New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson said he will participate in the dunk contest if he makes the All-Star team.
Williamson scored 16 points in 26 minutes in a dominant 139-98 win Tuesday over the Toronto Raptors. After the game, the Duke product was asked if he could ever see himself participating in the dunk contest.
“If I’m in the All-Star Game, I’ll do the dunk contest,” he said. “But if I’m not, I’m not doing it.”
Williamson, 23, has been an All-Star twice — in 2021, his second year in the league, and last season. He did not make the team this year despite averaging 22.1 points and 5.1 assists for the No. 5 seed Pelicans.
The dunk contest has struggled to attract stars in recent years; before Jaylen Brown this year, DeAndre Jordan was the last then-current All-Star to participate in the Dunk Contest.
G League player Matt McClung is the reigning champion, having won his second straight contest last month.