Bulls rookie commits to 2025 NBA Slam Dunk Contest
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Chicago Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis will display his leaping skills at NBA All-Star Weekend, as he has committed to participating in the Slam Dunk Contest, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Chicago Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis has committed to be in the Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend, sources tell ESPN. Dunk contest will feature two high-flying, first-year players in Buzelis and San Antonio's Stephon Castle. pic.twitter.com/CZkflXDq1C
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 21, 2025
The 20-year-old Buzelis will be the first Lithuanian player to compete in the event. The competition will feature two first-year players: Buzelis and San Antonio Spurs rookie Stephon Castle.
Matas Buzelis committing to this year’s Slam Dunk Contest
This marks the second consecutive year featuring multiple rookies in the contest, after Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. and New York’s Jacob Toppin took part in 2024.
Buzelis, selected 11th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Bulls, has had limited playing time in his rookie season, averaging under 13 minutes per game. Despite this, he is familiar with the All-Star stage, having played in the 2024 Rising Stars game as a member of a team made up of G League standouts.
The Bulls rookie averages 4.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists, and 0.8 blocks while shooting 38.3% from the field. Buzelis will become the first Bulls player to participate in the Dunk Contest since Tyrus Thomas in 2007.
Matas Buzelis, born and raised in Illinois, comes from a family deeply rooted in sports. His parents, both professional basketball players, immigrated to the United States and settled in the Chicago area. His family's sporting tradition extends to both grandfathers, and one grandmother excelled in handball. Buzelis has pledged to represent Lithuania by joining the Lithuanian Basketball Federation (LKF) and is expected to make his debut with the senior national team soon.
Stephon Castle, another rookie also joining the Dunk Contest
Castle, the first player confirmed for the 2025 Dunk Contest, will make history as the first San Antonio Spurs player to compete in the event since Greg “Cadillac” Anderson in 1988.
Stephon Castle, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, has already delivered a series of highlight-reel dunks. Notably, he posterized two-time All-Defensive center Brook Lopez during the Spurs’ Jan. 8 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Additionally, Castle has wowed with impressive alley-oops, a windmill dunk, and several thrilling finishes in traffic.
The Spurs rookie has made a strong start to his rookie season. Through 40 games, he averages 11.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. He ranks fourth in scoring and third in assists among rookies, and his performance has kept the Spurs in playoff contention. The team hasn’t reached the postseason since 2019.
An NBA player has not won the Dunk Contest since 2022, with G League standout Mac McClung taking home back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024.
The NBA’s 2025 All-Star Weekend is scheduled for February 14-16 in San Francisco. All-Star Saturday Night and the Slam Dunk Contest will take place on February 15 at the home of the Golden State Warriors, Chase Center.
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