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The Philadelphia 76ers may be represented in some capacity during All-Star Weekend in New York City, but it will not be in the dunk contest. According to a source, Sixers rookie shooting guard K.J. McDaniels has chosen not to participate in the 2015 Sprite Slam Dunk contest. McDaniels had been preparing possible dunks for the contest after receiving an invitation, but in the end decided against competing.
He talked about the possibility of entering the contest in a Q&A with CBSSports.com's James Herbert:
Would you be prepared to do the dunk contest if you're asked to do it?
I've been asked to. I'm not sure yet because, like I said, I'm not a big trick dunker. I went between the legs a few times, or behind the back. But that was a long time ago when I had, like, extra bounce.
If McDaniels chose to accept his invitation, he would've filled out a star studded lineup that includes Orlando's Victor Oladipo, Brooklyn's Mason Plumlee, Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Minnesota's Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins' teammate Zach LaVine is reportedly likely to compete as well.
McDaniels was known for his high-flying dunks during his time at Clemson University, and put himself on NBA radars after he threw down a vicious alley-oop over Orlando's Moe Harkless on November 5th. He is tied for 39th in the NBA in dunks with a total of 31 this season.