The NBA has its first two participants for this year’s slam dunk contest in Spurs rookie Carter Bryant and Lakers big man Jaxson Hayes. Both great dunkers—Hayes threw down an Eastbay dunk during a recent game—but the league’s stars have avoided the signature event of All-Star Saturday for some time.
Somewhat of a renaissance hit the dunk contest with the three straight wins by elite dunker Mac McClung in recent years. He won’t participate this year, bringing a void to the juice the event saw from McClung’s back-to-back-to-back wins. Plus, McClung has only had a cup of coffee in the NBA, appearing in just nine games over four seasons as he’s spent most of his time in the G League. He signed a contract with the Pacers early this season, but was waived a week and half later which landed him back in the G League with the Windy City Bulls.
