The Miami Heat’s Keshad Johnson on Saturday won the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest, overcoming perfect scores by San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant on his first dunk in the final round.
For his final dunk, Johnson started behind the judges’ table, took off from the free-throw line and threw down a one-handed windmill jam. His first dunk earned a slightly higher score for a between-the-legs move.
Bryant earned the contest’s highest score for his first dunk in the final. He bounced the ball in front of him, caught it between his legs and dunked with his right hand, earning perfect 50 marks from all five judges.
Photo: AP
However, Bryant struggled on his second dunk. He missed his first two tries, pausing to talk to Vince Carter in between. He attempted bouncing the ball off the glass and throwing down a reverse, but it rolled around the rim and out. He settled for a less flashy, but successful, dunk on his third and final attempt.
It was 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 of the judges.
“All the kids out there, keep dreaming, anything can happen,” Johnson said. “I just came out here and showed people.”
Photo: AFP
If there had been a dance contest, Johnson would have won that, too. He came dancing onto the court, smiling all the way, and danced after claiming the 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, scoring 50s from every judge on all of his dunks last year in San Francisco.
In the first round, Johnson brought out rapper E-40. After missing on his first try, he leapt over E-40’s bowed head and slammed the ball down while keeping his left hand behind his head.
Judging the contest were Erving, fellow Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, Dwight Howard, Corey Maggette and Brent Barry.
Meanwhile, Damian Lillard, out all season while recovering from a torn left Achilles tendon, matched a record by winning his third career NBA Three-Point Contest.
Having received special approval from the league to participate, the 35-year-old Portland Trail Blazers guard beat the Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker 29-27 in the final. Booker was the champion in 2018.
“In a season where I’m not participating, the league allowing me to come in and do something like this to get some competition, feel a little bit of pressure, to get in front of the fans again, it was a great experience,” Lillard said.
Showing the same solid form that made him one of the NBA’s top long-distance shooting threats, Lillard added the 2026 Three-Point crown to his 2023 and 2024 triumphs to match the event win record shared by Larry Bird and Craig Hodges.
“That’s all I do it for, to keep adding to my legacy, adding to my reputation and being who I am,” Lillard said. “I was given the opportunity and I came out and took advantage of it.”
In other NBA All-Star Saturday festivities, the Shooting Stars competition went to Team Knicks, consisting of New York’s Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns and former Knicks star Allan Houston.
Additional reporting by AFP
Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev was the only athlete to “beat” a world record on Sunday at the Enhanced Games, winning the men’s 50m freestyle at the divisive competition where athletes were free to take performance-enhancing substances. His time of 20.81 seconds — which is not considered official — came in the final event of the night in Las Vegas, sparing the blushes of organizers who made claims that multiple world records would be surpassed due to a sophisticated doping regime. Gkolomeev, who was wearing a synthetic “supersuit” long banned at events such as the Olympics, outpaced Australia’s Cameron McEvoy’s 20.88 set in
Fred Kerley is competing unaugmented against drug-fuelled athletes at this weekend’s Enhanced Games and still hopes to race in the 2028 Olympics, the suspended former 100m world champion said on Friday. Arguably the biggest name at the divisive event in Las Vegas, where doping is permitted, the US sprinter said he had chosen not to take any of the banned substances including testosterone and steroids that his competitors have been using. “I don’t need it. God gave me fast feet for a reason. And I’m here to showcase my talent,” Kerley said. Kerley last September became the first US competitor and first track
VICTORY ABROAD: The team took home a fistful of medals and secured spots for the autumn’s Asian Games, scheduled for September in Nagoya Taiwan’s women’s team captured the overall title at the Asian Taekwondo Championships in Mongolia on Sunday, finishing with two golds, one silver and one bronze medal. The strong showing, led by gold medalists Wang Chieh-ling and Chang Jui-en secured the full quota of available spots for Taiwan at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, in September. Wang opened Taiwan’s medal run by winning gold in the women’s under-46kg class on Thursday, the first day of competition. Liu Yu-yun later earned a silver in the under-49kg class. On the final day on Sunday, Chang won Taiwan’s second gold medal in the under-62kg event, and
The manager of the Yomiuri Giants, one of Japan’s most popular baseball teams, resigned yesterday after he was arrested for allegedly physically attacking his teenage daughter. Shinnosuke Abe allegedly grabbed the 18-year-old and forced her to the floor at their home in central Tokyo on Monday evening, reported national broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News, citing unnamed police sources. “Leaving like this really means I’m causing you a lot of trouble, and I feel truly sorry about that,” Abe told a hastily arranged news conference, his eyes red with tears. The former star catcher, who is among baseball-obsessed Japan’s most recognized sports figures,
RSS