The NBA Slam Dunk Contest is one of the best parts of the entire All-Star celebration. Players achieve incredible athletic feats and come up with creative slams to wow fans and viewers alike. However, in recent years, there have been no stars in this All-Star competition.

In fact, eight of the last nine Dunk Contest winners are no longer on the same team and in that span, just two All-Stars have participated. This significant decline in star power has hurt the contest's popularity, but Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown could change things at All-Star weekend in Indianapolis.

The now three-time All-Star is reportedly very interested in joining the 2024 Dunk Contest, which would mark the first time a current All-Star was a contestant since DeAndre Jordan in 2017. When asked about Brown's potential presence in the high-profile event, fellow star Jayson Tatum fully supported his Celtics teammate's decision.

“I don't know if he's officially announced that he's in it, but I think it'd be great for him to participate,” Tatum said. “Kind of bring back that star power to the Dunk Contest. We want to see all the big-name guys; that's how I grew up watching it. I would love for him to be in it and I'd love for him to win. I think it'd be exciting to see.”

Although the recent Dunk Contest has been filled with G-Leaguers and role players, its history is much richer. NBA legend Michael Jordan helped reinvent the competition in the 1980s and other current and future Hall of Famers like Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, and Dwight Howard all helped popularize it.

Nowadays, some of the biggest names in basketball avoid the Dunk Contest due to injury concerns or plain disinterest. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is one of the greatest rim-finishers in NBA history, and even he's never participated in the All-Star phenomenon despite being a 20-time All-Star himself.

After the Celtics took down the Atlanta Hawks 125-117 on Wednesday night, Tatum was asked if he'd ever lace up his shoes for the Dunk Contest. His short answer left no confusion about his stance.

Although the five-time All-Star has no Dunk Contest plans for his future, he's not opposed to coming to Brown's aid.

“If he asks me, I'd be open to it,” Tatum said about helping Brown during any of his dunks.

Whether Tatum takes the floor or not, the 2024 Dunk Contest could have an intriguing, but peculiar field of contestants, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. Reigning champion Mac McClung should be back, yet the bouncy guard is still in the G-League with the Osceola Magic. The other possible candidates include rookie standout Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat and undrafted rookie Jacob Toppin of the New York Knicks.

None of these contenders are household names besides Brown, but Jaquez Jr. is at least one of the best rookies in the league right now. Meanwhile, neither Toppin nor McClung have played in an NBA game since December 30th.

Unless the 2024 Dunk Contest gets a massive shake-up, it'll be up to Brown to inject some life back into the event. He's shown this season that he's more than capable of wowing audiences with thunderous in-game dunks, so there's reason for fans to be hopeful again.