Vince Carter recently revealed that the most ambitious idea in Slam Dunk Contest history never materialized, and according to him, it was not because of a lack of interest on his end.
Speaking on his podcast Cousins with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, Carter disclosed that there was a proposal to stage a $1 million dunk contest featuring himself, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Tracy McGrady, a lineup that would have instantly elevated the event back to its cultural peak.
“They wanted me, you, Kobe and Bron for a million dollars. I said, I’m in if everybody else is in. I felt like at the end of the day, I would love to get confirmation, but I felt like I was the one that said yes. Never got a phone call back and it kind of faded away.”
Just imagine that lineup. The reigning king of the 2000 contest. A young Kobe, who won it in 1997. A prime LeBron in his athletic peak. And McGrady, one of the smoothest high-flyers of his era. It would have instantly revived the event. Instead, it never materialized.
The bigger issue Carter points to is structural. The dunk contest is no longer a must-do event for superstars. The risk outweighs the reward. Social media amplifies failure. Legacy can take a hit. There is little upside for established All-Stars.
Carter does not want to abandon it.
“The NBA and those involved, we need to have a sit-down. Have a conversation on how we go about this, about the dunk contest and our approach. I don’t want to give up on something that was the feature of Saturday night.”
“I’m going to fight it to the dying days. I’m trying to do everything I can to talk to some of these guys. And it’s just a disconnect between those who are doing it on one side and the other side. I don’t want to do it just for views. I want to try to put the best possible guys in.”
He is right. The contest has become a shell of its former self. The last truly electric one came in 2020, when Derrick Jones Jr. controversially edged Aaron Gordon in a duel that had fans on their feet. Since then, the event has struggled to regain that edge.
Mac McClung deserves credit for keeping it alive, winning in 2023, 2024, and 2025. But he is not an All-Star. He is not a franchise centerpiece. The star power is missing.
Look at the history. Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Dwight Howard, and Zach LaVine. These were headline names. When they entered, the league stopped.
Today, top-tier players rarely participate. LeBron never did, Ja Morant has teased it, and Zion Williamson has been mentioned. But the follow-through is absent.
That is what makes Carter’s revelation sting. There was a moment where the league could have staged a once-in-a-generation contest with a million-dollar prize among four icons. Instead, it faded into silence.
For Carter, the dunk contest is personal. His 2000 performance changed the peak of the event. He understands what it can be. The question now is whether the league can convince its biggest stars to see it the same way.
Because without them, the contest is just another segment. With them, it becomes history.
