Kevin Durant Says NBA Slam Dunk Contest Needs Stars, Names Zion Williamson, Ja Morant

The days of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter and other superstars soaring through the air during the NBA Slam Dunk Contest may be over, but Kevin Durant wishes that wasn't the case.

"I think the stars need to come back," he said on the ETCs with Kevin Durant podcast (around the 11:20 mark) "… It felt like it was stars every year when I was a kid."

The Brooklyn Nets star listed Ja Morant and Zion Williamson as players he would love to see participate this year.

This season's participants include Portland Trail Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe, Houston Rockets forward Kenyon Martin Jr. and Mac McClung of the G League's Delaware Blue Coats.

While they may put on a show, it's not a list containing some of the best players in the league. In fact, one of the players isn't even playing for an NBA team in an inclusion that surprised Durant even if he did acknowledge McClung's athleticism.

There was a time when the Dunk Contest was the highlight of All-Star Weekend and shined brighter than the game at times. Some of the most memorable All-Star moments have come with Jordan dunking from the free-throw line, Carter twirling through the air and deeming the contest over after a single dunk, and a duel between Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon.

Yet the last four winners are Obi Toppin, Anfernee Simons, Derrick Jones Jr. and Hamidou Diallo, which is a list of players that doesn't exactly scream star power.

Toppin won last season's contest that included a number of missed dunks to go with that lack of star power, which wasn't exactly a combination that wowed the crowd.

Adding a star like Williamson or Morant would surely get the crowd more invested and perhaps lead to another one of those memorable moments from Dunk Contests of the past. Yet there has seemingly been a hesitancy from stars to compete for years now, and this season will be no different—which is unfortunate for the fans and Durant.