The NBA Slam Dunk Contest is not going out of style. It has been dead for years, with only occasional signs of resurrection. This is a perfectly fine arrangement in most cases. A bad dunk contest is largely forgotten after his 24 hours. A good dunk contest, which seems to take place once or twice every decade, yields incredibly high scores for viewers and pushes the limits of human athleticism and creativity.No need for a dunk contest canceled again, but it could certainly be improved. The 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest was a perfect example.
The biggest criticism of the modern NBA Slam Dunk Contest is the lack of star power. Things have changed, at least somewhat, this year, as Jaylen Brown becomes a rare All-Star who participates in the dunk contest. His competition included one standout rookie, Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat, and two G League players, Jacob Toppin and reigning champion Mac McClung.
McClung won the 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, becoming the first player to win consecutive championships since Zach LaVine in 2015 and 2016. McClung deserved to win – this guy literally jumped over Shaq for a reverse dunk and then dunked it. The whole thing was another embarrassment for the dunk contest.
The judging of the dunk contest continues to be completely bogus. This year, I felt worse than ever, and what was supposed to be a fun night was overshadowed.
It was as if the judges had already decided that Brown would advance to the finals. Brown’s first dunk of the night – a tribute to Atlanta native Dominique Wilkins – was probably the worst dunk of the entire contest.It was a cool basic windmill in the game However, this is not a dunk contest. Still, I pulled out the highest score of the first round. The remaining three dunks in the opening round included Jaquez’s dunk over Shaq, McClung’s incredible drop-and-catch reverse pump slam, and Toppin’s reverse dunk over his brother Obi. Successfully, everything brought heat and the situation already looked like this. Modification was on.
The best dunk in the second group of the first round was clearly Toppin’s 360-degree under-the-leg dunk. That’s a great dunk! For some reason, the judges gave him the second lowest score and he was unable to advance to the finals.
Brown didn’t even get his second dunk in the first round right — he jumped over a small man in a chair and tried to cover his eyes, but didn’t do so until after he landed — and still made it to the finals. advanced.
It made sense why the league wanted Brown in the finals. NBA finally He returned to All-Star status in the dunk contest, so if he makes a deep run, maybe other stars will consider participating in the future. Unfortunately, Brown’s dunk was the worst of anyone in the tournament, and the push to get him into the finals ruined the entire tournament.
Players and fans alike criticized the poor judging throughout the night.
Lutoppin had the best dunk of the night
— Aaron Gordon (@Double0AG) February 18, 2024
Jaylen Brown advances to finals with two worst dunks in six years
— Kofie.bsky.social (@Kofie) February 18, 2024
I don’t like pros, but I don’t hate saying that I might win the dunk contest with this score, but I don’t know if my knees will allow it (lol)
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) February 18, 2024
McClung defeated Brown in the final to win the title, but he had to use the best material to take home the crown. That’s how it should be. Still, judging dunk contests is not that difficult, and the inaccuracy of judging is a major factor in star athletes’ reluctance to compete.
Ja Morant said this a few years ago.
Why NBA stars don’t want to participate in dunk contests
The biggest problem with the dunk contest remains the format. The reason stars don’t want to compete is because it’s easy to embarrass themselves in situations like this. If you shoot a dunk, you’ll be the subject of a meme forever. Even the best players in the world are too busy working on their all-around game to have time to practice exhibition dunks.
In 2014, I proposed a new format for the dunk contest that would minimize potential embarrassment and encourage more stars to compete. My “jam session” style makes the whole thing looser and feels more like a party. Give the NBA players in attendance a chance to run up there and try some cool dunks. There’s less pressure and less spotlight. The winner will be the one with the best dunk of the night.
Dunk contests don’t have to feel like such a hassle. This tournament came together for multiple reasons, including the format and consistently poor judging. Commissioner Adam Silver has been willing to change many traditions in recent years, and the dunk contest should be next.
