Dominique Wilkins, winner of the 1985 and 1990 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, thinks LeBron James should step up and dunk one of these years.
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Judges Michael Jordan, Julius Erving and Dominique Wilkins hold up the scores for the winning dunk by Gerald Green of the Boston Celtics in the Sprite Slam Dunk Competition during NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The contest, which used to feature the game’s biggest names, has taken a hit in recent years. The back-to-back champion after all, Nate Robinson, isn’t even a starter.
“I’d love if all the big names got involved again,” Wilkins said from New York, while promoting Panini’s new online card game. “It’s something you can do to give back to the fans.”
James softly committed to participating in the contest this year, but subsequently backed out. While the reason was unclear, the man they called “The Human Highlight Film” said James shouldn’t worry about losing potentially affecting his marketing.
“Everyone knows what and who LeBron is,” Wilkins said.“The dunk contest is not going to define his ability or compromise his likeness or his star power.”
Some say James would only do if other big stars — like Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony – would enter the contest.
Aside from working with Panini, Wilkins, who turned 50 this year, is partnering with 24-Hour Fitness to develop a worldwide basketball camp. He also still collects a check from Reebok.
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