Why Hasn't LeBron James Ever Done NBA Dunk Contest? Rich Paul Reveals Mindset of Lakers Star
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has never participated in the Slam Dunk contest despite an incredible history of in-game slams.
He can still get up there, even after turning 40 years old in Dec. 2024.
During the latest edition of his Game Over podcast with co-host Max Kellerman, Klutch Sports Group founder and CEO (and James' agent) Rich Paul gave some lengthy insight into why James ultimately hasn't participated in the contest (conversation starts around the 23-minute mark).
To set the scene, Paul said that James and his camp (he specifically mentioned Maverick Carter and Randy Mims) "always talked about everything."
"And that's the thing about L.J. He's never gonna do something just for you doing it. He's going to think about it. He's going to talk it through, right?
Paul then added that James "actually wanted to do" the contest. He noted how James had all the biggest sponsors on his side, mentioning Nike and Coca-Cola. Paul said there was a "benefit" for James just do to the contest (not even win it).
However, James had an ankle injury one time and "something else happened" another time. One thing led to another over the years, and James ultimately said that he's just more of an in-game dunker.
Paul added more comments on the matter later in the interview, saying that James felt a "responsibility to do it at one time." He recognized that demand James had as the "face of the league." In the end, it simply didn't work out.
"Look, I think, again, there's a demand that says you are the face of the league. The demand for his presence in things like the dunk contest exuded just that. I mean, when you talk about the league, when you talk about brand sponsors, where you talk about fans, viewership, if he joins the dunk contest, it's pandemonium. And by the way, there's a responsibility. So he did feel that responsibility to do it at one time. I know that for a fact. But then at a certain point, you realize and you're just like, 'You know what? This is probably not gonna be something that I actually do.'"
This year's Slam Dunk Contest has come and gone, and Heat small forward Keshad Johnson emerged victorious.
There's no telling how much longer James, an impending free agent, plays. In theory, he could keep playing and participate in next year's contest. However, one can guess the ship has sailed on that front.
If the door was ever slightly open, the 41-year-old slammed it shut after a 142-111 win over the Washington Wizards on Jan. 30, when James had some impressive in-game dunks.
So fans will never get the chance to see James in the All-Star Weekend event, but they've also enjoyed 23-plus seasons of The King in action. In the meantime, James and the fifth-place Lakers (33-21) are shooting for the playoffs, and they'll start the stretch regular season run on Friday when they host the L.A. Clippers.
