Stephen A. Smith Blames Lakers' LeBron James for Stars Skipping NBA Slam Dunk Contest

LeBron James has ruined the Slam Dunk Contest as we know it, as ESPN's Stephen A. Smith argued Monday on First Take:

"When we think about the absence of stars participating in the Slam Dunk Contest, LeBron James is the one responsible for all that," Smith said (6:00 in video). "He's given us everything else, everything else, but when it comes to All-Star slam-dunk competition, he never showed up. And it's because of him, that others felt it was OK to follow, and that's why the Slam Dunk Contest is not what it used to be."

The competition used to feature many of the biggest stars of the game, with future Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Dominique Wilkins among those to win the Slam Dunk Contest. The 2000 contest was a high-profile battle between Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady.

James didn't continue the trend, choosing not to compete in any of his 20 years in the NBA. Fellow stars like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Dwyane Wade have also declined to participate.

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant said this week he won't do the dunk contest.

The result is a contest featuring few household names.

Mac McClung won this year's event after only participating in the G League this season, while competitors Trey Murphy III, Jericho Sims and Kenyon Martin Jr. are far from All-Stars.

It's tough to blame this on LeBron, but others have likely followed his lead in keeping away from the All-Star weekend event.