Who are the participants of the 2025 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest? Players, format and rules
What is traditionally the crown jewel of All-Star Weekend will close out Saturday’s events, with young players looking to impress.
Finally! The 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend is here. Between this Friday, February 14th and Sunday, February 16th, one of the most highly anticipated sporting events of the year will be held at the home of the Golden State Warriors, the Chase Center in San Francisco. For three days, the NBA stars' show will capture the attention of the entire world.
During the second day of the All-Star Game, one of the most exciting events will take place: the Slam Dunk Contest. It will start right after the Skills Contest and the 3-Point Contest, which will begin at 8:00 PM ET.
This is the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest
The NBA All-Star AT&T Slam Dunk Contest is a competition in which contestants attempt to show off their dunking skills to the public. The first contest was inaugurated by the ABA at its 1976 All-Star Game in Denver, with Julius Erving being the winner. That same year, dunks were allowed in the NCAA, allowing players to show off their dunking skills in an attempt to beat their opponents. This contest was short-lived, as the ABA merged with the NBA the following year in 1977. Finally, the NBA created its own Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in 1984, given its popularity with fans.
For years, it has been one of the most anticipated events during the All-Star weekend, and has seen legendary duels between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins in the late 1980s. The duel between Aaron Gordon and Zach LaVine in 2016, as well as Gordon against Derrick Jones Jr., are also considered two of the best contests of recent years and in the history of the event.
Format and rules of the Slam Dunk Contest
Since the 2002 edition (with the exception of 2014), the competition consists of two rounds, in which four players participate, two of whom advance to the final. In the first round, each participant attempts two dunks, and the two players with the highest score advance to the final round. In the final round, two dunks are also scored, without taking into account the score from the previous round. The winner is the one whose sum of the scores for his two dunks, awarded by five judges, is the highest. Each judge casts one vote (between 5 and 10) per dunk, therefore the maximum score per dunk is 50 points.
Nate Robinson holds the honor of being the player who has won the most contests, with three (2006, 2009 and 2010), despite being 1.75 m tall. Spud Webb, at 1.68 m tall, is the shortest player to win this Slam Dunk Contest (in 1986).
Participants of the 2025 Slam Dunk Contest
The players in charge of flying in the All-Star Weekend 2025 are:
| Player | Equipment |
|---|---|
| Andre Jackson Jr. | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Matas Buzelis | Chicago Bulls |
| Stephon Castle San Antonio Spurs | San Antonio Spurs |
| Mac McClung (2023 and 2024 champion) | Osceola Magic, G League |
*This article was written in Spanish and translated with the help of AI.
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