As NBA All-Star Weekend approaches, questions about the Slam Dunk Contest’s relevance are resurfacing. Once a marquee event that drew widespread attention, the competition has struggled to capture the same excitement in recent years, with fewer top stars stepping up to participate.
Four-time NBA champion Draymond Green has noticed the shift and seems unconvinced that this year will change the trend.
Draymond Green Voices Concerns Over Declining Slam Dunk Contest
Speaking on the latest segment of The Draymond Green Show, Green expressed disappointment over how the Slam Dunk Contest has evolved during NBA All-Star Weekend.
“I don’t have a dream dunk contest lineup this year. It just hasn’t been great,” Green said. “The guys who are supposed to be in there haven’t been great. The great guys who are supposed to be in haven’t done it — they just haven’t. So I think it’s kind of died down.”
“You’ve got guys in there who aren’t even in the NBA. It’s crazy. I worked this hard to be an All-Star, and you could just be in a dunk contest and not be on an NBA contract. We might as well go get those guys who do all those crazy dunks. So yeah, I’m not too stoked about it,” he added.
Draymond Green on the Dunk contest: “I worked this hard to be an All-Star and you can be in dunk contests without an NBA contract. We might as well get those guys that do those crazy ass dunks.” pic.twitter.com/GvcgzVhTzR
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) December 9, 2025
For years, fans have criticized the NBA’s All-Star Weekend for feeling stale and uninspired, prompting the league to introduce a “USA vs. World” format for next year. Yet, the Slam Dunk Contest itself has seen no major changes, leaving its popularity in question.
The 2025 contest was won by Orlando Magic guard Mac McClung, who’s primarily a two-way contract player. It marked his third consecutive title, and while widely praised as one of the best recent performances in Slam Dunk history, it didn’t generate a significant spike in public interest.
However, the event did spark playful teasing from NBA stars like Ja Morant and Giannis Antetokounmpo about participating in it, with Morant calling out Sacramento Kings guard Zach LaVine and Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, who famously had one of the best dunk contest battles in NBA history back in 2016.
If the league can secure participation from just a few of these top talents, the competition could recapture the excitement of past eras, when legends like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dominique Wilkins, and Vince Carter made the Slam Dunk Contest a must-watch event.
