The Miami Heat’s Keshad Johnson won this year’s NBA Dunk Contest, despite San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant nailing a between-the-legs dunk in the first round of the final that saw him receive 50s across the board.
The competition appeared to be Bryant’s to lose, but he couldn’t land his final planned dunk, instead opting for a 360 that he showcased to start the night.
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Bryant kicked things off with that first 360 dunk, complete with a left-leg kick out and a right-handed jam that earned him a score of 45.6, the second best mark in the opening round. He followed that up with a windmill slam that earned him 50s from Dwight Howard and Dominique Wilkins and an average score of 49.2 that clinched his spot in the final.
Johnson joined him after settling for a baseline reverse dunk that showcased every bit of the wingspan that accompanies the former Arizona and San Diego State forward’s 6-foot-7 frame. Johnson’s first-round dunk was more impressive. Not only did he leap over someone in the paint, but he did so while positioning his left hand behind his head, as if he was relaxing on the beach. That earned him a score of 47.4, the highest of the first round.
They both cleared the combined scores recorded by Jase Richardson of the Orlando Magic and Jaxson Hayes of the Los Angeles Lakers in the initial two rounds.
NBA All-Star 2026 kicked off on Saturday with two earlier events: the 3-point contest and the shooting stars event.
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First up was the 3-point contest, which marked the first time Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard took the court in an official capacity this season as he continues to rehab an Achilles injury. He delivered, putting up 27 points in the first round, then 29 in the final round to take down Devin Booker.
It was Lillard’s third 3-point contest title after back-to-back wins in 2023 and 2024. He joins Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as the only three-time winners in NBA history.
Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel also advanced to the final round, but scored just 17 points. Lillard went next and surpassed his first-round score. Booker missed what would have been the tying shot on his final attempt and finished with 27 points. He had 30 in the first round.
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In addition to Lillard, Booker and Knueppel, Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers), Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers), Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets), Bobby Portis Jr. (Milwaukee Bucks) and Norman Powell (Miami Heat) also participated.
Next up was the shooting stars contest, where four teams consisting of two current NBA players and one NBA legend compete in two rounds, scoring points while rotating through different shooting locations around the court. Team Knicks —Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns — was victorious, taking down Team Cameron — Kon Kneuppel and Jalen Johnson.
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for the latest updates from the NBA’s slam dunk contest and 3-point contests on All-Star Saturday:
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Carter Bryant came up short in the dunk contest after missing multiple dunks, scoring just a 43 on his last dunk.
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Keshad Johnson scored 47.8 on his final dunk attempt. He followed it with a dance as he did after every dunk.
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Carter Bryant followed up Keshad Johnson’s dunk with a perfect score on his between-the-legs dunk.
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Keshad Johnson scored 49.6 on his first dunk in the finals on a between-the-legs reverse dunk.
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Keshad Johnson’s 45.4 points on his second dunk were enough for him to advance to the finals to face Carter Bryant. Johnson was able to pick up his points on an impressive reverse dunk.
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What a dunk from Carter Bryant on his second attempt. The judges gave him a round-high 49.2 after windmilling off a self-lob. Bryant and Keshad Johnson head to the finals.
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Jase Richardson scores 43.4 points on his second dunk after multiple mistimed lobs on his dunk attempts. After taking a scary fall, Richardson decided to try another dunk, which he was able to finish.
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That was better. After a missed attempt and a few mistimed self-lobs, Jaxson Hayes scored a 47.2 on his second dunk.
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Jaxson Hayes’ first dunk would be acceptable in a regular game, not a dunk contest. After Hayes’ pedestrian one-handed dunk, even he winced. Hayes scored 44.6, with Dwight Howard giving his fellow big man a 47.
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Miami Heat rookie Keshad Johnson takes the lead with a 47.4 score despite missing his first dunk attempt. Johnson jumped over rapper E-40 and dunked while having one hand behind his head. Johnson celebrated by doing the dougie.
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Orlando Magic rookie Jase Richardson opened the dunk contest with a reverse dunk on a self-lob. He scored 45.4. Richardson is the son of Jason Richardson, who won back-to-back NBA dunk contests in 2002 and 2003.
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San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant opens the dunk contest, scoring 45.6 on his first dunk.
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Multiple 7-point shots from Jalen Brunson and Allan Houston helped the Knicks win the Kia Shooting Stars challenge. The Knicks now have a Kia Shooting Stars trophy to go along with their trophy from the Emirates NBA Cup.
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Corey Maggette carried. Maggette scored three 7-point shots in a row to lead Team Cameron to 38 points in the second round.
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The Knicks take the lead with 31 points after multiple shots from deep. The Knicks were led by Jalen Brunson, Karl Anthony Towns and Allan Houston.
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The Harpers are in second place after an 18-point performance from Ron Harper Sr., Ron Harper Jr. and Dylan Harper.