INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Former San Leandro High player Keshad Johnson of the Miami Heat won the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday, beating San Antonio rookie Carter Bryant’s total score on his first dunk of the final round.
In his final game, Johnson started behind the judges’ table, stepped from the free throw line and threw down a one-handed aerial jam. His first dunk scored a little high with a dunk between the legs.
Bryant scored the highest score of the tournament with his first dunk in the finals. He hit the ball in front of him, caught it between his legs and bent it with his right hand, receiving 50.0 marks from all five judges.
But Bryant struggled on his second dunk. He missed his first two attempts, pausing to talk to Vince Carter in the middle. He tried to kick the ball off the glass and threw it in the wrong direction but it went around the edge and came out. He landed a small but effective dunk on his third and final attempt.
It’s not enough, giving the NBA a new slam dunk champion in Johnson. He accepted the trophy from Hall of Famer Julius Erving after shaking hands with all the judges.
“All the kids out there, they always dream, anything is possible,” said Johnson. “I just came out here and showed people.”
If there was a dance competition, Johnson would win that one too. He came dancing on the field, smiling all the way, he danced after claiming this title.
Three-time dunk winner Mac McClung – currently on a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls – did not participate. He was the only competitor in history to have a perfect contest, getting 50s from all the judges for all of his dunks last year in San Francisco.
It was a four-man field for the fifth year in a row, with Lakers’ Jaxson Hayes and Berkeley native Jase Richardson of Orlando joining Johnson and Bryant. But Hayes and Richardson, the son of former Warriors star and two-time Slam Dunk champion Jason Richardson, did not advance to the finals.
In the first round, Johnson knocked out rapper E-40. After missing his first try, he jumped over E-40’s bent head and slammed the ball down while keeping his left hand behind his head.
The judges for the contest were Erving, fellow Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, Dwight Howard, Corey Maggette and Brent Barry.
3-point contest
Damian Lillard is not playing this season. He still scored big points though, winning the three-point contest over Devin Booker.
Lillard tied Larry Bird and Craig Hodges for his third title, the most in tournament history. Defending champion Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat did not compete.
Lillard scored 30 points in the final round, beating Booker, who got hot early but finished with 27. Booker of the Phoenix Suns was the champion in 2018.
“I was praying for him to fall,” Lillard said.
Charlotte Hornets standout Kon Knueppel finished third with 17 points, wrinkling his nose as a result.
Lillard won his first title in 2023 while playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. He won it again the following year with Milwaukee. He is out for the Blazers while rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon. However, he told the NBA that he can qualify for the tournament if he needs to.
“That’s all I’m doing for you, keep adding to my history,” he said.
Booker was the leading scorer after the first round with 30 points. Knueppel and Lillard tied for second with 27.
Lillard shot in the finals, with fans in The Wall section of the Los Angeles Clippers’ Intuit Dome holding red umbrellas to indicate it was raining.
“You have to let the ball fly, trust your instincts as a shooter, and not get distracted when someone else is hot,” Lillard said.
Out after the first round were Donovan Mitchell, Tyrese Maxey, Norman Powell, Jamal Murray and Bobby Portis Jr.
Among the celebrities present were Spike Lee, Magic Johnson, Queen Latifah, James Worthy, comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Chris Tucker and singer Joey Fatone. Ludacris performed “All I Do Is Win” and other hits in a show full of flame and fire before the dunk contest.
Shooting stars
Team Knicks, composed of Karl-Anthony Towns, Allan Houston and Jalen Brunson, won the Shooting Stars trophy with 47 points. Lee, wearing his New York bucket hat, smiled in court.
They rallied in the final seconds to defeat Team Cameron Knueppel, Jalen Johnson and Maggette, who finished with 38 points in his first comeback since 2015.
Brunson’s father, Rick, a current Knicks assistant, served as the team’s “celebrity hit man.”
Cameron’s team, in a nod to Duke’s alma mater, took their passes from comedian Anthony Anderson.
Ron Harper Jr., Dylan Harper and Ron Harper of Team Harper, and Team All-Star Richard Hamilton, Chet Holmgren and Scottie Barnes were eliminated after the first round.
Teams had 70 seconds to score while rotating through seven designated shooting spots around the field, with all three players on a team shooting from each spot in turn.
