How much money do players get for winning the Slam Dunk, three-point and skill challenge contests?

There is no doubt that one of the biggest crowd draws during All Star weekend is the Slam Dunk challenge. The great images of Michael Jordan’s classic lean, Shaquille O’neil pulling the entire goal down, and Spud Webb getting serious air are seared into the public’s consciousness.

This year, Orlando Magic’s Cole Anthony, Houston Rockets’ Jalen Green, and Golden State Warriors’ Juan Toscano-Anderson will all be competing in their event debut to be crowned 2022 AT&T Slam Dunk champion in Cleveland. The New York Knicks’ Obi Toppin makes his second appearance in the event after finishing second last year.

The prize money for the event in recent years has caused no end of controversy, as the relatively low payday has been criticised as the reason that the league’s big dunkers stay away from the competition. Last year’s winer took only $40000, down from $100k in 2020, itself down from $105k the year before.

The three point contest draws a smaller, but no less significant crowd, but the payday is even more miserly, offering the winner only $50000, with the Skills Challenge offering a similar payout.

With the “pay gap” formula used by the NBA in the All Star game designed to increase competitiveness, perhaps the same concept should be rolled out to the other events. It would definitely be more of an incentive to have the truly big names get involved.