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Jan 29, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) dunks the ball against the Phoenix Suns in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Inside Jalen Duren's All-Star Slam Dunk Contest Acceptance

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Aidan Chacon | Last updated Feb 3, 2026 12:20 PM ET

The Detroit Pistons will be featured as a top team all throughout All-Star weekend and fans have a lot to be proud of.

MVP candidate and Pistons guard Cade Cunningham was voted into the weekend as an All-Star starter for the Eastern conference. Head coach JB Bickerstaff was selected to coach the Eastern conference. Bickerstaff will be coaching one of the USA teams under the new USA vs. The World format.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the season, center Jalen Duren has taken a huge leap in his development. His improvement on the court has led to Most Improved Player of the Year considerations and an All-Star game selection.

Duren has been much more than an anchor for the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. He's developed an offensive arsenal that works for him individually and for the team as a whole.

Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Jalen Duren is headed to the Slam Dunk contest

Duren will be doing much more than representing the United States at All-Star weekend. Duren accepted an invitation by the NBA to put his dunking skills on the big stage. The 6-foot-10 Duren will participate in the dunk contest alongside Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes and San Antonio Spurs rookie forward Carter Bryant.

Mac McClung is the defending three-time Slam Dunk contest champion, but McClung will not be defending his crowd this year. Duren looks to pick up where McClung left off with his participation.

Detroit Pistons first time All-Star Jalen Duren has accepted an invitation to participate in the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk contest in Los Angeles, sources tell ESPN. Duren joins Lakers center Jaxson Hayes and Spurs rookie Carter Bryant in the contest field.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 3, 2026

Duren has slammed home 110 dunks this season for Detroit. Having Cunningham as a guard partner has benefited him extremely well, but Duren has also utilized his athleticism and strength on the offensive side of the ball more than ever before. Duren also has the second-most games with 10 or more points and 15 or more rebounds. He's simply been a force on both ends of the ball and it's led to Duren getting the recognition he deserves.

Duren is averaging 18 points, 10.7 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks. The Pistons are ranked second in the NBA in points in the paint with 57.2 points in the paint per game. About 48.8% of Detroit's points occur inside the paint. That's largely because of Duren's grit and awareness on the court in tandem with Cunningham that's led to the big numbers inside.

"At 22-years-old, Duren is the third youngest player in NBA history to reach 3,000 points and 2,500 rebounds behind only Dwight Howard and Karl-Anthony Towns and is also the third youngest player in NBA history to reach 850 offensive rebounds (Drummond, D. Howard)."Detroit Pistons Press Release

What's next for Duren?

Duren has to play in four regular season games before the Slam Dunk contest February 14. The Denver Nuggets travel up to Detroit to face the Pistons inside Little Caesars Arena tonight. Detroit beat Denver in their last matchup January 27, but Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has returned from his injury. Jokic will certainly pose a threat to Detroit's top-ranked defense and Jalen Duren as a matchup.

This article first appeared on Detroit Pistons on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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