NBA Slam Dunk Contest Participants: Running list of who’s in and out

This weekend is a big one for the NBA, as it is time for the All-Star festivities, which will begin on Friday.

Saturday is when the major events will take place, starting with the Skills Challenge and concluding with the Slam Dunk Contest.

This year's dunk contest promises to be an exciting one, and it will feature some entertaining contestants.

The format of the dunk contest is simple. Four dunkers will compete against each other and there are two rounds. The dunkers with the top two scores advance to the final round, where the dunker with the highest score is crowned the champion. Each dunker receives a total of three chances per round.

Now let's get into who will be taking part in this exciting event.

2024 NBA Dunk Contest Participants:

As is the case every All-Star weekend, there will be four dunkers competing against one another. Last year's champion was Orlando Magic guard Mac McClung. The 25-year-old has spent most of this season in the G-League with the Osceola Magic, but will once again be competing this year, and he'll have a chance to defend his title.

The other three contestants are Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat, and Jacob Toppin of the New York Knicks.

Brown and Jaquez will both be competing in the dunk contest for the first time. Toppin will also be making his Dunk Contest debut. He is the brother of current Indiana Pacers forward and 2022 Dunk Contest champion Obi Toppin.

Notable absentees

While this year's dunk contest is full of exciting stars, there are a few intriguing players who will not be a part of it.

LeBron James is notably absent from the list despite his dunking prowess. All remaining participants from the 2023 dunk contest are also absent.

In addition to McClung, Kenyon Martin Jr, Trey Murphy, and Jericho Sims participated in last year's dunk contest.

Renowned dunker and Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine is absent from the list, though he is out for the remainder of the season recovering from surgery on his right foot.

Young stars Victor Wembanyama and Paolo Banchero are absent from the list as well, though they will be competing in the Rising Stars Game on Friday.

The dunk contest will get underway at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday night. Unlike most events this weekend, this year's dunk contest will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. Most of the events will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers.

The dunk contest will air on TNT.