The NBA Slam Dunk Contest has always been a staple of All-Star Weekend. It is the one event we always anticipated watching as kids, and it's arguably the most searched NBA content on YouTube, as fans always want to relive the jaw-dropping moments from Michael Jordan, Vince Carter, Zach LaVine, and Aaron Gordon, among many others. It was not all that long ago that this competition meant something.
Nowadays, the dunk contest is looked at as something that leaves all of us asking, “Do we need to do this?”
This event seems forced on us at this point, especially since it has outstayed its welcome and has simply lost its touch.
If the last several years of underwhelming dunk contests were any indication of this All-Star event reaching its end, then Saturday night (technically afternoon) in Inglewood was the icing on top of the cake.
What was memorable from this event, other than Jase Richardson almost getting severely injured when he fell hard on the court after attempting a dunk off the side of the backboard? Quite honestly, can anyone remember anything that has happened in this event during All-Star Weekend over the years, other than Mac McClung, who has played in 10 total NBA games in his career, being the only player who seemed to care?
To be honest, the league trying to get players to participate in this event has almost been like pulling teeth through the years. This is especially true since star players don't get behind it like they have with the 3-Point Contest or the All-Star Game itself.
Lack of stars killed the event
It was not all that long ago that stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell, and others were participating in the dunk contest during All-Star Weekend. Although they were younger at the time and this event has always catered to younger players looking to make a name for themselves, it has suddenly become something nobody wants to participate in.
Jaylen Brown has been the only All-Star talent to participate in the event over the last several years. We see players and stars say all the time how the dunk contest needs to be altered, fixed, and saved, yet none of them have been willing to step forward and be the solution.
One doesn't need a rocket scientist to figure out the problem here. The reason why the dunk contests of the past with Carter, Jordan, LaVine, and Gordon will always be brought up in discussion is because they not only cared about putting on a show, but they also were willing to be the faces of the event.
Nobody wants to do that nowadays, other than a G League player, which is why the talent in the dunk contest over the last few seasons has been extremely underwhelming.
This is by no means supposed to be disrespectful to this year's participants: Keshad Johnson, Carter Bryant, Jase Richardson, and Jaxson Hayes. These guys did what they could, and they should be applauded for actually doing this event when so many others turned down the opportunity to participate.
At the same time, what have any of these players done to actually have people buy into this event and think it would be any different than the disappointments of almost every dunk contest over the last several years? Bryant and Richardson are rookies who have barely played, Hayes has been a backup big man for the majority of his career, and Johnson has played a total of 257 minutes in his career.
Unless they're a fan of one of these four players' teams or a basketball nerd like yours truly, the general NBA fan doesn't know anything about this year's participants. That is a major problem, and this issue has existed for years regarding the dunk contest.
Not to mention, Hayes bashed the dunk contest after the event on Saturday night, claiming he would rather be in Hawaii than in Los Angeles for the All-Star Weekend festivities. When a lesser-known player is saying this, there is a serious problem with the spectacle.
After all, it's not like this year's event was all that memorable, as it was filled with plenty of dancing and few dunks, most of which any players in the NBA could do. Nothing was unique about the event, and it has almost turned into an event that fans are tuning in for and cheering for simply because they don't want to let go of the past.
Keshad Johnson went UNDERNEATH THE BACKBOARD for this dunk 😤
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 15, 2026
Even young, rising stars who could easily land a lot of endorsement deals from winning the event and set the standard for the next generation don't want to partake in the event. Notable rookies and sophomore players who should view such an opportunity as an honor are passing on the event because it's not what it used to be.
VJ Edgecombe has put together an All-Rookie and Rookie of the Year campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers this year, and fans would've loved to see him headline the dunk contest. But the Sixers rookie had other ideas and made it clear he wouldn't accept an invite to the event, stating no particular reason other than “I ain't doing that” and that he was “good.”
Perhaps the dunk contest has run its course, especially since every year is the same story of an underwhelming event with star players pleading to save it. That is exactly what happened in 2025, which prompted Ja Morant and others to hint at possibly making this year's event in Inglewood one to be remembered for years.
Ja Morant, Zach LaVine, and even Giannis took to social media claiming they could save the event after McClung won for a third straight year. This is the type of energy the dunk contest needs in order to be saved, yet no stars participated in the event this past weekend.
NBA All-Star Saturday has lost its touch because of the dunk contest being the main headline event. But at the same time, that doesn't mean that All-Star Weekend as a whole needs to be revamped.
All-Star Saturday still works… kind of
Fans and NBA media members alike have been very critical of All-Star Weekend over the last few years. More specifically, All-Star Saturday Night has become a key talking point, with some questioning whether it's even necessary anymore.
