and one hell of a one-hand slam.

• Photo: Shelden Williams dunks the ball into his face, nobody is surprised - Kelly Dwyer - Ball Don't Lie
• Here’s your early contender for sports picture of 2012… - The Score