Image credit: Kyle Terada, Imagn Images
Image credit: Kyle Terada, Imagn Images
Some of the biggest names in NBA Slam Dunk Contest history want the current stars to make it a marquee event again.
Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady made their pitches last week on NBC, and Slam Dunk legend Dominique Wilkins added to the conversation in an exclusive interview with Esports Insider.
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The Hall of Famer said he wishes the stars still participated, and that he would be embarrassed if G-Leaguer Mac McClung won three straight dunk contests on his watch.
“The dunk contest was the signature event of All-Star Weekend,” Wilkins said. “It was must-see TV, and all the greats got in it. It ain’t like that anymore. Anytime a G League guy can win three times in a row? I would be embarrassed as an NBA player.”
When asked if the stars might be worried about their image if they lost to a lesser player, Wilkins pointed to an easy solution.
“Look, we wouldn’t be letting that happen,” Wilkins said. “Just don’t let it happen. Give credit to that young fella, because he was a showman. It was the theatrics, the build-up, that gave him the ability to win it. He’s an athletic little guy. But three years in a row?”
Wilkins: They Still Talk About My Dunk Contest with Michael Jordan
Wilkins participated in five dunk contests and won the event in 1985 and 1990.
His 1988 dunk contest in Chicago against Michael Jordan was a legendary head-to-head showdown. Wilkins also competed against Scottie Pippen, Shawn Kemp, Clyde Drexler and Julius Erving.
Wilkins loved the Aaron Gordon-Zach LaVine duel in 2016 but has been disappointed in the turnout over the past decade. The past five winners are McClung, Obi Toppin, Anfernee Simons, Derrick Jones, Jr. and Hamidou Diallo.
“Aaron Gordon and Zach LaVine brought the dunk contest back,” Wilkins said. “Their dunk contest was amazing. I really admired those guys because they went head-up several times. That’s what it’s about, man.
“Now, no one wants to do it. None of the superstars. I don’t know if they feel like it’s going to mess with their legacy. If that’s the case, I don’t buy it, because they still talk about Michael Jordan and myself in the dunk contest, and it’s been 35 years. That lets you know how impactful it was.”
Kyle Odegard has been a professional journalist for two decades, with four years of experience in the sports betting industry. He was a beat writer for the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals from 2013-2021 and previously covered MLB, NFL, NBA and college football for the East Valley Tribune in Tempe, Arizona. Kyle has broken multiple national stories about the Arizona Cardinals and his work has been referenced by numerous publications, including Sports Illustrated, the Daily Mail, the New York Post, Yahoo!, FOX News, MSN, the Arizona Republic and Pro Football Talk.