How LeBron James helped ruin the NBA Slam Dunk Contest – FOXSports.com

Not to go full “Back in my day” on you, friends, but …

BACK IN MY DAY, the game’s best players didn’t think the Dunk Contest was beneath them. That’s why the 1988 competition is such a classic; the dunks were spectacular, made even better by the fact they were being thrown down by Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins.

Or take the duel between Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady in 2000. Carter and McGrady aren’t quite on the same level as His Airness and the Human Highlight Film, but they were two of the brightest young stars in the game at the time.

Basically, I blame LeBron James. His refusal to participate in the Dunk Contest at any point in his career made that decision acceptable for other stars, and there’s no going back on that precedent now.

It’s a smart business decision, sure; LeBron’s mitigating injury risk and resting his body for the long haul. But even Kobe did the Dunk Contest (and won in 1997). The fact that the King never participated on All-Star Saturday is one of the NBA’s biggest failures.

Mark D. Smith Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports