The Los Angeles Lakers delivered a beatdown on the Washington Wizards 142-111, which included an epic 37-point triple-double from Luka Doncic and a 28-point double-double from DeAndre Ayton.
Not entirely lost in the shuffle was 38-year-old superstar LeBron James, who recorded 20 points, six assists, and three rebounds in the victory. In a blowout game, he also had multiple dunks to add to his highlight reel of impressive career plays.
Among them was LeBron moving down the baseline and completing a left-handed one-handed jam in the second quarter. Later, a sweet lob pass from Ayton in the third quarter for a reverse dunk had the home crowd excited as their team trailed by almost 30 points.
Naturally, all of those amazing dunks had fans and reporters talking about them, with LeBron grilled postgame about where he’d rank them. The Lakers superstar didn’t have an answer, stating he’d let the LeBron faithful decide upon how they rank.
During postgame remarks, his coach, JJ Redick, marveled at the various dunks and teased reporters about a “rumor” that the NBA was contacting LeBron to participate in this year’s NBA Slam Dunk Contest. That would undoubtedly have fans excited for the event.
“There’s some juice left in those legs, apparently,” Redick told reporters with a smirk.
However, LeBron, at 38, had a simple, straightforward response to that idea when told his coach had said the NBA would contact him to participate.
“S***. No Chance,” LeBron stated, quickly dismissing that notion.
Nonetheless, LeBron would certainly breathe new life into an annual tradition that once featured all-time great dunkers such as Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, Shawn Kemp, Spud Webb, and Vince Carter. In more recent editions, fans marveled at creative dunks from Aaron Gordon and Zach Levine.
However, name recognition is a big deal when tied to these events, and many of the more recent fields have featured non-All-Star players who might not even be starters on their own rosters. In 2023, Mac McClung participated in a dunk contest just four days after signing a two-way contract to play for the Philadelphia 76ers.
McClung, a three-time winner, has brought some new creativity to the event with his prop-related dunks, including dunking over a car parked near the basket. He won’t be defending his title this year, and there is potential for a new champ, depending on the field.
This year’s Slam Dunk Contest has just two participants so far in the four-player field. The San Antonio Spurs' Carter Bryant and LeBron's Lakers teammate, Jaxson Hayes, have agreed to put their creative skills to the test.
Over 10 years ago, LeBron said he was making a “preliminary” announcement to participate in the 2010 Slam Dunk Contest, but that never came to fruition. He’s kept fans on the edge of their seats, hoping he’d eventually compete in and win one, which he’d likely easily do in most fields.
Amid his 23rd season, LeBron knows his limits and what he’s willing and not willing to put his body through. There’s been talk of retirement after this season, even though fans would love to see him throwing it down in a dunk contest before his legendary NBA career officially ends.
LeBron’s son, Bronny, also had a highlight dunk in Friday’s win, suggesting that maybe LeBron’s son will have to win a future NBA Slam Dunk Contest for the James family.
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