The 2026 NBA Dunk Contest is set for All-Star Saturday night at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood/Los Angeles, with a four-man field of first-time participants and a classic two-round format.

NBA Dunk Contest 2026 – Quick Scoop

Event basics

  • Date: Saturday, February 14, 2026.
  • Place: Intuit Dome, Inglewood / Los Angeles, California.
  • Occasion: Part of NBA All-Star Saturday Night.
  • TV: NBC.
  • Streaming: Peacock.
  • Block start time: 5:00 p.m. ET for the full Saturday slate; the dunk contest is the third and closing event after the 3-Point Contest and Shooting Stars/Kia Shooting Stars.

In practice, if you tune in right at 5 p.m. ET, you’ll catch the build-up, the earlier contests, and then the dunk contest as the finale.

Participants and storylines

The NBA has confirmed a four-man field, all first-time dunk-contest entrants.

  • Carter Bryant – San Antonio Spurs rookie forward (6‑6, 14th pick in 2025 Draft).
  • Jaxson Hayes – Los Angeles Lakers center, 7-footer in his seventh NBA season and third with the Lakers.
  • Keshad Johnson – Miami Heat forward in his second NBA season, with G League time last year.
  • Jase Richardson – Orlando Magic rookie guard (6‑1, 25th pick in 2025 Draft), son of two-time Slam Dunk champion Jason Richardson (2002, 2003).

A big angle this year: three-time defending champ Mac McClung is not in the field, so the contest is guaranteed to crown a brand-new winner.

Why this field matters

  • Local buzz: Hayes gives the host city (and building) a home-team big man with size and bounce.
  • Legacy factor: Jase Richardson brings a built-in narrative as the son of one of the contest’s classic champions.
  • “Next wave” feel: Two rookies (Bryant and Richardson) plus two young but more established athletes signal a focus on emerging names rather than established All-Star faces.

Some prediction pieces and betting-style previews argue that the event badly needs a breakout star this year, especially with casual fans drifting and McClung out of the spotlight. Those same discussions often frame 2026 as a “make the dunk contest cool again” moment, with writers debating whether this type of athletic but not-superstar field can still deliver a classic night.

Format and rules

The contest uses a straightforward two-round format.

  • Round 1:
    • All four players attempt two dunks each.
* Judges score every dunk; the combined score per player determines who advances.
  • Final Round:
    • Top two move on.
    • Each finalist attempts two more dunks.
* Highest combined final-round score wins the 2026 AT&T Slam Dunk title.

This keeps the structure familiar: no gimmicky multi-stage bracket, just “two to make the final, two to win the trophy,” which many fans and commentators see as cleaner and easier to follow.

At Intuit Dome: setting and vibe

The Intuit Dome is still a relatively new arena and is taking its turn as All- Star host, which adds a modern, tech-heavy sheen to the contest. Articles highlighting the venue emphasize:

  • A slick, high-tech in-arena presentation designed for social-media-friendly visuals.
  • The sense that this is a “next generation” stage where young high-flyers can try to go viral in real time.

Commentary around the event stresses that the dunk contest remains one of the most talked-about pieces of All-Star Weekend when it hits, even if recent years have felt uneven. With a new champion guaranteed and a fresh building, 2026 is being framed as a chance to reset the narrative.

Quick FAQ-style recap

  • What is the NBA Dunk Contest 2026?
    The 2026 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest, the league’s headline dunk showcase during NBA All-Star Saturday Night.
  • When is the 2026 NBA Dunk Contest?
    Saturday, February 14, 2026, as the third and final event of All-Star Saturday, within a broadcast window starting at 5 p.m. ET.
  • Where is it being held?
    Intuit Dome in Inglewood / Los Angeles, California.
  • Who’s in the field?
    Carter Bryant (Spurs), Jaxson Hayes (Lakers), Keshad Johnson (Heat), Jase Richardson (Magic) – all first-time entrants, with McClung absent and a new champion guaranteed.
  • How can I watch?
    Live on NBC and streaming on Peacock as part of the All-Star Saturday coverage block.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.