From his explosiveness to his unique set of physical attributes, the former Duke star is the kind of player who deserves that term not often applied to athletes without many criteria being met: Prodigy.
Zion Williams outlines Dunk Contest entry requirements
If you attended Tuesday night’s game against the Toronto Raptors, a game in which Zion Williamson almost broke the ring afterwards a monstrous dunk, then that probably reminded you of something that many of us take as fact: Zion Williamson can dunk the ball. It’s with this idea in mind that many of us have always wondered what it would be like to see him in an NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Indeed, while All-Star Weekend has just ended, Williamson’s alley-oop on Tuesday simply shook things up. Naturally, people started wondering if they were going to see the 23-year-old compete in the contest at some point and, believe it or not, he has now answered the question.
Speaking after the match on Tuesday, Williamson made it clear that he would attend the event next year, but on one condition. “I have to do my part and make the All-Star Game,” Williamson said. “If I play in the All-Star Game, I will play in the Dunk Contest. But if I don’t do it, I don’t do it.
NBA All-Star Weekend took a hit
As you probably know, there’s been a lot of talk about the NBA exhibition event in recent years, with ratings taking a hit and general enthusiasm for the whole thing gradually diminishing. Indeed, the Slam Dunk Contest itself has been one of the main culprits, with fewer and fewer All-Stars participating each year. Consider for a moment that the contest was won by the same G League player for two years in a row. Additionally, this year’s event was the first time since 2018 that we saw an All-Star player participate, i.e. Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics.
OK, but will Zion Williamson be here in 2025?
That’s an interesting question. On the one hand, It goes without saying that if Williamson did indeed commit to the 2025 edition, it would do a lot of good to an event that has seen its fanfare wane considerably in recent years. The other, as the man himself pointed out, he needs to do his part first, which is to be an All-Star. As far as talent goes, there’s no doubt that when healthy, Williamson is among the best in the league and, frankly, he still has room for improvement. Still, health is the biggest question when it comes to the Pelicans star.
Of course, besides his physical form, there is also the question of his speech. To be clear, Williamson has already hinted at participating in the Dunk Contest, but we have yet to see that happen. Remember, before his first All-Star appearance in 2021, Williamson had this to say about participating in the Dunk Contest: “Who knows? That’s all I can say,” Williamson said at the time. “Who knows? I might. You never know.” Ultimately, he did not participate, although it must be said that the event had a different vibe, with the contest taking place at halftime of the All-Star Game itself due to restrictions of covid-19.
Anyway, there was also last year when he said the following in an interview before the All-Star Game: “I’ll think about it. » he said. “I will seriously think about organizing the Dunk Contest. I feel like if I had to do it, I would probably do it next year. As we know, Williamson was not selected for this year’s All-Star Game and therefore was not present when things went down in Indianapolis. Nonetheless, what we can say is that his most recent comments seem to be the most direct indication so far. We have a condition and an admission of what he himself must do. Assuming he can stay healthy, we’re betting an All-Star vote will be inevitable. As for participating in the Dunk Contest, we can only wait and watch.
