Could New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson be the player who saves the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest? The high-flying forward said in an interview with Complex during All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City that he's thinking about signing up for the 2024 edition of the event.
Complex: And lastly, I feel like the dunk contest, it could use a little bit of re-energizing. Would you ever want to do it?
Williamson: I'll think about it. I'll put heavy consideration into doing the dunk contest. I feel like if I am going to do it, I'd probably do it next year.
That is certainly far from a guarantee, so there's no reason to get our hopes up just yet, but it's better than a straight "no." If Williamson -- who has been sidelined since early January with a hamstring injury and will not play in Sunday's All-Star Game -- was to participate at some point, it would be the best thing that's happened to the Slam Dunk Contest for a number of years.
For all the talk each winter about how to fix the marquee competition of All-Star Weekend, the answer has always been simple: get actual stars to participate. There's nothing wrong with the format; the issue is no one cares or, in some cases, even knows about the players who take part these days. That's no offense to the likes of KJ Martin or Jericho Sims, but they could do the best dunk of all time and it wouldn't be as exciting or mean as much as watching LeBron James, Ja Morant, Williamson, etc. take part.
But whether it's a fear of embarrassment in the social media era, a concern about injuries or just general disinterest, those big-name players have gravitated away from the Slam Dunk Contest. It does seem, though, that if just one superstar would commit it might convince others to do the same. Perhaps Williamson could be that one.
