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The 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest was not exactly the highlight of All-Star Saturday, but the participants tried their best. Mac McClung retained his title, and Jaylen Brown brought some flash and entertainment even though it fell flat for some.
Jacob Toppin had a good first round and was saving up an insane slam for the final. Some fans reckoned Toppin was robbed by the judges and should have made it to the final with McClung over Brown.
"The Dunk Guy" Chuck Millan, the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest coach and founder of Dunk League, shared one of Toppin's planned jams for the final. It was a two-hand Lost & Found dunk, where he did a 360 spin while throwing himself behind-the-back pass before catching the ball for a two-handed slam. .
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Here's the video of the crazy slam:
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Chuck Millan also claimed that Jacob Toppin was the only person who has pulled off a two-handed Lost & Found dunk. Renowned dunker Jordan Kilganon famously executed the same dunk but did the one-handed version.
If Toppin had made the final instead of Jaylen Brown, he could have had a chance to win the 2024 Slam Dunk Contest. The two-handed Lost & Found dunk would have earned a perfect score because it has never been done in a previous contest.
Also Read: Who won the 2024 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest? Total points, prize money and more
How can the NBA fix the Slam Dunk Contest?
The NBA knows that the Slam Dunk Contest is broken, and it needs to be fixed. But how do you fix an event that not a lot of stars and superstars are looking forward to participating in?
Jaylen Brown was the first All-Star since DeAndre Jordan in 2017 to have joined the contest. He brought confidence and a little bit of flair at the event, but a couple of his dunks fell flat.
His dunk over a sitting Kai Cenat, who is around five-foot-three, was not impressive at all, and his failed tribute to Dee Brown made it worse.
Brown could have also explained the left-handed dunk as a tribute to Michael Jackson, who was born in Indiana. Fans, as well as commentators, thought that he was taking a shot at his critics, who called him out for not using his weak left hand.
However, one possible way to revive the popularity of the Slam Dunk Contest is to invite more stars to participate. It's an All-Star event, which means fans should be seeing stars and not G League players. The NBA could also assign younger judges who appreciate creativity.
