NBA’s All-Star Saturday night used to be anchored by the dunk contest. It was the flagship event of the night, as the league’s top players showcased their athletic feats with jaw-dropping dunks. Players who weren’t competing often filled the sidelines, and fans were always enthralled by the nightcap.
However, over the last 10 years, the dunk contest has lost its cachet, while the 3-Point Shootout has gotten all the hype. The 3-Point Shootout has delivered in ways the dunk contest hasn’t in recent years, with nail-biting finishes as everyone watches in awe as the league’s elite shooters show off their skills. While we don’t get the top dunkers for All-Star Saturday night in Los Angeles, the top shooters are regularly lining up to compete in the 3-point competition, giving us a star-studded event every year.
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While the dunk contest doesn’t have high-level names, we’ve still seen some impressive dunks in the last two years thanks to two-time champion Mac McClung, who has decided not to defend his title this weekend.Â
As we prepare for the night’s festivities, here’s everything you need to know.
How to watch All-Star Saturday night
- Time: 5 p.m. ET |Â Date: Saturday, Feb. 14
- Location: Intuit Dome — Los Angeles
- TV channel: NBC |Â Live stream: Peacock
The 3-Point Shootout will be the first event of the night. Eight players will compete, and we’ll have a new winner, as reigning champion Tyler Herro is not competing to defend his title.Â
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The second event of the night will be the Shooting Stars challenge, which hasn’t been held since 2015. It will replace the Skills Challenge, with four teams competing by making various shots on the floor, including a half-court shot.
As usual, the last event of the night will be the dunk contest. Four participants will compete to be crowned the league’s best dunker. McClung won’t be back to defend his title, as he’s said that he’d rather focus on earning a full-time roster spot in the NBA rather than just being known as the guy who’s a really good dunker. Though the field of dunkers is filled with relative unknowns, it serves as the perfect stage for someone to make a name for themselves if they can wow the crowd.
Here are the players competing in the dunk contest:
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