PHOENIX – Suns owner Mat Ishbia made an appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday and shared several bold ideas aimed at revitalizing NBA All-Star Weekend, which will be hosted in Phoenix in 2027.
With criticism mounting over the competitiveness and entertainment value of recent All-Star festivities, Ishbia and McAfee proposed a total $4 million incentive to restore prestige to two of the league’s most iconic events.
The idea seemed to stem from McAfee.
“Let’s announce right now what we’re doing for the slam dunk contest,” McAfee said during the show. “You’re going to put a million dollars up for the winner and a million-dollar donation to the charity of their choice.”
McAfee also added the same prize would apply for the winner of the 3-point contest, bringing the total commitment to $4 million.
Ishbia did not hesitate.
“Done,” he responded immediately.
While $4 million is no small pledge, even for an NBA owner and CEO of a major mortgage company, Ishbia expressed confidence that NBA commissioner Adam Silver would support the initiative. The proposal signals a willingness from NBA executives to directly address growing concerns that All-Star Weekend has lost its competitive edge.
Only time will tell whether Ishbia and McAfee will follow through on the proposal, but the urgency behind it is clear: the All-Star dunk contest has drifted toward irrelevance in recent years.
There was a time when the dunk contest defined All-Star Saturday night. Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins turned it into must-see television in the 1980s. Vince Carter’s 2000 performance remains one of the most iconic moments in NBA history. Even in the 2010s, Zach Lavine and Aaron Gordon reignited excitement with an all-time show.
Recently, however, most of the league’s biggest names have opted out of the event, leaving the spotlight to lesser-known players and less viewership of the event. The absence of established stars has been a recurring criticism.
ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith put the blame on LeBron James’ lack of participation in the 2026 contest, saying “we all know it was terrible because there was no star power,” while Shaquille O’Neal called this year’s performance “the worst dunk contest in NBA history.”
The NBA has no shortage of athletic ability. Today’s players are arguably more explosive than ever. Instead, the issue centers on participation. Established superstars often sit out of the contest for fear of injuries before the playoffs and a lack of financial incentive to compete.
Ishbia is confident the new incentive will attract some more big names to compete in the contests next year.
“Let’s get the best guys in it,” Ishbia said. “Let’s make it awesome.”
Beyond the contests, Ishbia is focused on elevating the overall fan experience as Phoenix prepares to host All-Star Weekend in 2027.
The CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage joined the action this year, suiting up for the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game in Los Angeles. Next year, his presence will shift as a host rather than participant, helping shape the weekend’s structure.
“I have a say in how to make it great … how do we get great players in it, how do we make it a great event, how to make the fan experience phenomenal,” Ishbia said. “We’re going to make it an amazing event.”
For the NBA, the stakes are significant. All-Star Weekend remains one of the league’s premier global showcases. Television ratings, social media engagement and sponsorship activations all hinge on delivering compelling content. If more star-studded names appear in the festivities, the ripple effect could extend well beyond one weekend.
Whether Ishbia and McAfee’s bold pledge becomes reality is to be determined, but in a league driven by entertainment value, the Suns owner’s willingness to invest directly in the initiative sends a clear message: If NBA All-Star Weekend is going to thrive in Phoenix, it will not be for lack of effort – or funding.
This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
