Last season, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest was won by a player who was not even on an NBA roster. That’s right, Mac McClung won the event while playing for the Osceola Magic, a G league team.
However, there was nothing minor league about his show-stopping performance, where he got a clear and apparent win in the 2023 Slam Dunk contest. There was no controversy, McClung was head and shoulders above the field.
Let’s look into this year’s event, with the best betting odds from our top sportsbooks.
Top Pick
- Jaylen Brown to Win the 2024 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest (+450) at Bet365
2024 NBA All-Star Contest
Saturday, February 17, 2024 – 08:00 PM ET at Lucas Oil Stadium
Mac McClung will be defending his title against three other outstanding dunkers.
For the first time in many years, an actual NBA All-Star will be in the event when Jaylen Brown takes the court to showcase his repertoire of dunks. The last NBA All-Star to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest was Victor Oladipo in 2018.
Also, Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat and Jacob Toppin of the New York Knicks will compete. Jacob Toppin is the brother of Obi Toppin, a former Slam Dunk Contest champion who won the event in 2022. Jacob Toppin has appeared in just three NBA games in his career, but he hopes that a win as an unheralded player can bring him the spotlight, the same way that it did last year’s champion Mac McClung.
What to Expect
After coming out of nowhere last season, expectations for Mac McClung will be much higher this season. McClung will be under pressure to top last year’s excellent performance. Will the high crest of expectations ruin McClung’s ride this season? McClung will not only be competing against the three other performers. He will be competing against his outstanding showing last season.
The New Faces
Little is known about New York Knicks player Jacob Toppin, except the fact that his brother is an excellent dunker. If Toppin can find some of his brother’s magic, they could become the first brothers in NBA history to become Slam Dunk champions. With Toppin’s incredible athleticism, the idea of him joining his brother as contest champion is not far-fetched at all.
Will Toppin attempt to recreate some of his brother’s magic with identical dunks? If so, how will these offerings be judged? There is a possibility that the judges will look upon his Jacob showing Obi homage as positive, others might dock Toppin for a lack of creativity. This is a wild card factor around Jacob Toppin’s entry.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. was an interesting choice, but after finding videos of the Dunk Contests he performed in high school, it is obvious why he was selected to be a contender. Jaquez has sneaky hops, and his ability to get above the rim makes his dunks look more impressive. Jaquez also has flair and style when performing his dunks.
After seeing how Jaquez looked while dunking in high school, it is not far-fetched that this rookie could add on to his already impressive season by adding a Slam Dunk Contest trophy to his growing list of accolades.
Best Bet
Jaylen Brown has a built-in advantage in this event. The prestige of the Slam Dunk contest has fallen in the last 15 years. LeBron James is a trendsetter in the NBA. James made it cool to switch teams, ending the era where loyalty was expected from fans. Also ultra-conscious of his image, James knew that, unlike predecessors such as Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, he was not likely to win the contest. Rather than try and fail, James chose instead to avoid the contest altogether.
Many other All-Stars have now followed suit. Like James, they are afraid. Their fear of looking foolish outweighs the potential glory that could be gained by winning the contest.
The judges will be kinder to an NBA All-Star in this event. Originally, it was only all-stars who were performing these dunks. But in this new era of image-conscious athletes, All-Stars such as LeBron James and others are afraid to potentially look foolish. Because of Brown’s bravery in entering the event, he will be given the benefit of the doubt in a close contest.
Jaylen Brown has the athleticism to win the event. If you add in the judges’ subconscious bias towards an actual all-star and the fact that Mac McClung will be judged off last year’s expectations (and not simply as a brilliant surprise), Jaylen Brown is the best bet to win the NBA Slam Dunk contest.
NBA Pick: Jaylen Brown to Win the 2024 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest (+450) at Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
