Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson came into the Intuit Dome on Saturday night as an underdog, but he left as a man who made his young player’s dreams come true. Johnson won the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest in a thrilling final against San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant, culminating in an All-Star Saturday Night in Los Angeles that favored consistency and performance skills over raw power.
The second-year forward, who went undrafted in 2024, set the tone early by bringing up Bay Area legend E-40 for his first dunk. After getting the jump on Rapper to earn a score of 47.4, Johnson remained steady enough in the first round to advance to the finals.
“Little Keshad, he dreamed of everything. Whatever he set his mind to do, I’m sure he believed he could do it… I’m sure I made little Keshad proud…”@kj_showtime0 Shows off his younger self after being crowned in 2026 @To Slam Dunk Champion! pic.twitter.com/bu8boqlEKm
– NBA (@NBA) 15 February 2026
This is where things really got heated. Johnson started the championship round with a between-the-legs electric reverse jam from under the backboard, earning a massive score of 49.6 from the judges.
Bryant nearly stole the show with his only perfect 50 of the night with an effortless between-the-legs slam. However, the newbie faltered in his final attempt and settled for 43.0 after missing several times.
Johnson took advantage of the opportunity and fired a dangerous one-handed windmill shot from just inside the free-throw line. That dunk earned him a score of 47.8 and a total of 97.4 points in the final round, easily surpassing Bryant’s 93.0 total score.
When Hall of Famer Julius Erving handed the trophy to Johnson, his emotions were palpable. Johnson reflected on his journey from unfulfilled dreamer to champion on the league’s biggest stage. He added that “Little Keshad” believed he could do whatever he set his mind to and after his performance in LA, there was no doubt his younger self would be beaming with pride. It was a victory for the high-flyer.
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