Stephen A. Smith criticizes this year’s Slam Dunk Contest as the most disappointing in the history of All-Star games.
Stephen A. Smith holds LeBron James accountable for the decline of the Slam Dunk Contest (Images via ESPN/Getty Images)
The NBA All-Star game for this year took place over the weekend. As is customary, players had the opportunity to display various basketball skills in different contests held over three days. On Saturday, the Skills Challenge, Three-point contest, and the Slam Dunk contest were held.
There was a sense of dissatisfaction among many due to the matchups this year. Fans were not pleased as the competitions failed to meet expectations, particularly the Slam Dunk Contest. It appears that fans were not the only ones upset with the contest, as the host of ESPN First Take, Stephen A. Smith, expressed his views on the decline of the Slam Dunk Contest.
During a conversation with [names], Smith attributed the downfall of the Slam Dunk Contest to LeBron James.
The Lakers forward has never participated in the contest. Smith explained that basketball legends such as [names] took part in and won the contest.
“LeBron James is directly responsible for ruining the slam dunk contest… LeBron James refusing to participate… was the beginning and the spark plug of its demise. Period! There is no one who can dispute that.”– Stephen A. Smith 🤔pic.twitter.com/zrmazKBqO5
According to Smith, these exceptional leapers went on to become future Hall of Famers. They demonstrated their commitment by participating in the contest. James’ decision not to participate influenced other stars, resulting in the contest losing its significance among the game’s top players.
In his 20th All-Star appearance, LeBron James disappointed fans by not being present throughout the weekend. James was designated as the Captain for Team West in this year’s All-Star game.
While all the other stars attended the All-Star training and practice day, as well as the media day, James chose not to participate. He only arrived on the day of the game on Sunday. NBA fans were upset with the star for taking his selection for granted, with some even suggesting that he did not deserve to be the captain.
This individual is a fraud and did not deserve to be captain at all. He is a subpar player who manipulates the media.
His performance in the game was below average, as he missed a long three-pointer and a dunk. Throughout the 14 minutes he played, he only scored eight points, with four rebounds and three assists.
According to the Source firstsportz.com