Just because the dunk contest has been underwhelming and needs to change doesn't mean every single fun event basketball fans around the world enjoy watching needs to be ditched.
The NBA 3-Point Contest is still a great spectacle, and one of the main reasons for this is that the big names and elite 3-point shooting threats are willing to participate. Each of the last six winners of the event has been an All-Star talent, and Damian Lillard has now won the event in three of the last four seasons.
Not even 24 hours after the contest ended on Saturday in Inglewood, Stephen Curry and Lillard made it clear that they would be back in the contest next season when the Phoenix Suns host All-Star Weekend.
For anyone who has any doubts about how serious Curry and Lillard are, these two are already teaming up to recruit Devin Booker, who said he will participate, and Klay Thompson, who Steph told Lillard via message that he will get him to sign on.
With Lillard, Curry, Booker, and Thompson, the 2027 3-Point Contest already has the best field in the history of the event, as all four stars have won the 3-point crown before. So, if the big names can come together to do this for one of the All-Star Saturday events, why can't they do it for the others?
This year's All-Star Saturday Night, which took place in the afternoon, began with a fun and thrilling 3-Point Contest that came down to Lillard, Booker, and rookie sensation Kon Knueppel. All around, this was a great event that nobody had any problems with whatsoever, especially considering that Lillard is out the entire season recovering from a torn Achilles and not only participated, but also won the event.
The next order of business was the Kia Shooting Stars, which replaced the Skills Challenge. While it was not as entertaining as the event before it, the Shooting Stars did bring a level of excitement to it with past legends like Allan Houston and Ron Harper being involved. Any time the NBA can involve former players and Hall of Fame talents, they should always pounce on the opportunity.
But after these first two events, the dunk contest, which is always the headliner of All-Star Saturday Night, was a complete waste of time. Those in attendance hardly made any noise, and there were virtually no over-the-top reactions from the current and past players in attendance to watch the contest unfold.
The dunk contest has simply lost its touch. Unless some of the best dunkers in the league and stars are willing to salvage the event, it's time for this one to join the Skills Challenge. In doing so, the NBA can introduce a new event both fans and players have been asking for:
A 1-on-1 tournament.
Time for a new 1 vs. 1 event?
One thing the NBA does really well is involving the players and allowing their input to help make decisions to better the league. Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA office have worked with the player's union at length over the last few seasons to try and make the All-Star Game better, and we can certainly see the improvements in terms of competitiveness on the court.
Both the NBA and the players deserve a lot of credit for making All-Star Weekend better than it was.
However, there is still room for growth, and it all goes back to All-Star Saturday Night, with the dunk contest standing out as an event that has seemed to overstay its welcome. Down the road, it may make sense to bring back the dunk contest, but as of right now, it's time to put this event on the bench next to the Skills Challenge.
As for what would replace the dunk contest and become the highlight event of All-Star Weekend, the NBA should look no further than the success women's basketball has seen with the Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament. The WNBA players have taken this event as seriously as their season over the last few years, and this event has gained a lot of interest among NBA talents.
At the 2025 All-Star Game, Kevin Durant spoke highly of the idea of a 1-on-1 tournament, claiming that the league was full of amazing talents who could make this event stand out.
“I don't think it would be easy to predict who would come out on top,” Durant said on NBA TV. “I feel like there are a lot of guys who can come out here and put on a show in a 1-on-1, so that would be a cool addition to All-Star Weekend. We'll see what happens.”
Durant went on to speak about the idea of a 1-on-1 tournament further with Draymond Green, claiming that he would play if the NBA added this event to All-Star Weekend.
This year, it was Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown who was the leading voice for a 1-on-1 tournament being added to the All-Star calendar, as he fully backed the idea of this event taking over All-Star Weekend.
“I'm actually a big fan of the one-on-one,” Brown said at All-Star Media Day. “There’s some people that’s here this weekend that I would love to challenge. All of them. Luka (Doncic), Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander), (Jalen) Brunson, Donovan (Mitchell). I’d challenge all them guys one-on-one. We could donate to whatever charity. Let's set it up.”
With Durant and Brown publicly advocating for a 1-on-1 tournament over the last two All-Star Weekends and several other stars likely feeling the same way, could we possibly see this addition starting in 2027? Maybe we can even see the 1-on-1 All-Star tournament replace the dunk contest for the time being.
The NBA has some decisions to make about All-Star Weekend, and none are bigger than what will happen with the Saturday night activities, specifically the dunk contest. Unless they can get stars and notable talents to buy into participating, this event will continue to be chastised and looked down upon by players and fans alike.
