The NBA Dunk Contest is a young man’s game. You have to go all the way back to Nate Robinson in 2010, to find a dunk contest winner who was even 26 years or older. Additionally, with the exception of Jaylen Brown last year, it is also a game—or event—‘star’ players increasingly decline to take part in. Since 2020, only two players with All-Star selections attached to their resumes have even participated in the event Jaylen Brown and Dwight Howard, and Howard was long past his All-Star days. As a result, young players and lesser-known role players are often the ones headlining the NBA Dunk Contest.
Seeing as the NBA Dunk Contest is rarely headlined by the game’s biggest names, it’s often a showcase for young up-and-coming players to establish themselves to a wider audience. Mac McClung may be a fringe NBA player, but he’s become somewhat of a household name thanks to his jump-out-of-your-seat slams in back-to-back contests. If McClung’s high school throwdowns didn’t catch your attention, his dunks during All-Star weekend surely did. Below is a list of three NBA rookies who could potentially give McClung a run for his money, if he does ultimately decide to defend his dunk contest crown and go for a three-peat.
3 NBA Rookies who Could Participate in This Year’s Dunk Contest
Reed Sheppard
Along with being a young man’s game, the NBA Dunk Contest is also oftentimes a little man’s game. Now of course the term ‘little man’ is relative, especially when talking about NBA players. But there’s no denying that smaller-sized players have dominated the competition for many years. From Nate Robinson to Donovan Mitchell, Anfernee Simons, and Mac McClung, there’s just something about players of shorter stature gliding through the air with both agility and power that is appealing to audiences. Reed Sheppard—who stands at 6-foot-3 could be the next undersized player to dazzle audiences at All-Star weekend.
Sheppard—known much more for his shooting prowess than his dunking ability—may not seem like an obvious dunk contest candidate. However, when you consider his 2024 combine-best 42-inch vertical leap, the narrative begins to change. Throw in a bit of creativity, and the Rockets’ guard could likely put on quite a show. Sheppard isn’t likely to posterize a ton of people this season, but that’s more about his style of play than his athletic capabilities. Sheppard is more of a dark horse candidate, but if given the opportunity, he could surprise a lot of people.
Ron Holland
Take a quick look at Ron Holland’s highlights, and it’s easy to see him tearing it up on the dunk contest stage. Holland attacks the rim with a tenacity and ferocity that few others can replicate. With Holland’s freakish athleticism, it’s no wonder that draft analysts have long drawn comparisons to similarly gifted players like Cam Whitmore and Russell Westbrook. Holland feels like the most obvious candidate from the rookie class to be a 2024-2025 NBA Dunk Contest participant. With prototypical wing size and leaping ability, NBA fans will likely be clamoring to see Holland’s athleticism on full display by the time All-Star weekend rolls around.
Holland is clearly one of the more unpolished players incoming 2024 lottery picks. He still lacks the necessary refinement and restraint to fully succeed at the NBA level. But don’t be surprised if, within the first month or two of the season, Holland has already submitted his application for ‘dunk of the year’ with some ridiculous posterizing jam.
Matas Buzelis
Ron Holland’s former G-League Ignite teammate, Matas Buzelis, could also be in line for a season full of highlight-worthy dunks and displays of athleticism. Buzelis’ performance during Summer League alone, suggests that he is already building a case for inclusion in this year’s contest. Buzelis’ athleticism in combination with his lengthy build, allows him to do some tantalizing things on the court. Just ask Buzelis’ teammate, Ayo Dosunmu, who recently made comments implying that Buzelis might be the best athlete on the Bulls’ roster—a roster that includes two-time dunk contest champion Zach LaVine.
Much like Ron Holland, Buzelis also has a long way to go in terms of being an impactful real-life NBA player. Throughout Summer League, Buzelis routinely struggled with poor shot selection and inefficiency. Additionally, Buzelis is really going to need to bulk up his 6-foot-10, 209-pound frame if he is going to withstand the physicality of a full 82-game season. With that being said, Buzelis could still make massive waves representing the 2024-2025 rookie class during the dunk contest.
