Younger NBA fans might not remember, but there was a time when the All-Star weekend’s Slam Dunk Contest was actually a great event.
It used to feature the best players on Earth going head to head and competing to determine who was the undisputed king of dunking.
That’s no longer the case, as superstars are either scared of getting hurt or being exposed, and we’re stuck with lesser-caliber players — sometimes even G-Leaguers — taking part in what used to be the main attraction of the weekend.
Following that tradition, Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. recently teased at potentially partaking in the event, stating that he used to be an elite dunker in high school (via Miami Herald and NBACentral).
Jaime Jaquez Jr. says he would consider joining the dunk contest, per @MiamiHerald
“You ask anybody who played on my high school team, they’ll tell you all the things that I used to do in high school.”
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 13, 2023
Jaquez is more athletic than it seems at first glance, and there’s no reason to believe that he can’t put on a show at this event.
Nonetheless, the fact that the league cannot get the top marquee names to even consider it is kind of sad.
We get it: players want to stay healthy and avoid injury, but the chances of getting hurt performing a dunk are pretty close to zero if you’re a professional NBA player.
Hopefully, this trend will go back to the old ways one day, but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen any time soon.
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