INGLEWOOD, CA — The NBA All-Star Weekend festivities have arrived. Saturday featured a wealth of events, highlighted by the mainstays: the NBA Slam Dunk and 3-Point Contests.
Before the main event of Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, where the U.S. will take on the world in a new round-robin format, the crowd at Intuit Dome was entertained by the high-flying antics of Carter Bryant (San Antonio Spurs), Jaxson Hayes (Los Angeles Lakers), Keshad Johnson (Miami Heat), Jase Richardson (Orlando Magic).
USA TODAY Sports provided updates, highlights and results for the dunk and 3-point contests and the rest of Saturday night’s events:
NBA dunk contest highlights
NBA 3-point contest highlights
Shooting Stars contest highlights
Slam Dunk Contest: Heat forward Keshad Johnson wins
It won’t be one of the memorable Slam Dunk Contests that fans will talk about for years to come, but Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson took the title in his first time competing in the event.
He topped Spurs rookie Carter Bryant with a final round score of 97.4 points. His top dunk of the night was a between-the-legs slam from the right baseline that he lobbed to himself. Johnson nearly hit his head on the backboard and slammed it home. The judges gave him a score of 49.6 for the dunk.
Final round, second dunk: Carter Bryant
It came down to the last dunk of the night. Bryant had to attempt a dunk several times and eventually had to bail. His first try was supposed to be a between-the-legs lob off the backboard that he then wanted to slam with a reverse. He had two attempts rim out, and as time wound down, he switched to a two-handed 360 dunk.
The judges gave him a score of 43.0, for a final round score of 93.0. That gave the Slam Dunk Contest title to Heat forward Keshad Johnson.
Final round, second dunk: Keshad Johnson
Using a long runway from well beyond half court, Johnson didn’t quite take off from the free throw line, but he did thunder it home with a swooping windmill.
The judges gave him a score of 47.8, for a final round total of 97.4.
Final round, first dunk: Carter Bryant
Another impressive dunk, Bryant caught a lob he threw to himself from the top of the key and slammed it home after putting the ball between his legs. He threw it down with power, getting a pop out of the crowd.
The judges gave him a perfect 50.
Final round, first dunk: Keshad Johnson
As he has all night long, Johnson danced his way through his turn. He went back to the dunk he had been trying late in the first round, doing a lobbed dunk underneath the basket that he also looped between his legs.
The judges were impressed, giving him a near-perfect score of 49.6, the highest of the night thus far.
Second dunk: Keshad Johnson
After he twice tried to do an in-between-the-legs dunk off of a lob, Johnson pivoted and did a two-hand, rock-the-cradle dunk from the baseline.
The judges gave him a score of 45.4, giving him a first-round score of 92.8. That moves him into the final, against Carter Bryant.
Second dunk: Carter Bryant
Bryant tossed a lob to himself and then flushed it down with a powerful windmill that showcased his jumping ability. It wasn’t necessarily a flashy dunk, but it was smooth and powerful.
The judges gave him a score of 49.2 to give him a first-round score of 94.8, securing his spot in the final.
Second dunk: Jase Richardson
Richardson used the help of a friend to try to lob the pass off the backboard, but a scary fall made him rethink the dunk. During that attempt, Richardson got caught on the backboard and fell flat on the court, appearing to hit the back of his head on the floor.
He got up and pivoted to a two-handed 360 slam.
The judges gave him a score of 43.4, for a total first-round score of 88.8.
Second dunk: Jaxson Hayes
Sensing that he needed to make up for his score, Hayes stood at the left wing and lobbed a pass and then, as he approached the ball, he tapped it with his right hand to himself before looping it between his legs for the dunk.
The judges gave him a score of 47.2 points on the dunk, for a total first-round score of 91.8.
Fourth up: Jaxson Hayes
Hayes seemed to know that his dunk wasn’t all that.
He took off from well within the backcourt and seemed to want to do a jump from the free throw line, but Hayes was well inside of that when he took off. From there, it was a pretty straightforward attempt, slamming it home.
The judges gave him a score of 44.6.
Third up: Keshad Johnson
Give him style points for coming out of the tunnel with rapper E-40, who wasn’t just a prop. Johnson took off from the right wing and jumped over E-40 — without any assistance or leverage — while posing at the apex with his left hand behind his head. Once he flushed it home, Johnson broke out into a little dance.
The judges gave him a score of 47.4, so far the highest total of the round.
Second up: Jase Richardson
The son of two-time Slam Dunk Contest winner Jason Richardson, Jase lobbed a pass to himself from the wing before grabbing the pass off the bounce for a reverse slam that he pumped once.
The judges gave him a score of 45.4, which was just 0.2 points behind Bryant.
First up: Carter Bryant
Looking loose and relaxed, Spurs forward Carter Bryant came from the left baseline and jumped underneath the basket, doing a 360-windmill, slamming it on his first attempt.
The judges gave him a score of 45.6; Dwight Howard was the judge who gave him the highest score of 48.
