Aaron Gordon and Zach LaVine were responsible for one of the most epic dunk contests in league history. The two went at each other with epic dunks during All-Star Weekend in 2016. LaVine took down Gordon in the final round, earning a perfect score on all four of his dunks. Gordon received a perfect score on three of his attempts. Now, the two might be back at it.
Aaron Gordon Has Unfinished Business at the Dunk Contest
Mac McClung made history this year, becoming the first-ever three-peat dunk champion. Despite bringing some electrifying dunks, fans and media acknowledged that the event isn’t what it used to be. No disrespect to McClung, but he has appeared in a total of five NBA games. Casual fans do not want to check in on the event to see a random G League player dunk. They want to see the stars. And by the looks of it, we might get that in 2026.
After a few days of silence, Aaron Gordon finally took to social media and responded to Ja Morant‘s challenge. Will that happen? Let’s wait and see.
I still got some sh*t https://t.co/zsJhb7myex
— Aaron Gordon (@Double0AG) February 18, 2025
Ja Morant Might Have Started Something
Morant was the first one to say that McClung might make him consider dunking at the All-Star weekend. Giannis Antetokounmpo later tweeted that he would be there as well, only to say that his kids hacked his profile. Nevertheless, if Ja is in the dunk contest, fans will get plenty of star power.
The Memphis Grizzlies guard challenged Gordon and LaVine to join him, and that would make for an epic dunk contest. None of them is at the stage of their career where the dunk contest matters. With that being said, each of them teasing a dunk contest appearance feels like standard social media posturing. We have seen this before. Until they follow through and are there for All-Star Saturday, there is no reason to believe they will participate.
Aaron Gordon has Plenty of Dunk Contest Experience
If the Denver Nuggets forward decides to participate, it will be his fourth attempt to win the dunk contest. He lost in 2016 to LaVine, in what is considered one of the most epic duels in league history. He also participated in 2017 and 2020, suffering a narrow defeat in 2020 to Derrick Jones Jr.
Back when he was participating in the dunk contest, Gordon was trying to establish himself as a franchise player for the Orlando Magic. Now, he is a dynamic two-way player on a perennial title contender in Denver. LaVine was one of the most dynamic scoring guards, but he has lost some of his athleticism due to injuries.
Fan Support for Gordon
If you take a look at Gordon’s tweet about the dunk contest, fans want to see him, but they also do not want him to participate. Some fans believe “the NBA robbed him” and he shouldn’t participate just to boost its ratings. However, fans always love a redemption story. And Gordon can definitely deliver that story.
At 33 dunks this year, his numbers are down, but last year and the year before, he had 171 and 178 dunk attempts. More than 25% of his field goal attempts were dunks.
Photo credit: © Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images
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