Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson Explains Why NBA Stars Are 'Scared' of Dunk Contest

Having taken in the latest edition firsthand, New York Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson analyzed the decline of the annual Slam Dunk Contest.

The New York Knicks franchise has left an undeniable mark on the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest, as an Association-best five Manhattanites have prevailed in the annual showcase.

True to the Knicks' star-crossed nature, that title might not be anything to be proud of based on devolving public perception.

Once seen as the premier event of the NBA's All-Star Weekend, the Dunk Contest has fallen into disrepair. Common criticisms of the modern editions decry the lack of both creativity and star power, both of which were purely on display during the latest edition last Saturday. 

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The field featured two players who were stationed in the G League at the time of selection (Jacob Toppin of the Westchester Knicks and defending champion Mac McClung), a non-lottery pick rookie (Miami's Jaime Jaquez Jr.), and Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, the first All-Star Game participant to appear in the Dunk Contest since Victor Oladipo in 2018. 

Having taken in Saturday's event, Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson offered a hypothesis about the decline of the Dunk Contest on his podcast "Roommates," hosted alongside teammate Josh Hart.

“That takes a lot of nuts to go out there and do that because the whole world is watching,” Brunson said. "Basically, people are scared to become a meme now if you don't perform the way people want you to perform. Almost every dunk has been done. There's only a slim few dunks that haven't been done and only a certain amount of people can do it. Even the most athletic people can't even do that stuff."

Brown is perhaps the latest to break the internet for all the wrong reasons: he attempted to imitate unrelated fellow Bostonian Dee Brown's winning dunk from the 1991 edition by burying his face in his arm, but only after the ball went through the net. Granted entry into Saturday's second round, Brown tried to clinch the win with a dunk over seated YouTube star Kai Cenat, which wasn't enough to take the title from McClung, the Osceola Magic star who sealed his second straight victory with a dunk over a standing Shaquille O'Neal.

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While Brunson admitted that he and other All-Stars questioned Brown about the "fake Dee Brown," he couldn't help but offer the divisional rival "props" for partaking.

"I respect him," Brunson said. "We all looked at him after I think the next day, like, ‘So what were you thinking with the dab?’ He just started laughing, having a good time with it.”

Brunson can perhaps offer his respects in person come Saturday when the Knicks face Brown and the Celtics at Madison Square Garden (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).