Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia is looking to add extra excitement to NBA All-Star Weekend when Phoenix serves as host next year. Ishbia has proposed offering a $1 million prize to the winners of the slam dunk contest and the 3-point contest, aiming to draw more high-profile players into the league’s Saturday night showcase events.
The concept centers on using a significant financial incentive to encourage greater star participation in the two marquee skill competitions that traditionally headline All-Star Saturday. In recent years, both events have featured a mix of emerging players, role players and a limited number of established stars, prompting periodic discussion around how to increase overall star power and fan interest.
Ishbia’s proposal focuses on a straightforward structure: each individual event winner in the slam dunk contest and the 3-point contest would receive a $1 million prize. The suggestion aligns with a broader trend across professional sports, where enhanced prize pools and bonuses are sometimes used to increase participation in showcase events.
Phoenix is set to host next year’s All-Star festivities, and the local organizing efforts are already underway. Ishbia’s idea is intended to complement the league’s existing All-Star format, which features the All-Star Game, skills competitions and a range of fan and community events across the host city over several days.
The slam dunk contest has long been one of the league’s most recognizable events, producing many memorable moments throughout its history. However, participation from the league’s biggest names has fluctuated, leading to periodic calls for reforms or new incentives. The 3-point contest has often attracted a more consistent group of top outside shooters but similarly draws scrutiny when some of the game’s highest-profile scorers or stars choose not to participate.
By proposing a seven-figure prize, Ishbia is attempting to address those concerns in a direct way. The plan is designed to give current and prospective All-Stars, as well as other high-level players, an additional reason to take part in Phoenix’s All-Star Saturday night program.
Any such prize structure would require coordination and approval at the league level. Ishbia’s public stance, however, signals a strong desire from the Suns organization to make next year’s All-Star Weekend in Phoenix as competitive and compelling as possible for both players and fans.
