Julius Erving calls on NBA stars to step up, save dying tradition

TL;DR

Julius Erving urges current NBA stars to revive the fading tradition of the Slam Dunk Contest, which has lost its appeal due to the absence of top players. He emphasizes the importance of participation from today's stars to restore the contest's legacy.

Key points

Julius Erving won the first ABA Slam Dunk Contest in 1976.
The current Slam Dunk Contest features less recognized players.
Erving calls for NBA stars to revive the contest's tradition.

Mentioned in this story

Julius Erving

Philadelphia 76ers

The NBA Slam Dunk Contest used to mean something. It featured the league’s best players going head-to-head in front of roaring crowds during All-Star Weekend. Julius Erving was right in the middle of that era. He won the first ABA Slam Dunk Contest in 1976 with his free-throw line dunk that people still talk about today. He came back for the NBA contests in 1984 and 1985 when he was already a veteran with serious mileage. **MORE: Anthony Edwards injury update puts Timberwolves in tough spot before Game 5** Erving finished his career with 30,026 points and MVP awards in both the ABA and NBA. When he showed up for All-Star Weekend, it felt like a gift to the fans, not some calculated branding move.

NBA hall of fame member and former Philadelphia 76ers Julius Erving Now the contest is filled with G-League guys and specialists most fans don’t recognize. It’s gotten so watered down that regular season dunks during random Tuesday night games look better than what goes down on dunk night. Erving spoke with TMZ Sports recently and made it clear he wants today’s stars to step up and save what’s left of the tradition. “You can’t make it mandatory. It’s something that they gotta volunteer to do,” Erving said. “It’d be nice if some of the stars would step up. Have a conscience in terms of the history of the Slam Dunk Contest. I was in the original one, back in 1976. For some of them, they weren’t even born. So, they wouldn’t know.” “They can’t make people do stuff these days. They make too much money to make them do anything. Sometimes they don’t even want to play.”

Julius Erving calls on NBA stars to save the dunk contest! 🏀 pic.twitter.com/kF3Svttumc

— TMZ Sports (@TMZ\_Sports) April 27, 2026

Slam Dunk Contest Has Lost Its Appeal

Q&A

Why does Julius Erving want NBA stars to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest?

Julius Erving believes that current NBA stars need to step up to save the tradition of the Slam Dunk Contest, which has declined in quality and recognition.

What changes have occurred in the Slam Dunk Contest over the years?

The Slam Dunk Contest has shifted from featuring top NBA players to including G-League participants and lesser-known players, diminishing its appeal.

Who are some notable players that Erving mentioned in relation to the Dunk Contest?

Erving highlighted stars like Anthony Edwards and Ja Morant as players fans want to see participate, contrasting them with lesser-known competitors.