This year’s NBA Slam Dunk Contest was almost going to be the single greatest event in the history of Western civilization.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Alex Caruso revealed this week that he received an invite from the league to compete at the event but turned it down.
“[I’m] maybe looking forward to [the break] a little bit more,” said Caruso, per Bill Oram of The Athletic. “I’ll probably just play some golf with some buddies and leave it at that.”
The Dunk Contest will not have very much star power this year, especially without a cult hero like Caruso taking part. The three participants will be Obi Toppin of the New York Knicks, Anfernee Simons of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Cassius Stanley of the Indiana Pacers.
The 27-year-old fan favorite Caruso actually almost found his way into All-Star Weekend through the will of the people. But it sounds like he would rather spend the All-Star break working on his golf swing instead.
