Jaxon Hayes accepts invitation to slam dunk contest after slam dunk in Eastbay
During A recent win by the Los Angeles Lakers over the Chicago Bulls on the road, highlight of the night belonged to the great man Jackson Hayeswhich dunked between the legs in Eastbay, electrifying the United Center crowd. Hayes has long been known as an elite athlete for a big man, but even the most optimistic Lakers fans were stunned by the feat.
Now, probably as a result of this epic display, NBA fans got some news regarding Hayes’ participation in the upcoming All-Star weekend.
“Los Angeles Lakers center Jackson Hayes and San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant have accepted invitations to the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend in LA, sources tell ESPN,” ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported on X, formerly Twitter.
All-Star Weekend will be held in Los Angeles this year, but it will be held at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, as opposed to the Lakers’ home, Cripto.com Arena downtown.
Meanwhile, the league’s selection of Hayes and Bryant won’t do much to fend off accusations of the dunk contest’s popularity in recent years, with fans lamenting the fact that big players no longer participate in the event.
While Hayes plays for the Lakers, he probably isn’t the type of candidate fans were expecting to see at the event this year. However, if he can pull off something as impressive as Eastbay’s dunk on Monday in Chicago, he might be able to change some people’s minds.
2026-01-29 20:53:00
