It needs to be mentioned….LeBum James ruined the Slam Dunk Contest. It used to be such a fun event that everyone looked forward to watching, but now it’s a complete joke and star players are afraid to participate. They announced that the contestants this year will be Obi Toppin, Anfernee Simons, and Cassius Stanley. I know who they are, but to the common grandma has never heard of them before. And not only are they not household names, but they’re not even good. Back in the day it was almost a rite of passage to compete in the contest, superstars like MJ & Kobe both won it, just to name a few.
Even crazy ass Dwight Howard competed and won. But since Dwight what superstar has competed in it? I’ll wait….
LeBron has been the face of the NBA since Kobe’s later years in the league and has never done the contest. Ever since he first started declining the opportunity, other star players have followed him by not doing it and it created a stigma. I feel like they’re now afraid that if they underperform in the contest that it would be too harsh of a hit to their personal brand. Now Zion Williamson, who is currently the most exciting player in the association, won’t do the contest either. Not only is it less entertaining for us fans, but you’d think that Zion who’s on the verge of taking the crown of being the face of the NBA would try to market himself more and participate in something that he seems he would blow away the competition in. Especially for someone that plays for the New Orleans Pelicans….
