Miami Heat get another shot at a slam dunk title

When it comes to All-Star weekend, the Miami Heat have had a good amount of success over the years.

Much of that has come in the Three-Point Shootout, with Tyler Herro, James Jones and Jason Kapono winning since 2007. But they've also had a few entrants in the Slam Dunk contest, with Harold Minor and Derrick Jones Jr. winning 25 years apart.

Jaime Jaquez, Jr., was the last to try, but this time it will be Keshad Johnson, after the Heat's backup forward was officially given an invitation to compete with the Spurs' Carter Bryant, the Lakers' Jaxson Hayes and the Magic's Jase Richardson.

The field is set for AT&T Slam Dunk ⬇️

A new champion will be crowned, with all four players making their event debuts.

Saturday, Feb. 14 | 5 PM ET
NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/QZ3TN9LrzA
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Bryant was a top draft pick, but admittedly this group lacks starpower, and it doesn't even feature the 3-time defending champion Mac McClung, who declined to participate. Stars have long shied away, starting with LeBron James, and it's not clear many will get involved again.

Johnson has hops, though we've only gotten to see it occasionally in NBA games, since he advanced from a two-way contract to a standard spot with the Heat. Since signing with the Heat as a coveted undrafted free agent out of Arizona, he's played in only 37 games in two seasons, averaging 6.9 minutes in those appearances. He has done some good things defensively, but his inconsistent offensive game has kept him in a limited role.

Keshad Johnson will participate in the NBA’s Slam Dunk contest 👀

NBA fans will learn about how crazy his hops are pic.twitter.com/m46KGHrfpv
— 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙏 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 (@HeatvsHaters) February 7, 2026

Johnson, an affable person who has endeared himself to Heat fans, will have a cheering section back in Miami -- and Arizona, for sure.

Can he win? We'll see. There doesn't appear to be a clear favorite, even as Richardson (a rookie) is the son of former champion Jason Richardson.

Johnson won't be the only Heat entrant in the festivities in Los Angeles next week -- Kel'el Ware will likely get more minutes in the Rising Stars Challenge than he's been getting lately for the Heat, and Norman Powell will play in the All-Star Game on Sunday. That will be Powell's first time in the big attraction, after he targeted it all season. Powell has been the Heat's primary scorer all season, after his offseason acquisition from the Los Angeles Clippers.

Herro was in both the Three-Point Shootout -- which he won -- and the All-Star Game last February. But he has played only 11 games this season, and declined any opportunity to defend his title to concentrate on his rehabilitation from a rib injury instead.