With the 2010 NBA All-Star festivities coming up in mid-February, the NBA is beginning to unveiling some of the participants of some of the events. Most recently, the announced the line-up for the Sprite Slam Dunk competition, one of the most anticipated events each year.

NBA.com said last year's winner, the New York Knicks' Nate Robinson, is returning this year to attempt to become the first three-time winner of the competition, when he defends his title during NBA All-Star Saturday Night on February 13 in Dallas.

He says "the champion has to go back."

"The NBA, they asked me: 'Do you want to do it?' And at first I wasn't sure," Robinson admitted. "This is my fourth time doing it, so I know people probably get sick of seeing me dunk, but like I said, the champion's got to go back."

Robinson will compete against the Charlotte Bobcats' Gerald Wallace and the Los Angeles Lakers' Shannon Brown.

Update: The New Jersey Nets' Terrence Williams has been added to the competition, according to a tweet from Robinson.

Other possible competitors are the Toronto Raptors' DeMar DeRozan and the Los Angeles Clippers' Eric Gordon, who will compete in the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk-In the night prior. It is a single-round slam dunk competition held during halftime of the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam.

Gordan and DeRozan will compete, and fans will be able to vote via SMS text message and at NBA.com to determine who will advance to the Sprite Slam Dunk the following night.

It was rumored that LeBron James would also compete, after stating he wanted in 2009's All-Star Weekend, but his name was left off the list announced by the NBA this week.

"I was hoping so," Robinson told ESPN of James' possible participation. "It would be good for the fans and the NBA, pretty cool to get him and some other big names in it, but those guys are All-Stars, they don't need to waste their time doing dunks and stuff like that. They're right where they need to be, which is All-Stars playing Sunday."

During 2009's Dunk competition in Phoenix, Robinson -- who also won the event in 2006 in Houston -- beat out defending champ Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic. His dunk became one of the best of the contest's history. In 2006, Robinson won by dunking over 1986 champ Spud Webb, but in 2009, he used Howard as a prop, slamming the ball after leaping over the 6-11 center. Robinson's final dunk was a reverse alley-oop off the bounce that he brought down to his knees before stuffing it through.

If Robinson wins next month, he join only two others to win back-to-back Slam Dunk titles -- Chicago's Michael Jordan (1987, 1988) and the Golden State Warriors' Jason Richardson (2002, 2003). However, there's other two-time winners -- Atlanta's Dominique Wilkins (1985, 1990) and Miami's Harold Minor (1993, 1995).

Here's how the dunk contest works, according to NBA.com:

The two dunkers with the highest first round scores will advance to the final round. The dunker with the lowest total score from the first round will compete first in the final round. Dunks then will alternate until each player has completed two. Time limit rules still apply. In the final round, fan voting polls will open via SMS TXT message and at NBA.com. The combined results from SMS TXT voting and NBA.com will determine the champion.

Below is a list of previous Sprite Slam Dunk winners:

2009 -- Nate Robinson, New York
2008 -- Dwight Howard, Orlando
2007 -- Gerald Green, Boston
2006 -- Nate Robinson, New York
2005 -- Josh Smith, Atlanta
2004 -- Fred Jones, Indiana
2003 -- Jason Richardson, Golden State
2002 -- Jason Richardson, Golden State
2001 -- Desmond Mason, Seattle
2000 -- Vince Carter, Toronto
1997 -- Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
1996 -- Brent Barry, L.A. Clippers
1995 -- Harold Miner, Miami
1994 -- Isaiah Rider, Minnesota
1993 -- Harold Miner, Miami
1992 -- Cedric Ceballos, Phoenix
1991 -- Dee Brown, Boston
1990 -- Dominique Wilkins, Atlanta
1989 -- Kenny Walker, New York
1988 -- Michael Jordan, Chicago
1987 -- Michael Jordan, Chicago
1986 -- Spud Webb, Atlanta
1985 -- Dominique Wilkins, Atlanta
1984 -- Larry Nance, Phoenix