Last year's Dunk Contest lived up to the hype.
He might not have been a household name before the competition, but Mac McClung became one thanks to a dominant performance that made him the talk of All-Star Weekend.
Thankfully, McClung accepted an invitation to defend his title. It won't be an easy task, as this year's field features some big-time dunkers, a group that includes an Eastern Conference All-Star who has a long highlight reel of poster dunks in his career.
Here's everything you need to know about this year's Dunk Contest.
LIVE: Follow updates from Dunk Contest
Who is in the NBA Dunk Contest?
The 2024 Slam Dunk Contest features Celtics star Jaylen Brown, Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr., Knicks forward Jacob Toppin and Mac McClung of the G League's Osceola Magic.
This will be the first Brown, Jaquez and Toppin have participated in the All-Star's premier Saturday event. McClung made his debut in the competition last year and stole the show, defeating KJ Martin, Trey Murphy III and Jericho Sims in impressive fashion.
McClung will be looking to become the first player to win the Dunk Contest in back-to-back seasons since Zach LaVine in 2016.
Here is the full list of this year's Dunk Contest participants:
| Player | Team |
| Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics |
| Jaime Jaquez Jr. | Miami Heat |
| Jacob Toppin | New York Knicks |
| Mac McClung | G League, Osceola Magic |
Is Jacob Toppin related to Obi Toppin?
Jacob Toppin is the younger brother of Obi Toppin, who started his career with the Knicks before being traded to the Pacers.
Born May 8, 2000, Jacob is two years younger than Obi, who was born March 4, 1998.
Not only has Obi Toppin participated in the Dunk Contest, but he won the competition in 2022 as a member of the Knicks. He defeated Jalen Green, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Cole Anthony.
NBA Dunk Contest rules, scoring, format
The Dunk Contest is split into two rounds.
The first round features all four dunkers. They will each get two dunks and receive a score from 40 to 50 from each of the five judges. The two dunkers with the highest composite scores will advance to the second round.
The two dunkers that advance to the second round will have two more dunks. The dunker with the highest composite score in the final round will be crowned the champion.
Dunkers will have 1:30, plus one additional try, to complete a dunk. They can only have three attempts.
The NBA defines an attempt as "the player controlling the basketball while airborne and moving it towards the rim." A try is defined as "any action taken in effort to attempt a dunk."
Who are the NBA Dunk Contest judges?
The five judges for the 2024 Slam Dunk Contest are:
- Darnell Hillman
- Fred Jones
- Gary Payton
- Mitch Richmond
- Dominique Wilkins
Wilkins won the Dunk Contest twice in his career (1985, 1990) while Jones won it once (2004).
Payton and Richmond are both Hall of Famers. Hillman won two ABA championships with the Pacers.
NBA All-Star Saturday Night schedule
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 17
- Time: 8 p.m. ET | 5 p.m. PT
- Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
All-Star Saturday Night tips off at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 17 from Lucas Oil Stadium.
The night will begin with the Skills Challenge, followed by the 3-Point Contest. There will then be a 3-Point Challenge between NBA star Stephen Curry and WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu before the Dunk Contest, the final event of the night.
