In recent years, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest has seen a decline in participation from big-name players. Jaylen Brown sought to revitalize the event by joining this year and shared his insights on the criticism surrounding the competition after it ended.
Brown secured the runner-up spot in the Slam Dunk Contest, coming in behind the reigning champion, Mac McClung, on Saturday night. He commented on why players might be reluctant to join the contest, proposing a unique perspective.
“I think, ultimately, in this media era, some players are just afraid to get turned into a meme or whatever,” Brown said. “I wanted to come out and have fun with it, and that’s what I did.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics Updates
Despite losing to McClung in the final, there were mixed opinions about Brown’s participation, especially since some of his dunks lacked complexity. Additionally, a technical mishap from TNT prevented one of his dunks from being broadcast live.
Brown was able to use the dunk contest as an opportunity to pay homage to Terrence Clark, who died in a car crash in 2021. Before one of his dunks, Brown put on Clarke’s Brewster Academy jersey.
“Terrence was like my little bro,” Brown said. “Definitely a Boston connection. I wanted to have a purpose in everything that I was doing. I wanted everything to have a message behind it, and I think that’s what I did tonight.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics Updates
The concern over potential injuries is a significant reason why many star athletes skip the Slam Dunk Contest, contributing to its dwindling excitement. He also noted the LED court “was a little slippery” and prevented him from doing some dunks he wanted to bring out.
However, Brown dismissed these concerns, aiming to bring star quality back to the Dunk Contest and delight fans for the first time in six years.
