Victor Wembanyama just said a few words that could shake up All-Star Weekend for years.
“I mean, I’ll be in the dunk contest one day.”
That’s it. No hedging or corporate answer. Just a clear signal that he intends to do what some of the biggest superstars of the modern era never did.
Wembanyama is now set to enter a space that LeBron James famously avoided for 23 seasons. It is also a stage that Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and Anthony Edwards have teased but never officially committed to. For years, one of the biggest criticisms of All-Star Weekend has been the reluctance of megastars to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest. Wemby just flipped that narrative.
LeBron’s absence from the contest has long been debated. As an in-game dunker, he is one of the most explosive finishers the league has ever seen. Many fans believed his presence in his early Cleveland years could have elevated the event to another level. Even his longtime agent, Rich Paul, suggested that if LeBron had competed and won, critics would have dismissed it as rigged. That reasoning never fully satisfied fans who wanted to see the league’s biggest name embrace the spotlight.
There was even talk years ago of a potential million-dollar showdown featuring LeBron, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady. It never materialized and the contest moved on without him.
Now Wembanyama is stepping forward.
At 7-foot-4 with an absurd wingspan, he is not a typical dunk contest candidate. Big men rarely dominate the event because hang time and aerial creativity tend to favor guards. Yet Wemby is not typical of anything. His blend of size, coordination, and fluidity makes him a different kind of athlete entirely.
He recently threw down a reverse windmill-style dunk that sent the arena into chaos. It was not just powerful. It was smooth, creative, and theatrical. After the game, he casually dropped the dunk contest hint, and suddenly, fans started dreaming again.
This matters for more than highlight reels.
The Slam Dunk Contest once defined All-Star Saturday night. Michael Jordan used it to build myth, Kobe Bryant used it to announce himself, and Vince Carter arguably delivered the greatest single dunk contest performance ever. In recent years, though, the event has leaned heavily on role players and specialists rather than franchise faces.
Wembanyama’s willingness to participate changes that dynamic.
He is already one of the most marketable young stars in the league. He is putting up dominant stat lines, averaging 24.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.7 blocks, shooting 51.1% from the field and 35.7% from three-point range. Wemby is leading the San Antonio Spurs on a dominant surge with a 40-16 record, which is good for the 2nd seed in the West. If he adds the dunk contest to his resume, it signals something bigger. It signals that he understands the responsibility of being a face of the league.
Of course, fans have heard promises before. LeBron once hinted he would enter. Zion once said he would do it if selected as an All-Star. It never happened.
Still, Wemby saying it publicly carries weight. If he follows through, he will accomplish something that a generation of superstars declined to do. And in the process, he might just restore the shine to a competition that has been waiting for someone bold enough to embrace it.
