The NBA All-Star Weekend came and went with great fanfare. Fans were thoroughly entertained by some of the most stunning displays of athleticism and skills. However, one event that failed to captivate the audience was the Slam Dunk Contest. The event has been heavily scrutinized in recent seasons because of declining popularity, and the 2024 Dunk Contest did little to change that trajectory.

Mac McClung retained his Dunk Contest title, as he defeated 3x All-Star Jaylen Brown in the finals. But the showdown between the two high fliers didn’t set the world alight. Several fans in particular criticized the performance of Jaylen Brown. In fact, spectators inside the Lucas Oil Stadium even booed Brown after one of his dunk attempts.

The Dunk Contest has gone from one of the most anticipated events during the All-Star Weekend to a forgettable event. Something is seriously wrong with the Dunk Contest, and NFL Hall-of-Famer and popular ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe may have identified the underlying cause of the contest’s decline.

Shannon Sharpe explains the root cause of the Dunk Contest’s decline?

In the latest episode of the NightCap podcast, Shannon Sharpe zeroed in on the underlying problems with the dunk contest. During a conversation with co-host Ocho, Sharpe said, “What does the dunk contest do for a guy? Does it enhance its brand? Because now it seems to be, guys are very brand specific. If it doesn’t enhance my brand, I’m not doing it, and the guys make so much money. By the time the guy is 26, he has made $300 million. Jayson Tatum is 25, and he’s about to sign a contract next year for over $300 million. He has already made $150 million. So, what’s the dunk contest gonna do?”

It’s no secret that the dunk contest has lost the charm it once had during the glory days of the 1990s, when superstars like Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins battled it out for bragging rights. However, modern NBA players do not want to risk their bodies for bragging rights.

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In fact, Jaylen Brown became the first All-Star since Victor Oladipo back in 2018 to participate in the dunk contest. Supreme athletes like LeBron James, Ja Morant and Jayson Tatum just don’t want to risk injuring themselves at such a crucial juncture of the season for something as menial as a dunk contest trophy.

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