The Memphis Grizzlies young star Ja Morant quickly established himself as one of the fiercest dunkers in the NBA. But don’t expect Morant to flash his dunking skills during the league’s All-Star Weekend anytime soon.
During a recent interview with Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks, Morant was asked whether the basketball fans will ever see him do the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
“I don’t think so,” Morant responded while chuckling.
Rooks followed up by asking Morant what it would take for him to say yes to a Dunk Contest invite.
“A million dollars,” the 22-year-old star said. “They give me a mill, I’ll go in the dunk contest. Otherwise, I’ll be watching, sending out my tweets judging and stuff.”
Moran went on to explain that the reason why he isn’t open to doing NBA Dunk Contest is due to poor judging that tarnished the event’s reputation in recent years.
Once considered one the highlights of All-Star Weekend, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest lost its popularity in recent years. The high-profile players and notable “dunkers” are regularly declining the invites to take part in the contest, causing the league to turn to younger players.
The 2021 edition saw no player older than 22 taking part, with the Portland Trail Blazers’ Anfernee Simons edging out Cassius Stanley (Indiana Pacers) and Obi Topping (New York Knicks) for the dunking title.
