"I’m more interested in 3-point contest" - Rich Paul deflects LeBron James slander for dodging NBA Slam Dunk Contest

LeBron James is one of the best in-game dunkers in the NBA. Since entering the league in 2003, many have hoped that he'll enter the Slam Dunk Contest since he's such a powerful force when attacking the rim. However, after 20 seasons, it's clear that James has no interest in participating in it.

The 2024 All-Star Weekend came to a close, and the dunk contest was the talk of the town, but not for a good reason. The dunks that Jaylen Brown, Mac McClung, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Jacob Toppin performed weren't entertaining enough. Now, there has been talk about how to improve the contest to make it interesting.

One area where the contest could improve is if it headlined a big-named star, which is why the league has consistently pursued James. Before Brown participated, Victor Oladipo was the last All-Star to participate in the contest. But the fans want a name bigger than Oladipo.

This led to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith criticizing James for never entering his name in the contest. According to Smith, the LA Lakers star "ruined" the contest by not participating. Rich Paul, the star's agent, responded to the claims made by the analyst about his client.

"As it pertains to the Dunk Contest, I think that we sit in this space of things have to remain the same... Nothing stays the same," Paul said.

"I think that the Dunk Contest was a thing when athleticism was what we fantasized about and it was so glamorized and it was something that was being pushed in front of because the league was evolving... Well it may not be a wow factor today. I’m actually more interested in the 3-point contest."

Part of the reason why many people wanted to see James participate in it was that legends like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant have done so in the past. But Paul believes that the mentality that his client should've entered the contest shouldn't stay the same.

With his age, there's no chance of him participating in the dunk contest, especially now that he's body has started to suffer from different injuries.

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What did Stephen A. Smith say about LeBron James not joining the dunk contest?

Everyone has their opinion on something that they're truly passionate about. For Stephen A. Smith, it's the fact that LeBron James never participated in the dunk contest. In a recent episode of ESPN's First Take, he put James on blast for not participating in the dunk contest, hence ruining it.

"LeBron James is directly responsible for ruining the Slam Dunk Contest…" Smith said. "Every high jumper, every skywalker, every above-the-rim talent salivated for the opportunity to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest. It stopped when LeBron James said, 'I’m not doing it.'"

For a player who didn't participate in the dunk contest his entire career, it's hard to see Smith's point of view. Joining the dunk contest is voluntary, and stars have started to opt out of the contest in recent years. Even without James, athletes like Blake Griffin, Zach LaVine, Aaron Gordon and more have shown brilliance and attracted crowds in the contest.