Darnell Hillman and Fred Jones, two former Pacers Slam Dunk contest champions, will serve as two of the five judges for the AT&T Slam Dunk contest on Saturday Night at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Hillman won the NBA's first dunk contest, which was a season-long competition held during the 1976-77 season. Jones won the event at All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles in 2004.
The Pacers duo will be joined on the judging panel by Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, who was the Slam Dunk champion in 1985 the last time Indianapolis hosted All-Star, as well as Hall of Famers Gary Payton and Mitch Richmond.
Those judges will score dunks from Celtics All-Star forward Jaylen Brown, Heat rookie forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., Knicks rookie forward Jacob Toppin (the younger brother of current Pacer and 2022 Slam Dunk champion Obi Toppin), and defending champion Mac McClung of the G League's Osceola Magic.
Three Pacers have won the Slam Dunk Contest — Hillman, Jones, and Glenn Robinson III, who took home the title in 2017 in New Orleans. When Robinson won in 2017, the Pacers organized a gathering of the team's three dunk champions at a home game later that season and surprised Hillman with a trophy, since he never received one for winning the event in 1977.
Hillman is a fan favorite who played for the Pacers from 1971-77, helping the team win ABA championships in 1972 and 1973. He ranks seventh in franchise history in blocks and 10th in rebounds.
Jones was drafted by Indiana with the 14th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft and spent his first four NBA seasons with the Pacers.
AT&T Slam Dunk is the final event of State Farm All-Star Saturday Night. The Pacers will be well-represented in the night's competitions. All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, Rising Star Bennedict Mathurin, and veteran center Myles Turner are set to team up in the Kia Skills Challenge. Haliburton will also compete in the Starry 3-Point Contest.