Arguably the biggest attraction of the NBA’s All-Star Weekend is the Sprite Slam Dunk Competition. Superstars like Julius Erving, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, and Kobe Bryant have all participated, and won, the contest in years past.
Recently, the contest has lost some of its luster due to a lack of stars participating. The NBA is looking to remedy that problem as Marc Stein of ESPN.com was the first to announce a star-studded field for the 2014 contest that includes three All-Stars:
NBA Dunk Contest field: Paul George John Wall Damian Lillard Terrence Ross Harrison Barnes Ben McLemore (via @ESPNSteinLine & media reports)
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 6, 2014
The inclusion of Indiana Pacers forward Paul George in the contest definitely brings a star power to the contest that has been missing. George has emerged as a legitimate superstar and one of the leading candidates for MVP this season.
Washington Wizards guard John Wall and Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard are both first time All-Stars with serious athleticism who are looking to make an impact during the weekend, similar to that of Kyrie Irving, who starred last year in the Rookie-Sophomore Game, Three-Point Shootout, and All-Star Game itself.
Sacramento Kings rookie Ben McLemore has had a few highlight plays this season, while Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes is sneaky explosive and had one of the dunks of the year last season.
Toronto Raptors forward Terrence Ross returns to defend his crown against this tough field. The NBA did an excellent job in filling out the dunk contest with great players who are capable of some inventive dunks.
The Three-Point Shootout contestants have yet to be named, and there is a certain Laker trying to be a part of that. If the NBA follows suit with the stars they have in the dunk contest, he may have trouble making that field.
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