The NBA Slam Dunk Contest is one of the most anticipated events of the All-Star Weekend. The fans look forward to witnessing their favorite leapers demonstrate their athletic prowess. However, the slam dunk craze has waned in recent years. Are the athletes too intimidated to compete, or are they too uninspired to come up with unique dunks? The former Atlanta Hawks star player, Dominique Wilkins, criticizes the current state of the Slam Dunk Contest and reminisces about his early days in the NBA.

Back in the 1980s, when the Slam Dunk Contests first started, they were a big deal, with all the top players in the league participating to put on their best shows. The scenario is certainly different now. Referred to as the “Human Highlight Reel” of the NBA, Dominique Wilkins is one of the best dunkers, considering he started dunking just at the age of 12. Hence, his take on the evolving nature of the dunk competitions holds much water.

Dominique Wilkins delves into current dunk contests 

In a recent interview with VladTV, Wilkins discussed why top players like Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, Giannis, Lebron James and Russell Westbrook do not participate in dunk contests anymore. He revealed that the players do not compete out of fear. 

“I think the problem is that I don’t think anybody want to know who the best is,” remarked Wilkins. “We wanted to know who the best one Michael and I went head up we wanted to know who the best was, and it really wasn’t about us, it was about the fans you know. We did it for the fans, we didn’t do it for us.”

He added, “A lot of times I think they feel it’s going to mess with their legacy, and it’s not.”

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To emphasize his point, he gave an example of his 1988 Slam Dunk Contest against Michael Jordan. People still approach him now with questions about the match, 34 years after it took place. Fans believe Wilkins was cheated out of victory in what came to be known as the GOAT duel.

Wilkins’ early dunk days

The Hall of Famer opened up about his first slam dunk contest in 1984. He finished third behind Larry Nance and Julius Erving. During those days, Wilkins was not keen to compete, which changed after he watched his idol, Dr. J. The year after that, he was not there to compete but to win. He indeed did and became the dunk contest champion in 1985.

When asked who according to him might win if they joined the slam dunk contest right now, Wilkins chose Grizzlies star, Ja Morant.  

Currently, Ja Morant is facing a 25-game suspension due to his repeated social media firearm stunt. Aside from his off the court antics, the Memphis Grizzlies guard is one of the top high-flyers in the league right now. However, Ja Morant has always maintained that he would not participate in dunk contests, and it would take a billion likes for him to do it.

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