LeBron James May End Pre-Game Dunk Ritual

Feb 23, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Heat defeated the Sixers 114-90. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Miami Heat superstar LeBron James has been wowing fans during pre-game warmups with a flurry of standout dunks that have fans crying for him to saddle up and join the slam dunk competition.

LeBron showed off another impressive pre-game dunk the other day that would have captured the 2013 Slam Dunk title. Check it out:

It really is a shame that LeBron doesn’t put his skills on display during All-Star Weekend which is meant for the fans, but let’s not get our hopes up. LeBron just isn’t going to compete in the dunk contest. There is no reason for him to. At this point in his career, he needs to focus on building his legacy through winning champions, the dunk contest titles don’t matter.

Unfortunately for fans, not only is LeBron not going to compete in a dunk contest, but he may stop his pre-game dunk ritual.

“Maybe I should stop because it’s making a lot of people mad about what I do,” James told Mike Wallace of ESPN on Tuesday. “They’re like, ‘Well, if you can do it in warm-ups, why don’t you [want to] be in the dunk contest?’ Stop it.’ “

His pre-game dunks have become a viral hit and a big reason that Miami’s attendance before tip-off is improving. It would be a major disappointment if he decided to stop performing because fans are upset he won’t compete in the dunk contest.

What do you think? Should LeBron stop the pre-game dunk ritual or is it something that you want to see him keep doing? Let us know in the comments section.