Keshad Johnson wins the dunk contest and 3-point contest notes

Keshad Johnson and Damian Lillard won the NBA’s dunk contest and 3-point exhibition, but it was forgettable, and the atmosphere felt like a high school game. Perhaps the expensive tickets and the event starting at 5PM ET were to blame somewhat, but the former suffers greatly from a lack of star power, and the latter felt like a walkthrough. On top of that, the dome appeared half empty, but the rowdiest fans on The Wall, the designated fan section, jumped around like a New Year’s party.

Johnson was third in line for the contest, and his entrance, dancing next to E-40 (Too Short was his backup pick), elevated the atmosphere. It was obvious that he took this as seriously as a final exam. He advanced to the final against fellow Arizona alum, Carter Bryant.

Johnson’s most impressive jam was his third: a between-the-legs dunk from under the rim. His final make was a forward windmill dunk a bit inside the free throw line. It also helped him in the final that Bryant failed to pull off what he practiced, and had to settle for a simple 360 slam.

Still, Bryant had one of the nicest flushes of the night: a windmill dunk he lobbed to himself off the backboard. Giannis Antetokounmpo stood courtside recording with his phone, and it was reminiscent of Shaquille O’Neal years ago taping the event with a camcorder.

“This is home to me… once you’re in a dream, you can control your dream, you can do anything in your dream,” Johnson said.

Keshad Johnson feeling the love from his @MiamiHEAT teammates after winning @ATT Slam Dunk 🏆 pic.twitter.com/3lu3jb50Os
— NBA (@NBA) February 15, 2026

It was fitting that Johnson collected his trophy standing next to the legendary Julius Erving, who also won the ABA’s 1976 dunk contest. He subsequently arrived at the following press conference, wearing pride and joy on his face and telling people to make some noise.

He also said he plans to bring the trophy to the locker room, yet they are going “for the big one.”

Notably, the Orlando Magic’s Jace Richardson fell hard on his backside and head before the final, and got up quickly from something that would have knocked out most people in the building. Then, inconceivably, a replay of his fall played on the large monitor as if it were a highlight.

Things didn’t go as smoothly for the California native Norman Powell in the 3-point contest. The familiar visual cues weren’t of much help, perhaps because of the nerves, and he scored 23 points in the first round, getting eliminated. He only made three of the five shots of the money ball rack.

Lillard, who hasn’t played a game this season while recovering from a torn Achilles and who the Heat coveted in the 2023 offseason, won his third 3-point contest with 29 points in the final round.