Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Russell Westbrook hinted yesterday that he might consider participating in the Slam Dunk Contest during NBA All-Star Weekend at some point in his career at least.

“It’s up in the air,” Westbrook told Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. “I would like to before it’s too late but I don’t know whether I’m going to feel like doing it or not.”

The NBA Slam Dunk Contest has lost its luster over the past few years. Just try to remember who won it last year. It keeps getting harder to remember the contests or the dunks every year.

A big part of that is that the game’s best players no longer participate. Who knows what the real reason is for this but there’s no question that is the biggest reason why the popularity in the contest is dwindling.

Nowadays you can easily pick up guys off the street who can perform some of the dunks we see over All-Star Weekend. This is a clear sign that it is not just about the dunks but about who is doing the dunking.

Westbrook could really help the contest. For one, he is close to being the best athlete in the league if not already and could attract other superstars to compete in it as well.

As far as Westbrook’s chances to win the contest, those aren’t particularly high. He’s never been overly creative with his dunks instead focusing on power and attitude more than anything. But maybe he’s got something up his sleeve that we don’t know about. He sure has the physical tools to pull off just about any kind of dunk you can think of.

Chances are we won’t see Westbrook in the Dunk Contest this year. And it would be surprising if he’s ever in it really. He’s in his fifth season in the NBA this year and rarely do players compete in the contest after their first few years.