NBA Slam Dunk Contest: Stars Say Risk Not Worth the Reward
Atlanta Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins remembers a different era—when the NBA’s premier players like him and Michael Jordan wanted to showcase their dunking skills. Not for the money or fame but purely for bragging rights and to put on a great show for the fans.
“Michael and I did it for quite a few years, because we wanted to know who the best was,” Wilkins, who will be one of the judges in this year’s edition on Saturday in Indianapolis, said in an interview.
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The Hall of Famer believes that competitive edge has been lost with today’s generation of NBA stars, who would rather watch courtside and cheer on their high-flying yet lower-profile teammates. It’s been a disappointing trend for the nine-time All Star once dubbed “The Human Highlight Film.”
“People always ask me what’s it going to take to bring it back,” said Wilkins, who won the contest in 1985 and 1990. “The answer is easy: getting the best players to compete in it.”
The NBA has struggled over the last few decades to secure its most popular players for the slam dunk contest, as only 15 All-Stars have participated since 2000. The event recently went five straight years without one (from 2019-2023) in the field for the first time. This isn’t a new issue (Shawn Kemp was the only All Star to compete from 1991-1997), but it’s become more glaring than ever.
The decline of star power in the marquee event also coincides with declining TV ratings for NBA All-Star Weekend. Last year the combo of activities, including the 3-point contest and skills challenge, turned in its lowest viewership in over 20 years (averaging 3.4 million viewers on TNT).
While the league appears satisfied with lesser-known talent in what was once the most popular All-Star Weekend event, it’s hard to imagine viewership numbers wouldn’t rise if Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant or the New Orleans Pelicans athletic Zion Williamson decided to lace them up. The late Kobe Bryant won the slam dunk contest as a rookie in 1997, but his younger Los Angeles Lakers counterpart LeBron James has never raised his hand.
“It would be great if all of our superstars did it, but that’s just not the case,” NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in an interview. “I’m not sure why the stars don’t [participate], but all we can do at that point is promote guys who are incredible dunkers and try to put on a great show.”
Dumars admits fans love seeing the biggest stars in the event; after all, they’re the ones who have made the league a global phenomenon. But the former Detroit Pistons star understands that times have changed.
“We’ve had some of the best dunk contests with guys who weren’t All-Stars,” he added. “So, it works both ways … There are guys who are eighth and ninth men on rosters who are flat-out dunkers, and it would be remiss of the league to not seek those guys out as well.”
This year the league was fortunate when three-time NBA All-Star Jaylen Brown decided to join the field. The Boston Celtics guard will by far be the biggest draw facing Miami Heat rookie forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., New York Knicks forward Jacob Toppin, who is on a two-way contract, and defending champion Mac McClung, who stars on the Osceola Magic in the G League.
Brown, who will be the first All-Star to compete since Victor Oladipo in 2018, told reporters last week that he felt the time was right and hopes to be a catalyst to get more premier talent in the contest. That’s easier said than done, as myriad factors keep big-time players from opting in.
This generation of NBA players face far more exposure to negativity due to the advent of social media, where one missed dunk attempt could instantly become a classic meme that lives on for years to come. That’s one factor that Vince Carter and older leapers never needed to consider.
“I think social media ruined it,” three-time slam dunk champion Nate Robinson said in an interview. “Guys don’t want to be on the shitty end of the stick when it comes to the memes and all the posts if you mess up. I don’t blame them, but you got to take the good with the bad.”
A greater financial incentive may be enough for NBA stars to overcome their meme fears. While more than 40 players are expected to make at least $30 million this season, top-notch players like Morant have mentioned they would be more likely to participate if the winner received $1 million. That is the same amount the winner of the MLB’s Home Run Derby receives and what Conner McDavid received this year after winning the overall skills competition at the NHL All-Star game. Instead, the first-place winner of the slam dunk contest gets $105,000, according to the latest CBA.
“First place should be $1 million, then people would do it,” said Robinson, laughing. He's partnered with title sponsor AT&T ahead of this year's contest.
Team Flight Brothers CEO Chuck Millan, the official dunk contest coach who has worked with every slam dunk champion in some capacity since 2013, also agrees the first-place prize money should be increased to make it more attractive, given the time commitment needed to win it all.
“I’d love to see the superstars in there, but things need to align for them to get there,” Millan said.
The ballooning salaries along with media and sponsorship obligations during that jam-packed weekend have made the financial prize and publicity not as enticing for already rich and famous stars. “It’s always been an option and the question is what is the reward for the option,” former NBPA exec director Charles Grantham said in an interview. “I don’t know if the event has kept pace with the reward, especially at a time when players are seeking rest and time off.”
Money, or lack thereof, and social media woes are weighing on the minds of the league’s best, but so is the second half of the season. With the in-season tournament and more back-to-backs as part of a strenuous NBA season, the most valuable players on teams often use the halfway break to rest and heal lingering injuries. With the latest CBA and its 65-game minimum to qualify for postseason awards, they’re more incentivized than ever to be available for games and not spend off days practicing windmill dunks.
As the All-Star Weekend has become more of a commercial landing pad, dozens of players are busy meeting deliverables for brands and showing up for various marketing activations. This leaves less time for the repetition needed for the dunk contest while the star-studded 3-point competition is far more straightforward and less time consuming.
McClung reminded fans last year that you don’t need a star NBA talent to create a memorable slam dunk contest. The G League star had fans on their feet in a way that prompted Shaquille O’Neal to say the kid “saved” the dunk contest. But the reality is it may never be truly saved until the league’s biggest names regain that competitive desire and participate on a regular basis.
“They’re still talking about us 30 years later,” Wilkins said. “It was some of the greatest dunk contests ever, and that’s because of who participated.”
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