The NBA Dunk Contest in the past few years has seen fewer stars from the league participate, as the vacant spots are usually taken up by talents from the G-League. In the earlier editions of the competition, some of the best talents in the NBA, like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Dominique Wilkins, and others, used to regularly feature in the competition, making it must-watch TV. However, over the years, NBA stars have grown increasingly disinterested in the competition.
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Hollywood actor Michael Rapaport noticed the phenomenon and lashed out at NBA stars for not participating in the All-Star contest in recent times. On his Instagram page, Rapaport mentioned the likes of Dominique Wilkins, Julius ‘Dr. J’ Irving, Vince Carter, and others, who unequivocally took part in the competition, treating it like a prestigious contest as part of the All-Star festivities. A slam dunk title was considered a worthy piece of achievement for many players, a sensibility that has been missing from the players in the modern era of the NBA.
Rapaport believes that if the NBA players show such reluctance, the league should rather allow the best dunkers on YouTube, streetball players, and college players take part in the contest instead of NBA stars.
Expressing his frustration in a video clip uploaded on his profile, Rapaport said, “This is the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. You gotta have active NBA players who are on NBA rosters…I know you all [active NBA players] need rest. Dominique didn’t need rest, Dr. J didn’t need rest, Vince Carter didn’t need rest…Rest up, and let YouTube guys, let streetball players get into it, let college players get into it. You sit there and ice your knees and don’t participate. This sh*t isn’t bouncing.”
Rapaport is concerned that the All-Star Dunk Contest has nothing worthwhile to look forward to, with mostly G-League players trying to make a name for themselves. In a rage of fit, the actor suggested NBA stars to take a backseat and watch college athletes, streetballers, and G-League players take part in the Dunk Contest instead of them.
Shaquille O’Neal seems to agree with Michael Rapaport’s statement as he shared the actor’s clip on his Instagram story.
Shaq has been dissatisfied with the Dunk Contest for quite some time and has visibly expressed his discontentment with the competition in 2022. In fact, many people have even dubbed the 2022 iteration of the contest as perhaps the ‘worst’ slam dunk contest in the history of the league.
Paul Pierce used a strange analogy to show his disapproval of the Slam Dunk contest
Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce also believes the Slam Dunk contest has lost its charm over the years. However, to voice his concern, Pierce used a strange analogy to bring his point to the fans. He compared the competition to an ex-girlfriend, to whom one keeps going back to regain the spark. However, over time, the person has to realize to let go and move on to something else. Through his analogy, Pierce tried highlighting how there has been a steady decline in the competition over the past few years.
Another player who has openly called out the league regarding the current state of the Dunk Contest is the Warriors star Draymond Green. In an episode of his podcast, Green questioned the authenticity of the competition in today’s era, comparing the contest nowadays with those from the time of Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins.
Green asked the league to devise a creative alternative or add some new ingenuity to the competition that would help the contest regain its old charm and excitement. Instead of bringing in the G-League players, the Warriors star requested the league to increase the prize money of the contest that could generate more enthusiasm and interest among active NBA players.