Judges
The judges for the Slam Dunk Contest will be Dominique Wilkins, Dwight Howard, Corey Maggette, Brent Barry (first Clipper to ever win the Slam Dunk Contest, in 1996) and Julius Erving.
NBA Shooting Stars competition: Team Knicks win
Final round: Team Knicks
Needing to post a big number to win the Shooting Stars competition, Team Knicks won it on the four-point spot, draining four shots from deep. That pushed their score to 47, topping Team Cameron by nine points.
Final round: Team Cameron
Competing against Team Knicks in the Shooting Stars final, Team Cameron (former Duke players Kon Knueppel, Jalen Johnson and former guard Corey Maggette) posted a score of 38. Team Cameron made good use of the four-point shots from near midcourt to pad their score. Team Knicks is up next.
Fourth up: Team Knicks
Posting the highest score of the first round, Team Knicks dropped 31 points, advancing to the final round with Team Cameron. Team Knicks are led by Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson and retired Knick Allan Houston. The designated passer is Rick Brunson, who is an assistant on the Knicks staff and Jalen’s father.
Third up: Team Harper
Former NBA guard Ron Harper and his two sons Dylan (Spurs) and Ron Jr. (Maine Celtics) avoided elimination and scored 18. They did eliminate Team All-Star.
Second up: Team Cameron
With actor and comedian Anthony Anderson serving as the designated passer, Team Cameron (Kon Knueppel, Jalen Johnson and former guard Corey Maggette) posted a score of 24, which puts them in good position to move on to the final round. Team Cameron gets its name because all players came from Duke, which plays its home games at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
First up: Team All-Star
Up first in the Shooting Stars competition, which is a shooting game with three participants and a designated person passing the ball, Team All-Star (former Piston Richard Hamilton, Chet Holmgren and Scottie Barnes) scored 16 points.
3-Point Contest: Damian Lillard ties record with third career championship
Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard isn’t playing this season because of a torn Achilles he suffered in the playoffs last season, when he was a member of the Bucks. It didn’t matter.
Lillard combined for 56 points across both rounds of the 3-Point Contest, including a final round score of 29, to win his third career title in the event. He joins Celtics legend Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as the only players to win the event three times.
‘That’s all I do it for, to keep adding to my legacy,’ Lillard said during an interview in the moments after he claimed his victory.
Final round: Devin Booker
Devin Booker was not playing around. He drained the first nine attempts of his final round to start hot, though he did cool off a touch. He entered the final rack with the chance to win the title, but he had two big misses that prevented him from catching Damian Lillard, who now wins his third career 3-Point Contest.
Final round: Damian Lillard
Lillard hit 4-of-5 shots on his first two racks to set the tone for a very solid 29 points that may be tough to beat. Devin Booker needs 30 or more to win the title.
Final round: Kon Knueppel
Knueppel made 4-of-5 shots in his first rack, but then struggled to sustain that momentum, hitting just four tries over his next two racks. His score of 17 likely won’t be enough to win it all.
Eighth up: Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard
Competing as he’s recovering from a torn Achilles rupture, Lillard is still looking to win his record third career 3-Point Contest. Lillard actually started slowly and appeared as though he would be eliminated, but he drained 9 of his last 10 attempts, including four in the moneyball rack to post a score of 27 to move on. He joins Devin Booker (30) and Kon Knueppel (27) as the three finalists.
Seventh up: Suns guard Devin Booker
We now have a new leader. Devin Booker put on a clinic, especially in the moneyball rack that had each attempt worth two points. Leaving the moneyball rack for last, he hit 4-of-5 attempts and posted a score of 30, eliminating Heat guard Norman Powell.
Sixth up: 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey
Unfortunately for Maxey, one of the premier perimeter shooters in the NBA, he had several of his attempts rattle out and just miss. His score of 17 isn’t enough to move on to the second round.
Fifth up: Bucks forward Bobby Portis
Getting a score of only 15, Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. is eliminated. Portis, so far, has the lowest score of the contest.
Fourth up: Heat guard Norman Powell
Norman Powell, competing in front of his previous home fans, avoided elimination on the final rack. His score of 23 puts him in third place, though his spot is in danger. The top three contestants advance, so he’ll need the back half of the field to sputter. Powell eliminated Nuggets guard Jamal Murray.
Third up: Nuggets guard Jamal Murray
It looks like Murray won’t be moving on to the second round — unless he gets considerable help. Murray started slowly and was able to drain a few shots here and there, but he could never catch fire. He finishes with a first-round score of 18, which is nine behind current leader Kon Knueppel.
Second up: Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell
Wearing a Jaylon Tyson jersey to honor his teammate, Donovan Mitchell drained each shot from the first rack, but he cooled off a touch in the middle. His score of 24 is respectable, but he already trails Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel by three.
First up: Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel
First up to get the 3-Point Contest was Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel who didn’t show any nerves at all to begin the competition. He posted an excellent score of 27 after his first round, taking advantage of the moneyball rack.
Energy and buzz building in the Intuit Dome
Fans here are starting to take their seats and trickle into the Intuit Dome as buzz is starting to build in the arena before All-Star Saturday. Queen Latifah took center court to introduce the participants in the 3-Point Contest, and we’re only minutes away from getting underway.
