Vince Carter, one of the greatest performers in Slam Dunk Contest history, had a pretty solid explanation for why the NBA’s best player avoided participating in the All-Star weekend’s marquee event. During his appearance on the Run It Back podcast, he said,
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“A lot of the guys we’re not seeing in the dunk contest anymore, don’t want to be put in a box as a career dunker, only known as a dunker.”
Carter noted that two-time Slam Dunk Contest champion Zach LaVine did not chase a third straight title because he did not want to build a reputation of solely being a good dunker. The Hall of Famer also added that reigning two-time champion Mac McClung risks the same. The G-League star has won the event in back-to-back years and has become one of the main attractions during the All-Star weekend due to his dunking skills.
Carter claimed that McClung has used the Slam Dunk Contest well to become a recognizable name among NBA fans, but he’s only known as the ‘dunking kid.’ He is spot on. After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, McClung joined the Los Angeles Lakers‘ G-League team, the South Bay Lakers, and has since played for three more franchises in the NBA’s minor league.
In three seasons in the G-League, he has averaged 21.2 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 51% from the field. Despite his incredible numbers, McClung has played only four games in the NBA. He’s only known as a dunk specialist despite being a 41.9% shooter in the G-League from beyond the arc. Staving off that reputation will be difficult, and he’ll have to continue to grind in the G-League to find a permanent spot on an NBA roster.
The Slam Dunk Contest’s dwindling reputation
The Slam Dunk Contest has gone from one of the main attractions of the All-Star weekend to the event everyone complained about. Fans are swiftly losing interest in it due to the lack of participation from recognizable names.
Jaylen Brown decided to step up and change the narrative about the league’s best players ducking the Slam Dunk Contest, but the move backfired. He was trolled incessantly for his performance, especially his dunk involving streamer Kai Cenat. The Boston Celtics star made the 5-foot-3-inch internet sensation sit on a chair underneath the rim and leaped above him for a dunk. Fans and analysts were thoroughly unimpressed and called Brown out for it.
The 3-Point Contest has taken over the Slam Dunk Contest as the marquee event of the All-Star weekend. The NBA needs to persuade superstars to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest to make it the unmissable event it used to be.
