The Dunk Contest once sold itself to fans across the globe. Now, it is fighting to stay alive, and Julius Erving knows why.

Erving talked about the current state of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest during a TMZ Sports interview released this April. The Hall of Famer delivered a harsh truth, as he said the event is on "relevancy life support" and has been a "dud" for quite some time.

Fans are starting to roll their eyes at the weekend showcase. Erving further said that the competition now mostly features unknown players instead of franchise stars. This is a drop from the days when the biggest names used to participate.

The legend did give credit to modern high-flyers like Zach LaVine, Aaron Gordon, and Mac McClung. However, he made it clear that individual great dunks cannot fix the main problem. The core issue remains a total lack of superstar participation on the big stage. 

Erving is urging top-tier players to save the contest. He wants household names to step up and enter the competition. He rejected the idea of forcing players to compete. Erving noted that guys today make too much money to be required to do anything they do not want to do. So, if the league cannot force them, something else has to change their minds.

Erving urged players to brush up on their history and educate themselves on the contest. He mentioned icons like Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins. 

To understand how to fix the problem, we first have to look at how the main event lost its craze in the first place.

Why Did the Dunk Contest Lose Its Shine?

Erving won the very first Slam Dunk Contest at the 1976 ABA All-Star Game with a famous leap from the free-throw line. The NBA even named its first-place hardware the "Dr. J Trophy" in his honor. 

There was a time when rivalries like Jordan battling Wilkins were must-watch television. The Vince Carter era then brought that same level of pure excitement. Today, the event feels more like an afterthought. 

Only 16 actual All-Stars have participated in the event since the year 2000. Between 2019 and 2023, the field featured zero All-Stars. Top names like LeBron James never participated. 

Many players cite the risk of injury during a very long regular season. For highly paid athletes, the risk outweighs the reward. Recent contests feature lesser-known names and G-League standouts. McClung won three straight times before skipping 2026, but it also showed the lack of NBA star power. 

While Erving hopes to convince NBA players, Shaquille O'Neal took a different route. O'Neal launched the DUNKMAN league this past April. The new concept focuses strictly on professional dunkers rather than traditional roster players. 

The winner walks away with a prize pool ranging up to $500,000. Backed by major partners like TNT Sports and Authentic Brands Group.

So while Erving wants to watch the dunk contest return to its former glory, how do you think that can happen?

Read more at Air Jordan Chronicles

Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Souvik Roy