This is the surprising pile of money the 2025 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest winner will take home

The slam dunk contest is one of the most exhilarating battles of the All Star weekend and one of the most popular. Every year, players find endlessly creative ways of dunking the ball into the basket - acrobatic efforts, high-flying leaps, props, 360-degree Windmill dunks, no-look shots...

For years, timeless image of the NBA’s biggest stars like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal destroying the basket in one of these contests has loomed large in the minds of NBA fans.

However, in recent years it’s been the new kids on the block that have lit up this event. The last NBA player to win the event was Obi Toppin (Knicks) in 2022. Once again, it will be the league’s rookies who will be aiming to be crowned the All-Star slam dunk champion.

2025 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest participants

Two-time winner Mac McClung will defends his crown at Chase Center tonight. Last year, the Osceola Magic guard joined a select group of five players to have won back-to-back contests - luminaries including Michael Jordan, Jason Richardson, Nate Robinson and Zach LaVine.

McClung faces strong competition. Matas Buzelis is the first Bulls player to participate in the Dunk Contest since Tyrus Thomas in 2007. Stephon Castle will also make history - he will be the San Antonio Spurs' first participant since Greg ‘Cadillac’ Anderson in 1988.

Milwaukee’s Andre Jackson Jr. completes the line-up. The 23-year-old has already gained a reputation for his athletic, soaring leaps in his second season in the NBA. He will be attempting to become the Bucks' first ever winner.

How much money will the Slam Dunk winner receive?

The prize money for the event in recent years has caused endless controversy. The low payouts have made the big names lose interest in the contest and stay away to a great extent. In 2021 the winner of the contest took home a measly $40,000, but as of 2022 that amount rose to a not insignificant $105,000 for the first place winner. Nate Robinson, triple champion of the contest and now a commentator, recently commented to Sportico that if the prize were a million dollars “all the stars would participate.”

The award payout is included in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which stipulates the winner must be awarded a minimum of $100,000 with the player in second place taking home $50,000 and the other two contestants, $25,000 each.

However, this is still not enough for the very best players in the league who, for the time being anyway, remain reluctant to participate despite the increase. If for some it is not enough, for rookies and G-League players it can be a great incentive for the season, with some even having bonuses with their teams in case they win the prize.

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