The NBA has set the stage for one of All-Star Weekend’s most anticipated nights, finalising the competitors for its Slam Dunk and Shooting Stars competitions ahead of the February 14 showcase at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The league’s announcement, issued on February 7, blends emerging talent with storied names, signalling a deliberate push toward both renewal and nostalgia.
A New Generation Takes Flight in the Dunk Contest
All four participants in the 2026 All-Star Slam Dunk competition will be making their debuts, a clean break from recent editions that leaned on repeat entrants. The field brings together a mix of rookies and young players, each with a distinct profile — and, in one case, a famous lineage.
Representing the San Antonio Spurs is rookie forward Carter Bryant, joined by Jaxson Hayes, the 7-foot centre from the Los Angeles Lakers whose size and reach add intrigue to an event traditionally favouring guards and wings. The Miami Heat will be represented by forward Keshad Johnson, while the Orlando Magic send rookie guard Jase Richardson.
Richardson arrives with a clear narrative hook. His father, Jason Richardson, won the Slam Dunk title in 2002 and 2003, and now the younger Richardson will attempt to echo that legacy under the brightest lights of All-Star Weekend. The league confirmed that “the Spurs’ Carter Bryant, the Lakers’ Jaxson Hayes, the Heat’s Keshad Johnson and the Magic’s Jase Richardson have been named the participants in the All-Star Slam Dunk competition.”
Shooting Stars Blends Skill, Speed and History
The Shooting Stars competition, long a lighter but technically demanding event, once again leans into its hybrid formula: teams of two current NBA players and one former star competing in a two-round contest. Each team will have 70 seconds per round to score from seven designated shooting locations placed around the court.
This year’s line-up places family ties, college connections and franchise history at its core.
- Team All-Star: Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors, Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Richard Hamilton, the three-time All-Star whose mid-range mastery defined an era.
- Team Cameron: Jalen Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks, rookie Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets, and former NBA veteran Corey Maggette — all alumni of Duke University.
- Team Harper: A rare family trio featuring Dylan Harper of the Spurs, Ron Harper Jr. of the Boston Celtics, and his father, Ron Harper Sr., a five-time NBA champion.
- Team Knicks: New York’s current All-Star pairing of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, joined by Knicks legend and front-office executive Allan Houston.
All-Star Weekend’s Broader Strategy
While the events themselves are built for entertainment, the selections reflect a broader league strategy. The dunk contest’s reliance on first-time entrants suggests an attempt to recapture unpredictability, while Shooting Stars continues to act as a bridge between generations — a reminder that the NBA’s present is inseparable from its past.
For fans watching from Malta and across Europe, the competitions offer a compact, accessible slice of All-Star Weekend, one less dependent on team loyalties and standings. They function more like exhibitions of personality and craft, where a well-timed dunk or a half-court shot can overshadow months of regular-season narrative.
Countdown to February 14
Both competitions will take place on February 14, 2026, inside the Intuit Dome, the newly opened home of the Los Angeles Clippers. With no controversies or format changes attached to this year’s announcement, the focus remains squarely on execution — and on whether youth, lineage or experience will carry the night.
As the league puts it, “Orlando Magic rookie guard Jase Richardson will attempt to follow in his father’s footsteps when he competes in the NBA’s All-Star Slam Dunk competition next Saturday.” For the NBA, and for fans far beyond California, the weekend promises a familiar All-Star mix: spectacle, storytelling, and the enduring pull of the game’s brightest stage.
