NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2020: Highlights, Odds and Predictions for Participants

In more ways than one, this year's NBA Slam Dunk Contest is all about nostalgia.

For one, it will be held in Chicago for the first time since 1988, when Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins went head-to-head in perhaps one of the most memorable showdowns in the event's history.

Hometown hero Jordan won that night with a perfect 50 score on a dunk from the free-throw line, but there are fans who still believe the Atlanta Hawks star should have been the one to take home the crown.

This season's contest, which will be held at the United Center on Saturday, will also have an element of deja vu because it features two previous second-place finishers (Aaron Gordon and Derrick Jones Jr.) and Dwight Howard, who last won it in 2008.

The only newcomer is Pat Connaughton, who will be looking to become the first Milwaukee Bucks player to win the competition.

Here's a quick look at the latest odds and predictions for All-Star Saturday Night's biggest event.

Participants

Pat Connaughton, Milwaukee Bucks

Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic

Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers 

Derrick Jones Jr., Miami Heat 

Odds

Aaron Gordon +125

Derrick Jones Jr. +150

Pat Connaughton +425

Dwight Howard +500

All odds according to Bovada and are as current as of Thursday.

Predictions

1. Gordon 

2. Jones Jr.

3. Howard

4. Connaughton

Bruce Yeung/Getty Images

The tragic death of global basketball icon Kobe Bryant still casts a dark shadow on the NBA. Howard revealed shortly after Bryant's death that the Los Angeles Lakers legend had agreed to help him pull off one of his dunks for the contest.

"He was going to do something for me in the dunk contest, which is kind of heartbreaking," Howard said, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "It's been on my mind every day. Man, I can't believe it. I'm still in shock. It hurts. It's tough. I just never thought that somebody like that would be gone."

It's possible there will be some tributes throughout the competition to Bryant, who won the contest as a rookie in 1997, so Howard could still involve his former Lakers teammate in spirit.

Elsewhere, Aaron Gordon will be on a mission in his third dunk-competition appearance after losing to Zach LaVine in a controversial decision in 2016. Both men were explosive and creative on an array of eye-popping dunks, and their performances catapulted the 2016 contest into the same space as the 1988 competition.

Derrick Jones Jr. is a high-flyer and was very impressive during the 2017 contest, so it's likely it will come down to him and Gordon in the final round.

Pat Connaughton, who averages 4.9 points per game, is a bit of an unknown commodity for the contest and will have an element of surprise, but the odds aren't in his favor for toppling Jones or Gordon.

Howard knows what it takes to win and could be a wild card, but he and Connaughton will likely be watching the final four dunks from the bench. 

Follow Maurice Bobb on Twitter, @ReeseReport

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com