If this year’s All-Star weekend proved anything, it’s that the dunk contest remains in a dire state. As a former fan favorite event, the dunk competition has fallen off hard, and partly due to a lack of star participation. Fortunately, Victor Wembanyama has plans to change that, as he revealed after a win over the Kings on Saturday.
“I’ll be in the dunk contest one day,” said Victor in a post-game media chat.
Victor Wembanyama says he’ll “be in the dunk contest one day.”
We’ve heard a lot of stars say this over the years. None have done it. We’ll see if Wemby is honest. pic.twitter.com/p2c8tksKPi
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnor) February 22, 2026
Many NBA stars have made similar claims over the years, only for them to chicken out and walk back their commitment. With Victor, however, there’s reason to believe he’ll make good on this promise. He set the tone early in last Sunday’s All-Star game, coming out with a dunk to send a message early on.
His competitive play inspired the rest of the stars to put in some degree of effort, and it’s much more than we usually see for the game. The result was, arguably, the best All-Star show in years. It was far from perfect, but Victor’s approach was contagious and gave the fans a taste of the kind of atmosphere they’ve been asking for.
The dunk contest, however, is a completely different beast. Years ago, it was one of the league’s most iconic and popular events, but a lack of stars and creative dunks has eliminated all fan interest. It got to a point where the NBA had to invite G-League players, leading to three straight seasons of Mac McClung.
This year wasn’t any better. Without any signature names or viral dunks, it lacked the kind of excitement you might expect. In the end, it was extremely forgettable, leading to calls to end the event altogether.
Victor Wembanyama wouldn’t totally fix the dunk contest, but his inclusion would surely breathe some life back into the longstanding tradition. As a former No. 1 overall pick and an MVP candidate, he’s one of the biggest names in the game, and we haven’t seen someone of his caliber in the dunk competition for a long time.
It would be wild to see someone with his length and frame try to pull off some crazy dunks, and he has plenty of time to practice before next year. Either way, fans will be holding Victor to his word, and they’ll be expecting a good show when he eventually does suit up for a dunk contest in the future. In the end, if anybody’s capable of turning one of the NBA’s biggest failures into a success, it’s the guy who is quickly rising the ranks as the game’s biggest star.
