NBA

Zach LaVine Hints At A Return To The NBA Slam Dunk Contest

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Anthony Cardenas
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Anthony Cardenas Sports Editor

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Published16 Feb 2025

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The NBA Slam Dunk Contest has seen a dip in popularity over the past few years. But one of the participants of one of the most memorable contests in recent history spoke out on Sunday, hinting at a possible return in the near future.

Could Zach LaVine Return To The NBA Dunk Contest?

Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon put on a show during Saturday Night’s events of All Star Weekend 2016. The two high-flyers faced off in what became a classic matchup, and the last truly memorable iteration of the Dunk Contest.

After Andre Drummond and Will Barton were eliminated in the early round, it was LaVine and Gordon who faced off in an epic showdown. The two each performed four dunks in the championship round, and LaVine was given a perfect score of 50 for each of his attempts. Gordon kept pace, receiving 50s for each of his first three dunks, but lost the competition when his final dunk received a score of just 47 points.

It was LaVine’s second straight win in the NBA Dunk Contest, and is largely considered the last one that truly captivated audiences.

There has been a shift in the amount of star power in the Slam Dunk Contest. Long gone are the days when Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, or even Vince Carter participated. In 2025, the four contestants averaged a combined 6 points per game in the regular season, and the winner had played in just five NBA games over the entirety of his career.

But that could soon change, as LaVine has hinted that he may be interested in giving the contest another shot. On Sunday afternoon, the Sacramento Kings’ guard retweeted a something that was posted by Ja Morant during Saturday’s festivities. Morant mentioned both LaVine and Gordon in a way that suggested they should be back in the Dunk Contest, and LaVine responded simply (though with incorrect grammar), “Thinking I might have too again…”.

While he may not be an All-Star himself or one of the best 25 players in the NBA, Zach LaVine’s name being added to the Dunk Contest would certainly be an upgrade over the fields of participants that we have seen in recent years. He has averaged 19+ points in each of the last seven years, and of course has the back-to-back Dunk Contest titles that helped elevate his name during the early part of his career.