Draymond Green challenges Stephen A. Smith for pinning LeBron James on dunk contest downfall: "It's quite the reach"

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green decided to defend his friend LeBron James from the claims of Stephen A. Smith. Smith argued that James ruined the All-Star dunk contest, which is ironic because he had never entered the contest. Still, the analyst was firm with his take on it and Green decided to share his thoughts on the matter.

Ever since being drafted into the NBA in 2003, fans have longed for James to participate in the dunk contest. He joined a dunk contest in high school and won it, but has never obliged the audiences at a professional level.

After the 2024 NBA All-Star weekend was wrapped, Smith addressed the decline in the dunk contest. He immediately blamed James for not joining the contest despite being an excellent in-game dunker. The analyst argued that the four-time champion's decision not to participate in it has caused a ripple effect of other great dunkers not joining the contest.

Green, on the other hand, believes there have been excellent dunk contest matches ever since James was drafted. Despite the NBA's offer to the LA Lakers star to participate, many have showcased their aerial skills, elevating the contest.

"One guy who did not participate in the dunk contest single-handedly killed the dunk contest," Green said. "When LeBron James would have been in [it], which was like 20 years ago. There has been several great Dunk Contests since.

"For Stephen A. to say [that], it's quite the reach and it's quite not accurate."

Green went on to name stars who have rocked the contest when they joined. The forward mentioned the duel between Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard. He also didn't forget to appreciate the greatness of Zach LaVine's jams, resulting in two titles.

The Warriors forward also reminded the fans about Aaron Gordon, who, according to him, is the best dunker to have never won the title.

---

Draymond Green shares some ideas on how to fix the dunk contest

The dunk contest has been mediocre in the past few seasons. Fans are longing for something new and creative that will get them excited in the All-Star Weekend. Draymond Green made a few suggestions on how to fix the event in the latest episode of his podcast, "The Draymond Green Show."

Green talks about the dunk contest at the 6:00 mark.

"Because the dunk contest is 30 years old, maybe it's time to think a little outside the box and come up with some different events? It's just the reality, all things come to an end," Green said.

Removing the dunk contest from the All-Star festivities might be a tough option for the NBA. Seeing as it's a tradition during All-Star weekend, replacing one event might not be welcomed by most fans, depending on what they'll replace it with, that is.