Kenyon Martin Jr. Jan 25, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kenyon Martin Jr. (6) dunks against the Washington Wizards in the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA officially announced the participants for this year’s Slam Dunk Competition Tuesday night and, judging by the reaction on Twitter, the participants are underwhelming.

Let’s just say this year’s contest won’t remind anyone of the classic Michael Jordan vs. Dominique Wilkins showdown back in the day.

This year’s four participants are Kenyon Martin Jr. of the Houston Rockets, Trey Murphy III of the New Orleans Pelicans, the Philadelphia 76ers’ Mac McClung and Jericho Sims of the New York Knicks.

Not a Ja Morant or Giannis Antetokounmpo (or even Aaron Gordon or Zach LaVine) in the bunch. Of course, the NBA’s biggest stars have been avoiding this competition for years. There’s far more for them to lose than there is to gain by competing, so why take the risk?

Nothing against any of this year’s contestants in terms of their leaping ability or creativity on dunks. McClung is still best known for his viral videos showing his incredible dunks as a high school player.

But the NBA is a league powered by stars, and this year’s contestants fall short in that area. NBA fans on Twitter could not hide their disappointment.

The dunk competition is part of All-Star Saturday Night on TNT, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. ET.

[NBA.com]

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.