Former NBA star Vince Carter is still regarded as one of the best dunkers the game has seen. However, he only joined the Slam Dunk Contest once. In the 2000 All-Star Weekend, Carter showcased his aerial skills and won the dunk competition against Steve Francis and his cousin, Tracy McGrady.
After that, he never joined the contest again. However, Carter revealed that the NBA tried to heat things up with the dunk contest and made a $1 million offer. The offer wasn’t just for him, however. The league also tried to get McGrady, a seasoned Kobe Bryant and a young LeBron James to participate.
Unfortunately, fans never got a chance to see that happen.
Talking with McGrady on Wednesday’s episode of their podcast, “Cousins,” Carter talked about one of the biggest “what-ifs” of the dunk contest.
“They wanted me, you, Kobe (Bryant) and (LeBron James) for a million dollars,” Vince Carter told McGrady.
“I said, ‘I’m in if everybody else is in.’ … I felt like I was the only one that said ‘yes.’”
Vince Carter reveals the NBA offered him, LeBron, Kobe, and Tracy McGrady $1M each to do the Slam Dunk Contest
(via @VinceAndTmac, h/t @HeatCulture13)pic.twitter.com/9SY2nYMnb3
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 11, 2026
McGrady said that the conversation about the hypothetical dunk contest faded away shortly after no other players were interested in participating.
Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady want players to go at each other at the 75th All-Star Game
Fans have missed when players take the All-Star Games seriously. Over the past few seasons, the competition level hasn’t been the same, leading to several format changes to spice things up. For Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, who both experienced a more competitive exhibition game, they want current stars to step their game up.
According to McGrady, the format of the All-Star Game shouldn’t have been affected. He pointed out that it should be the players’ initiative to do more for the fans. He continued and said that the event has gotten away from being “great entertainment and great competition.”
This season, a new format will be introduced at the All-Star Game. The league will have three groups, two US and one World team, that will compete in a tournament-style layout.
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