The All-Star Games just finished a couple of days ago, leaving the fans with divided opinions about the new format. Well, the fans are again divided, and furious. Because? The All-Star synonym LeBron James has missed the game. legendary with twenty-one appearances, showcasing two decades of dominance. This was the first time since his first time back in 2015 that he didn’t participate league’s mid-season showcase. However, one thing has been missing: a dunk contest appearance.

However, it appears King James once promised fans of his participation in the contest. In an interview with hall-of-famer Cheryl Miller, LeBron, sporting a memorable yellow cardigan, claimed that he was putting his name into the 2010 NBA dunk contest in Dallas. Back then when told that Kenny Smith is looking to “out” James in next year’s competition. James, in the heat of the moment, proclaimed, “Right now, I’m preliminary putting my name in the 2010 dunk contest, Saturday night. LeBron James is saying, 2010, in Dallas stadium, primarily, I’m putting my name in Dunk Contest.”

The moment seemed promising. But it never happened and some people haven’t forgotten. The interview clip recently resurfaced on social media as Anthony C. Hall posted the clip on his Instagram story. He took the opportunity to expose James for defaulting on the promise he made to his fans 15 years ago during the 2009 NBA dunk contest. The clip at large, has gone forgotten by the fans, until it recently started resurfacing, reminding fans of what was promised.

Taking a jab at the Lakers number 23, Hall, even brought in Shareef O’Neal, son of his best friend Shaquille O’Neal, into the conversation. In his story’s caption, he wrote, “@shareefoneal and GPII heard the lie first hand!”, hinting that Shareef and Golden State Warriors’ Gary Payton II, are witnesses to the lie. He further called out James, writing, “LeBron been lying his a– off”. Hall’s playful jab at LeBron’s failure to fulfill his promise is intriguing considering the latter’s latest statement, which dashed all hopes for his future appearances in the dunk contests.

LeBron James eyes the bigger picture and holds no regret

Fans have been long dreaming of seeing LeBron James in the Slam Dunk Contest. Of course, his in-game dunks are legendary, however, he has never made an exception. As he broke his 20-year-long streak, the Lakers’ star player addressed this situation. King James claims that he never regretted his decision. He claimed, “No, there’s no part of me that has regrets about not doing it.”

Moreover, he also revealed that there were certain times during his career when he contemplated over the matter, but, “it just never worked out.” He cited the reasons for this being, “because of injuries or I just wasn’t up for it.” Despite not competing himself, the 40-year-old player supported other stars. He hopes they’ll participate, stating, “But I don’t know. If those guys do do it, those are superstars in our league, and obviously, we know the athleticism of the guys that you just named. It would be pretty cool. We’ll see.”

The Lakers’ Star has only entered one dunk contest. That was in high school, back in 2003. Interestingly, James considered joining the 2006 contest. NBA Insider Chris Haynes reported this however, minor injuries forced him to withdraw. That year featured Nate Robinson, which marked the beginning of his dunk contest reign.

James has no regrets about skipping the contest. He’s now focused on his team and to him, his health is a priority. Even without a dunk contest appearance, his career remains iconic. What do you think about LeBron James not participating in the contests? Do you think this absence from participation in any way raises doubt about his claim to be ‘the GOAT?’