Kendrick Perkins challenges Anthony Edwards, Ja Morant, Victor Wembanyama to fix 'embarrassing' Dunk Contest appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
With Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson winning the 2026 Slam Dunk contest , there is still some discussion about the event itself and the changes that need to be made. As people wonder what the future of the Slam Dunk contest will look like , former player Kendrick Perkins has a request to the league.
Perkins wouldn't hold back on his feelings towards the event on Saturday, saying that the Slam Dunk contest was an "embarrassment" and "horrible." He believes that what would help fix it is the inclusion of big-name players, with the three he mentions being Anthony Edwards , Ja Morant , and Victor Wembanyama .
"That was an embarrassment. If there was one thing that stood out that was an embarrassing moment for the All-Star Weekend, that dunk contest was horrible," Perkins said. "And I wouldn't say that…and I'm going to sit up here today and say the dunk contest don't need to go anywhere, but it does need to be fixed. And the only way you could fix it is by you need the big, top players, the big names, Anthony Edwards , Ja Morant . Hell, I would even like to see Wemby in it at seven-seven participate."
While there were viral moments on Saturday, like Johnson winning the Slam Dunk contest that was helped by a dunk over rapper E-40, the excitement has been notably down. Perkins would go through the differences between the event and the three-point contest, saying stars compete there, with Damian Lillard winning his third title.
"The difference between the dunk contest and the three-point contest, the superstars and stars, they participate in the three-point contest. We saw Dame Lillard…we need those big-name guys, whatever Adam Silver and the NBA need to do to get those guys to commit and participate, damn it, get it done. It might cost a little lettuce, but make sure they make sure you get it done. The dunk contest means too much to the NBA and All-Star Weekend."
At any rate, it remains to be seen how the Slam Dunk contest evolves
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