LaVine says he would beat LeBron in Dunk Contest; LeBron regrets never entering

You come at the king, you best not miss.

Normally, those words would be saved for an NBA player taking aim at LeBron James, the game's biggest superstar. After Saturday night's Slam Dunk Contest performance, Zach LaVine has flipped that sentiment on its head, and it's King James who needs to tread lightly.

The 30-year-old James admitted he regrets having never participated in the contest, something fans have been clamoring for since he entered the league, during All-Star Weekend media day. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean the veteran is going to check that item off of his career bucket list in the coming seasons.

"I was mad at myself because I believe it would've been great," James said. "At this point, I'm over the hill now."

Surely, James would still be able to conjure up some dunks worthy of the competition, but it's unclear if anyone - four-time MVP or otherwise - can match aerial theatrics with LaVine. For his part, the 19-year-old is taking all comers, and that includes James.

"I never go against my own talent, so I've got to say me," LaVine said on "SportsCenter" after his victory. "I know LeBron's got some stuff that he ain't showed the world, either. LeBron's one of the most freaky athletes of all time ... But like I said, I'm a confident person."

Given the reaction to LaVine's performance and the resultant uptick in ratings for the event, the league may be better positioned to draw superstars out for the event next season. Whether that means James, LaVine's teammate Andrew Wiggins, former Toronto hero Vince Carter or any other big names, anticipation for the 2016 event will be the highest it's been in years.

LaVine is already doing his part to hype up the event, suggesting he'll defend his crown with a dunk he didn't even bother to pull out on Saturday.

"That's the funny thing," LaVine said when asked about his best dunk, one that had teammates raving ahead of the event. "I didn't do that one. I got some tricks in the bag still."

He scored two perfect 50s and earned 194 of a possible 200 points from the judges, winning the title decisively, and he didn't use his best dunk. Your thoughts, Victor Oladipo?