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For years, NBA fans have speculated about star players’ decisions not to partake in the Slam Dunk contest anymore.
Some argue that they don’t want to get hurt, but literally, no one has ever gotten injured during the Slam Dunk contest in the past.
Others argue that the players don’t want their egos to suffer or get exposed if they lose.
Perhaps that’s why the league might want to re-ignite their long-lost competitive fire with a bit of a tweak.
Rumors have it that the NBA is considering putting together a 1-on-1 tournament in next year’s All-Star weekend.
When asked about that, Dallas Mavericks star point guard Kyrie Irving wasn’t only on board; he was looking forward to it.
He claimed that he wouldn’t ‘duck any smoke’ and that he would go against anybody (via Yahoo Sports).
Kyrie’s ready to take on all comers in 1v1 😤 pic.twitter.com/BpZE7IlO7R
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 19, 2025
Irving has some of the greatest handles in basketball history.
Needless to say, he wouldn’t have much of a physical edge over centers or power forwards, and he might struggle to get stops against them.
Nevertheless, the other player would have to take the ball away from him first, and that’s going to be the tricky part.
The league will reportedly offer a $1 million prize for the winner.
Then again, bragging rights might be more than enough to make the players actually care and look to compete again for the first time in years.
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