The annual discourse around “fixing the Dunk Contest” misses that it’s never needed stars. It used to create them, and maybe in some ways it still can.

What Carter did 25 years ago during a rain-soaked weekend in the Bay looked like, and felt like, the apogee of the competition.

This one is pretty simple: Host a big nationwide search for some of the best dunkers in the country. It’s a lot of work, but on the flip side, it’s a good content machine if the NBA wants it. Host some regional dunk contests across the country then have them come together for a national event. Then the winner gets to be a part of All-Star weekend.