How to watch the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk and 3-Point Contest?
- When: Saturday, Feb. 14, 5 p.m. ET
- Where: Intuit Dome (Inglewood, California)
- Channel: NBC
- Streaming: Peacock
Watch NBA All-Star Slam Dunk and 3-Point events on Peacock
When is the 2026 NBA All-Star Game?
The game will take place Sunday, Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. ET.
Where is the 2026 NBA All-Star Game?
Los Angeles will serve as host of All-Star weekend and all of its events, including the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, the Slam Dunk Contest and the 3-Point Contest. Events will take place at the Intuit Dome, the home venue of the Los Angeles Clippers.
What is the Shooting Stars competition?
Four teams of three players each will compete in two rounds, with the top two advancing to the finals. Teams have 70 seconds to hit a shot from seven different spots on the court. Each player on a team shoots at each spot in a set order.
Seven shooting spots
- Right lane layup/dunk (2 points)
- 18′ right baseline (worth 2 points)
- Right elbow (2 points)
- Right win 3-pointer (3 points)
- top of the key (2 points)
- Left corner 3-pointer (3 points)
- Long range 3-pointer (4 points)
Shooting Stars Participants
Team Knicks
Jalen Brunson, Allan Houston, and Karl-Anthony Towns
Team Harper
Ron Harper Sr., Dylan Harper, and Ron Harper Jr.
Team All-Star
Richard Hamilton, Scottie Barnes, and Chet Holmgren
Team Cameron
Corey Maggette, Kon Knueppel, and Jalen Johnson
Is there a Skills Competition?
The skills challenge, first introduced in 2003 and testing players’ shooting, ball-handling, and passing in an obstacle-course format, has now been replaced by the Shooting Stars competition, which last appeared at All-Star Weekend in 2015.
What are the rules for the 2026 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest?
The full list of rules for the NBA Slam Dunk Contest can be found on the All-Star website.
Four dunkers will compete in the two-round competition. For each dunk, a score from 40 to 50 will be given by each judge. The average of the five judges’ scores will be the individual dunk score. The two players with the highest dunk scores at the end of the first round will advance to the second and final round.
For each scored dunk in both rounds (Dunks #1 and #2 in the First Round and Dunks #1 and #2 in the Final Round), each dunker will have 90 seconds and a maximum of three attempts to complete the dunk. If the player has not completed the dunk at the expiration of the 90 seconds, he will be given a final try to complete the dunk. If the player does not complete the dunk, he will receive a score of 40 points.
Tiebreakers in the first round will be decided by a vote from the judges; the player with the most votes will advance. In the second round, a tiebreaker will be decided by a one-dunk dunk off to determine the champion.
Who won the NBA 3-point contest last year?
Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro netted 24 points in the final round of action to take the prize last year. He beat out the likes of sharpshooters Darius Garland and Buddy Hield.
Who won the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest last year?
McClung won the dunk contest in 2025, capping off a three-peat for the G League star that began in 2023. Though he won’t be competing in 2026, McClung revealed on Twitter that he plans on sharing the dunks he had been working on after the contest ends.
NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest winners
Here are the previous five slam dunk winners:
- 2025 (San Francisco): Mac McClung (Magic)
- 2024 (Indianapolis): Mac McClung (Magic)
- 2023 (Utah): Mac McClung (76ers)
- 2022 (Cleveland): Obi Toppin (Knicks)
- 2021 (Atlanta): Anfernee Simons (Trail Blazers)
Who is in the NBA 3-Point Contest?
Here are the participants competing in the three-point contest:
- Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel
- Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell
- Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray
- Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey
- Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker
- Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard
- Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis
- Miami Heat guard Norman Powell
Who is participating in the 2026 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest?
- Carter Bryant (San Antonio Spurs; rookie)
- Jaxson Hayes (Los Angeles Lakers)
- Keshad Johnson (Miami Heat)
- Jase Richardson (Orlando Magic; rookie)
The dunk contest will have a new champion this year after three-time defending champion Mac McClung announced to ESPN through his father he’d be sitting out this year .
This year, the field features two rookies in Bryant and Richardson. Richardson, selected 25th overall by the Magic in last year’s draft, is the son of two-time Slam Dunk Contest winner Jason Richardson (2002 and 03). Hayes is in his third season with the Lakers and seventh NBA season in total.
While not a starter, he’s thrived in a backup role in LA and and has been the beneficiary of more than a few lobs from LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Johnson is in his second NBA season; his rookie year was split between Miami and their G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
What time is the 2026 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest?
The 2026 NBA All-Star dunk contest will be held on Saturday, Feb. 14 in Los Angeles at the Intuit Dome, home of the Clippers. The dunk contest will directly follow the 3-point contest and the return of the shooting stars competition.
All-Star Saturday begins at 5:00 p.m. ET.
What time is the 2026 NBA 3-Point Contest?
The 3-point contest is one part of the Saturday festivities, which begin at 5 p.m. ET. The 3-point contest will precede the popular slam dunk event.