The field for this year’s NBA Slam Dunk Contest has officially been set, and it led to the same reaction from many fans.
News emerged on Monday that Mac McClung would be participating in the competition for the third straight year. McClung has won the contest the last two years and is going for three in a row like the Kansas City Chiefs. McClung was the last person to confirm his place in the competition. The other contestants include Stephon Castle, Matas Buzelis and Andre Jackson Jr.
Many people on X felt underwhelmed by the dunk contest lineup.
The NBA should be embarrassed of the dunk contest field. Just pathetic that’s the best they can get.
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) January 27, 2025
This will not solve the lack of interest in All-Star weekend https://t.co/AJIX6S6mPW
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) January 27, 2025
No disrespect to these 4, but this field is a perfect representation of how mid and underwhelming all-star weekend is now in the NBA. 🥱 https://t.co/V9FBEr8YKi
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) January 27, 2025
Is this the most uninteresting group of dunkers in the contest’s history? I’m sure they will do some cool dunks but hype matters and this is weak. The NBA has to figure out a way to incentive stars into participating or scrap the event. https://t.co/Am3x0Lf38a
— DJ (@DJAceNBA) January 27, 2025
McClung is known for delivering some spectacular dunks, so he will be worth watching. But the field lacks the big names that might draw more interest in the competition than usual.
The NBA is struggling to make their All-Star Weekend events interesting for the same reason they’ve had trouble with their regular season: star players aren’t taking it seriously. The dunk contest lacks star power, while the actual All-Star Game lacks effort from the players. Those are some problems the league needs to address.
