Dr. J blames mascot antics for dunk contest's declining popularity
Julius Erving doesn't blame the stars not participating in the dunk contest, but the mascots for a dwindling interest in the feature event of All-Star Saturday.
Julius Erving is a firm believer in the dunk contest. The high-flying acrobatics are a staple of All-Star weekend, but Erving said he thinks the mascots have ruined it for everybody participating, according to ESPN.
"The mascots messed it up," Erving said. "It was great seeing regular human beings, even though they were 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, running and dunking a basketball. When mascots started doing it with all the trampolines and all the crazy stuff and falling on the floor, then it became more like the X Games. The players can't live up to that."
Erving is set to be a judge during Saturday's dunk contest and was the first winner of dunk contest at the 1976 ABA All-Star Game in Denver. All-Star Saturday Night had its highest ratings in 2011, when they reportedly drew 8.1 million viewers. In 2014, the event drew just 5.7 million viewers.
So, why not just make these guys the centerpiece of the contest instead?
