Zion Williamson Says He’ll Do The Dunk Contest If He Makes The All-Star Game

One of the pretty common complaints about the NBA’s All-Star weekend in recent years is that the main event on Saturday night has lost a bit of its luster. While Mac McClung has impressed in recent years, the Dunk Contest hasn’t been the spectacle that make people want it to be.

A big complaint is the lack of star power. Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics participated this year, but that was the first time since 2017 that an All-Star competed in the event. Getting big names who can really throw down is the ideal for the league, and while plenty of guys fit that bill, few guys are more revered for their ability to do that than New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson, who has been one of the best dunkers on earth since he was in high school.

And in the aftermath of the team’s 139-98 drubbing of the Toronto Raptors, Williamson opened the door to doing the event. But there’s a catch: He has to make the All-Star Game to agree to participate.

You never quite know how a good in-game dunker would translate to a competition, but Williamson’s mix of power and athleticism would certainly make him an interesting addition to a future Dunk Contest. And seeing as how he’s already been voted to two All-Star Games in his young career, it’s certainly not outlandish to think that we’ll see him pulling double duty in San Francisco next February.