The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced four players who will participate in the 2026 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest, which is part of the 2026 NBA All-Star series, at the Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California, United States (US), Saturday (14/2).
The NBA website, Monday, stated that the four players were Carter Bryant from the San Antonio Spurs, Jaxson Hayes (Los Angeles Lakers), Keshad Johnson (Miami Heat), and Jase Richardson (Orlando Magic).
All participants will make their debut in the annual slam dunk contest.
This year's tournament is certain to produce a new champion after none of the previous edition's winners returned.
Of the list of participants, two of them are NBA rookie players , namely Bryant and Richardson.
Bryant, a 6-foot-1 forward , was the Spurs' 14th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Meanwhile, Richardson, a 6-foot-1 guard , was selected 25th by the Magic and is the son of former two-time Slam Dunk champion Jason Richardson, who won the contest in 2002 and 2003.
Then, the other two participants also have interesting backgrounds.
Hayes is the player with the most experience. The 6-foot-1 center is now entering his seventh NBA season and his third with the Lakers.
Johnson is in his second season in the NBA, having played last season with the Miami Heat and its G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
The Slam Dunk Contest will use a two-round format.
In the first round, the four participants each perform two dunks which will be judged by a panel of judges.
The two participants with the highest total scores will advance to the final round, where they will perform two more dunks to determine the winner based on the final total score.
