Picture this: a jacked, white man with thinning hair soaring through the air like a bald eagle, leaping from 15 feet away, extending his toned arm to rattle a basketball through the hoop, shaking the backboard and the floorboards all at once.
Now unpicture that, because it’s not happening.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Alex Caruso was slated to be that picturesque performer but according to The Athletic’s Bill Oram, the 27-year-old declined the NBA’s offer to compete in the 2021 NBA Dunk Contest. Caruso recently admitted that he was looking forward to his break due to the short offseason after winning the NBA championship, so it’s no surprise that he would turn down the offer even if it’s slightly disappointing.
This year’s field is not very star-studded at all with the Knicks’ Obi Toppin, the Pacers’ Cassius Stanley, and the Blazers’ Anfernee Simons composing this year’s cast. So, Caruso likely would have had a decent chance to win without star power overshadowing his performance. Jaylen Brown and Zion Williamson are other rumored players to have declined the invitation.
The dunk contest is scheduled to go on during halftime of the All-Star game as the NBA aimed to make the events packed together due to concerns over even holding them amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
LeBron James is the only confirmed Laker expected to participate, leading the league in All-Star votes. Anthony Davis will not be in Atlanta for the game as he is still recovering from injury and was replaced by the Suns’ Devin Booker.
For now we will have to wait to see Caruso replicate his Manscaped ads in front of a national TV audience a different time.
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