The NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend is one of the most anticipated events of the year. Some of the biggest stars in the history of the game like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter have graced and won the competition since it first began in 1984. The spectacle of it has been unmatched since its inception and there is very little as thrilling as an exciting dunk contest.
Recent years have seen some of the hype surrounding it die down though, with not as many top tier stars taking part in the contest. There was great excitement when Aaron Gordon and Zach LaVine went head-to-head in 2016, but since then, the contest has largely been underwhelming. The reaction to the 2022 tournament was similarly negative, with many dubbing it to be one of the worse ones in the competition’s history.
It led to an interesting comment from one of the best players in the world though, with Kevin Durant replying to a suggestion that he should have participated in the festivities this year. He responded to a tweet by the co-host of his podcast, Eddie Gonzalez, suggesting that he wouldn’t be able to add too much flash to a contest that already proved to be a bit of a letdown.
Me after a basic one hand https://t.co/opMBMsMWaI pic.twitter.com/5zYuMFh3B2
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) February 20, 2022
Admittedly, Durant isn’t one of the more explosive dunkers in the league, he is better known for his incredible jumper that is impossible to stop, but seeing him attempt to perform an outlandish dunk would be interesting for NBA fans.
It seems KD himself isn’t too big on the idea though, as his reaction to the idea suggests. The NBA will need to somehow attract star talents to participate in the contest at some point soon though, or they run the risk of one of their main attractions losing more of what makes it so appealing with every passing year.
