Aaron Gordon open to return to dunk contest at All-Star Weekend

Aaron Gordon appears open to a return to the Slam Dunk Contest if the NBA asks him. But he has his goals set on playing Sunday instead.

Last year’s Slam Dunk Contest ended in disappointment for Aaron Gordon.

His innovative dunk idea to have a drone drop him the basketball as he completed a trick fell through. The dunk he reportedly accomplished several times in practice did not work when the dunks count. Perhaps a nagging ankle injury at the time kept him from copying his performance in the 2016 contest.

As Glenn Robinson III walked away with the trophy and left the New Orleans crowd a little bit disappointed, Gordon did not seem like he wanted to give the dunk contest a third go-round. He said at the time it was his last dunk contest.

Even at Media Day this season, Gordon was very noncommital about returning to the dunk contest.

February is still far away. But with a hot start behind him, Gordon seems more open to a return to All-Star Saturday Night’s premiere event.

He told Marc Spears of The Undefeated if the NBA asked him to participate again, he would accept the invitation:

Gordon has bigger dreams in mind, of course. He does not want to settle on only playing Saturday. That is a clearly stated goal for Gordon.

Back at media day, he was asked about a third trip to the dunk contest and said his goal was to play Sunday:

"“It would be nice to go to L.A. for All-Star Weekend,” Gordon said at media day. “Moreso as an All-Star.”"

Gordon so far has looked the part in many ways.

He is averaging 18.3 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game. Both are on pace to be career highs. Gordon’s real growth and development have come from beyond the arc. He is shooting 53.7 percent from the floor and 51.9 percent from beyond the arc.

For much of this season so far he has led the league in 3-point field goal percentage. That has begun to drop — Gordon settled for 3-pointers a bit too much in Monday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors hitting on just two of his seven 3-pointers.

Orlando Magic

But Gordon has increased his scoring and is hitting some difficult jumpers. He is second on the team in scoring, taking a major step in his game.

Perhaps Gordon still tries to play the All-Star a bit too much at times. Coach Frank Vogel often says Gordon succeeds best offensively when his scoring comes within the flow of the offense. Gordon gets himself in trouble most when he tries to attack off the dribble or forces things against a set defense.

That may not scream All-Star. But considering the Orlando Magic’s surprise start and Gordon’s notoriety around the league, it would not be surprising to see him as a potential All-Star representative for the Magic’s success.

Gordon certainly seems like he is determined to be in Los Angeles for part of the All-Star festivities — not likely the 3-Point Shootout although he certainly seems to be willing to qualify for it.

It would be fun to see Gordon back in the Slam Dunk Contest for sure. He obviously still has some tricks in his bag for the dunk contest. He left a lot hidden following his early exit last year.

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But Gordon is aiming bigger. The Slam Dunk Contest seems like a secondary goal and only something he will do if asked. Not something he looks to pursue this year.