NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2017: Participants, rules, TV schedule, start time, and more

We all enjoy the festivities that go on during All-Star Weekend, but the dunk contest is undoubtedly the main event on Saturday. It’s been going on since 1976 in the ABA era, and was introduced in the NBA in 1984. It’s made for some iconic moments in the past with Michael Jordan, and more recently with Zach LaVine.

The contest went through a down period within the past decade, but thanks to LaVine and Aaron Gordon, it’s been deemed “back” by many people.

This year Gordon will attempt to win his first crown against DeAndre Jordan, Derrick Jones Jr., and Glenn Robinson III. Gordon and Jordan are known more to the casual fans than Jones and Robinson, but by the end of the night, everybody will be familiar with all involved.

Many felt that Aaron Gordon should have won the contest last year against Zach LaVine. There’s no question that both players had spectacular performances, and with LaVine out of the contest this year, Gordon is going to be the favorite on Saturday night.

Oh me, oh my! Jordan has finished some booming dunks while playing with Chris Paul in Lob City, but we haven’t seen Jordan succeed in an organized dunk contest. It’s typically tougher for big men, but Jordan is extremely athletic. He should be able to put together some great slams.

Jones finally got his first NBA dunk, just a few days before the competition. It’s not because he can’t throw down, though. Jones doesn’t get too much playing time, but the guy can fly. His D-League dunks have been ferocious.

GRIII is on his third team in as many NBA seasons, and though he hasn’t quite found a solid NBA home yet, there’s no denying his athleticism. He’s had a good season with the Pacers, and for the casual fan, he’ll be surprising us with his vicious dunks.

The league went back to a more traditional format for the past two years after experimenting in 2014.

All four competitors get two dunks in the first round. The two players with the highest combined score for the dunks advance to the final round. The player with the highest combined score on the final two dunks is the winner.

Time: Saturday, Feb. 18. 8 p.m. ET (third event)
Place: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, La.

TV: TNT
Streaming: Watch TNT