Speaking on “The VC Show,” NBA legend Vince Carter pitched some ideas to improve the slam dunk contest and it includes a million-dollar cash participation prize, similar to something they tried in the past. Looking back on his playing days, Carter revealed that the NBA once offered $1 million to compete in a contest with Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Tracy McGrady before the stars backed out at the last minute.
“I know for a fact a couple of years back that the NBA tried this tactic, as far as upping the ante a little bit,” said Carter. “A million dollars they threw around to some names like Bron, Kobe, T-Mac, my name was thrown in there of course and a few other people for a million dollars. But you couldn’t get the commitment from everyone to do it… even I was like — eh — I’ll wait to see what the field does.”
The Slam Dunk has historically been a highly anticipated event and stars like Michael Jordan and Dr. J used to spark life into it by participating and trying their absolute best to please the fans. According to Vince Carter, the NBA was once willing to offer $1 million in order to get the biggest stars in the dunk contest.
Kobe, McGrady, and Carter have all participated in the show before but they’ve never done it at the same time — and it’s a real shame too. As some of the most athletic players in NBA history, those stars could have put on a historic spectacle for the fans but it was never meant to be. Someone, it seems, killed the idea before it was ever allowed to happen.
For LeBron James, it’s not surprising at all that he chose not to suit up for the dunk contest that year. He’s one of the few basketball legends who has not even considered the event and some have even blamed him for the lack of enthusiasm it carries today.
NBA Dunk Contest Is Broken
It’s no secret that NBA All-Star weekend has seen a sharp decline in quality over the years, and fan approval ratings have tanked to all-time lows. The 2024 All-Star weekend is the latest disaster for the NBA and a continuation of a longstanding trend away from the traditional All-Star formula.
As arguably the only competition the night that people cared about, the three-point contest was great but went by fast and made up a very small portion of the festivities. The dunk contest, historically famed for its fanfare, was a complete bust, with G-Leaguer Mac McClung edging out a modest list of competitors to win his second straight trophy.
Adam Silver promised that the main game on Sunday would be better than it’s been in the past but this year saw the highest-scoring game ever with a final tally of 211-186 through four quarters of play. There was no defense in sight and many fans/analysts have come together to express their growing disappointment.
Overall, NBA All-Star weekend has seemingly taken a back seat and players of today just don’t care about it like they used to back in the day. Unless the NBA offers a $1 million prize or some other incentive, this may just be the way it goes for the foreseeable future.
