There will be some new faces taking part in the 2024 Slam Dunk Contest.
While Mac McClung returned to defend his crown, he will be challenged by three newbies. Looking to prevent McClung from going back-to-back are Jaylen Brown, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Jacob Toppin.
Brown is a three-time All-Star who has proven himself to be one of the best forwards in the NBA. Jaquez has quickly made a name for himself with an impressive rookie season after being drafted by the Heat with the No. 18 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Jacob Toppin isn't as well known as McClung, Brown, or Jaquez, but if he sounds familiar, it might be because Obi Toppin won the Dunk Contest two years ago.
Naturally, NBA fans will be wondering if there's a connection between the two.
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Is Jacob Toppin related to Obi Toppin?
Yes, Jacob Toppin and Obi Toppin are related. Jacob, a rookie on the Knicks, is the younger brother of Obi, who currently plays for the Pacers.
Jacob was born in Brooklyn, New York on March 8, 2000. He went to high school in New York and Connecticut. He started his college basketball career at Rhode Island but transferred to Kentucky, where he averaged 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists over three seasons.
Jacob went undrafted in 2023. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the New York Knicks. His contract has since been converted to a two-way contract.
Obi was born in Brooklyn, New York on March 4, 1998, making him two years older than Jacob. Obi went to high school in Florida, New York, and Maryland. He spent two seasons at Dayton and had a breakout sophomore campaign that saw him earn a number of honors, including consensus first-team All-American.
The Knicks selected Obi with the No. 8 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He was traded to the Pacers for two future second-round picks in 2023.
Jacob has appeared in four games with the Knicks this season, one of which was against the Pacers. The brothers shared the court for the final 28 seconds of the game.
Jacob Toppin stats
College
| Season | School | MPG | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG% |
| 2019-20 | Rhode Island | 18.5 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 42.6 |
| 2020-21 | Kentucky | 17.1 | 5.2 | 3.5 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 44.4 |
| 2021-22 | Kentucky | 17.7 | 6.2 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 55.6 |
| 2022-23 | Kentucky | 31.4 | 12.4 | 6.8 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 46.3 |
G League
| Season | Team | MPG | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG% |
| 2023-24 | Westchester | 36.4 | 21.9 | 8.7 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 53.1 |
NBA
| Season | Team | MPG | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG% |
| 2023-24 | Knicks | 6.6 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 55.6 |