Giannis Antetokounmpo Says He Will Not Participate in NBA Dunk Contest in Future

No matter what happens from here, Giannis Antetokounmpo will forever have one void in his trophy cabinet.

Following a 157-155 defeat to Team LeBron in the NBA All-Star Game, the Milwaukee Bucks star ruled out a return to the Slam Dunk Contest. He cited the quality of the participants who take part and how high the bar has been raised in the event.

Antetokounmpo competed in the 2015 edition, finishing last with a total score of 65 for his two dunks. At the time, he was in the middle of his second season and hadn't become the star he is today.  

It's no surprise Antetokounmpo, who collected an MVP award in 2018-19 and is now a strong favorite to earn it two years in a row, would pass on the opportunity to add a dunk contest title to his already sizable legacy. 

The same thing effectively happened with LeBron James. Once the fans began clamoring for James to enter the dunk contest, his profile had already risen high enough for him to avoid the event altogether. 

We'll just have to settle for Giannis attacking the rim in the regular season and playoffs, which still isn't too bad.