"STOP IT": Michael Jordan's ex-teammate Ron Harper demands major NBA dunk contest rule changes in no-holds barred take

Ron Harper, Michael Jordan's former teammate in the famed Chicago Bulls dynasty, came up at a time when the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest was a traditional display of hops and power. Apparently, he didn't like what he saw in the 2025 iteration of the event.

At the conclusion of the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday, Harper went on X to let the world know how he felt about the annual competition.

"Go back to the 80 rules of the dunk contest no one dunk like this in a game…. STOP IT!!!," Harper tweeted.

Though Harper didn't single out any of Saturday night's dunks in his tweet, the 2025 Slam Dunk Contest had its fair share of outlandish tricks that generated strong crowd reactions and high scores from the judges.

Mac McClung, who went on to clinch his third straight title, set the tone when he jumped over a Kia K5 in his first dunk of the night. Two of his next three performances included enlisting the aid of two helpers as he dunked two balls in quick succession, as well as jumping over 6-foot-11 center Evan Mobley and tapping the ball off the rim before a two-handed jam.

McClung's opponents pulled out some tricks of their own as well. Matas Buzelis got a helper to bounce the ball off the side of the board, while Stephon Castle had his helper lay the ball in before the San Antonio Spurs guard caught it below the net and executed a between-the-legs dunk.

If Ron Harper, a five-time NBA champion who played in the league from 1986 to 2001, had his way, these types of dunks wouldn't see the light of day during All-Star Weekend.

Michael Jordan's ex-teammate Ron Harper offers candid take on Dallas Mavericks owner

Known for his brutally honest takes on social media, Ron Harper weighed in on the blockbuster Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade by responding to a netizen on Tuesday.

The netizen had gone on X to call Dallas Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont "entitled" for supposedly thinking that the Doncic-led Mavs should have won the 2024 title. Harper responded to this netizen with a dose of reality:

"It’s his team so if you mad stay away…." tweeted Harper.

Though many Mavericks fans have expressed their vitriol towards Dumont in the wake of the Doncic trade, Harper's tweet is a reminder that Dumont essentially controls what happens to the team.