Subscribe
Follow Us
For those fans holding out hope that Los Angeles Lakers star forward and Chicago native Anthony Davis would want to participate in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star weekend, that door seems to have been slammed shut. Davis himself stated his lack of interest in doing the event in his hometown next month. When asked, he responded, “I'm an in-game dunker.”
Anthony Davis has no interest in being in the dunk contest even with it taking place in his Chicago hometown. AD: “I’m an in-game dunker.”
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) January 7, 2020
It remains early for potential contestants to throw their names in the hat for participation in the Dunk Contest. Among those reported to be participating are Davis' Lakers teammate, Dwight Howard, along with Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine and Memphis Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant. But with Davis likely to be in Chicago during All-Star weekend regardless, and his star power likely to bring eyes to the event, the question seems to be a legitimate one.
Davis may have closed the door on dunking for all of the basketball-watching world to see in mid-February, but he hasn't ruled out returning to Chicago on a more permanent basis after this season. While he holds a player option for over $28.5 million for next season, he could choose to become a highly-sought after free agent should he hit the open market. One potential landing spot that has been particularly appealing to fans is joining the Bulls, just years after Davis suited up in Chicago as a prep star. He is widely expected to re-sign with the Lakers when he hits free agency.
With the Lakers having already made their trip to the Windy City for the 2019-20 regular season, All-Star Weekend marks the final time this campaign that fans will have to see Davis in Chicago. But for now, it certainly appears he won't be breaking out any new tricks for the Dunk Contest.
