One of the premier events in NBA All-Star Weekend is the Slam Dunk Contest. It gives them the opportunity for players to show off their creativity and their freakish athleticism. Way back in 2015, in just his second season Giannis Antetokounmpo participated in the dunk contest.
Giannis Antetokounmpo In The Dunk Contest
Many greats have competed in the dunk contest early in their careers. Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan both showed off their skills in the competition. His freakish athleticism made him a tantalizing prospect for the contest and he decided to participate. He suited up against Zach LaVine, Victor OIadipo, and Mason Plumlee. Giannis definitely struggled a little bit. He missed all three attempts on his first dunk which led to him scoring a mere 30 points. Then his reverse slam netted only 35 points putting him in last place for the contest.
Will He Ever Compete Again?
Giannis was asked this question in 2020 and he gave a pretty clear answer.
Giannis Antetokounmpo says he will not enter the dunk contest mostly because of how good the guys are at what they do in the contest pic.twitter.com/QxAPj6nBFs
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) February 17, 2020
He won’t ever suit up in this contest again. While he has some amazing in-game dunks, Antetokounmpo admits he cannot compete with guys who are professional dunkers. Some players are just good at dunking. Giannis has more of an all-around game that translates well to the court. He is going to leave the dunking to others. He had a great time coaching the celebrity game last night and seems to have more of a passion for that than preparing some high-flying dunks.
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We will always have the 2015 dunk contest. Looking back on his career when it is all over, clips will probably be shown of baby-face Giannis participating.
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