Updated NBA Slam Dunk Contest Participants List
A couple of weeks ago, New Orleans Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III was announced as the fourth and final 2023 Slam Dunk Contest participant alongside Houston Rockets forward Kenyon Martin Jr., Portland Trail Blazers rookie Shaedon Sharpe and Mac McClung from the NBA G League.
While Murphy, Martin and McClung will still be participating in the event during All-Star Weekend in just over a week, Sharpe will no longer be a part of the event.
Instead, New York Knicks center Jericho Sims will be taking his spot and be the fourth name in this year’s Slam Dunk Contest.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Sharpe withdrew his name from the event in order to focus on the second half of the Trail Blazers' season. Portland is currently 26-28 in the Western Conference and sitting outside of the Play-In Tournament region of the standings.
As for Sims, he will become the eighth different Knicks player to participate in the event and this will mark the third straight season a member of the organization has participated in the Slam Dunk Contest, as Obi Toppin has done so the last two years.
Out of this group, Jericho Sims is the oldest participant at 24-years-old, but KJ Martin has the most experience in the league, as he is in his third season with the Rockets.
This definitely has the makings of being a special group, as Sims, Martin, McClung and Murphy are all athletic, young players that have been known to have some special dunks.
The 2023 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest will take place on Saturday, February 18, the day before the 2023 NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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