Stephen A. Smith Says LeBron James Ruined Slam Dunk Contest By Refusing To Compete

LeBron James has done all there is to do in the NBA, except for competing in the annual Slam Dunk contest. Stephen A. Smith claims that his inactivity is single-handedly responsible for the quality of the competition worsening over the years.

Smith discussed the matter on First Take this past Monday (Feb. 19) alongside his co-hosts Shannon Sharpe and Kendrick Perkins. Sharpe immediately made a look of disapproval when Smith brought up the topic, and Smith countered by saying he would never participate in the GOAT debate between James and Michael Jordan again if they heard him out.

“From 1985 to 1997, five of the thirteen Slam Dunk contests were won by future Hall Of Famers,” Smith said, referring to Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, and Kobe Bryant. He continued his rant by focusing on how many times each man participated in the contest: Jordan three times and Wilkins five times. “Every high jumper, every sky walker, every above-the-rim talent salivated for the opportunity to compete in the Slam Dunk contest. It stopped when LeBron James said ‘I’m not doing it.'”

Smith said that James’s refusal to participate was a catalyst for future stars to not see it as a necessity either. “From that point forward, the stars that followed didn’t feel compelled to prioritize a Slam Dunk contest,” he exclaimed. “The tradition that was set by others preceding LeBron James!” Smith even felt like King James purposely chose to do elaborate dunks during his pre-game layup lines to “rub it in.”

He believed that there was “no one who knows basketball” who would disagree with his stance when assessing the quality of the dunk contest from a historical perspective. “LeBron James refusing to participate was the beginning and the spark plug of its demise. Period!” he yelled.

There was a time over a decade ago when the four-time NBA Champion committed to participating in the Slam Dunk contest. “Right now, I’m preliminary putting my name in the 2010 dunk contest on Saturday night,” he said during the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend. “LeBron James is saying that in 2010, in Dallas Stadium, [preliminary] I’m putting my name in the dunk contest.”

Rich Paul, founder of Klutch Sports Group, commented on his longtime friend not keeping his word. “As time went on and he started to focus more on his body, he shied away from it,” he said via Washington Post. “He didn’t want to do it. I’ll never push him to do anything he didn’t want to do. I just feel like that ship has sailed.”

This year’s Slam Dunk contest featured defending Champion Mac McClung from the G-League’s Osceola Magic, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez and Jacob Toppin from the G-League’s Westchester Knicks. McClung became a back-to-back Slam Dunk contest winner, defeating Brown in the final round.

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