Why Jace Richardson can’t stop ‘crying with laughter’ after dunk contest failure

ByNBAUSA



Orlando Magic Rookie Jace Richardson gave fans a scare at the Intuit Dome on Saturday night, but luckily, he’s leaving Los Angeles with nothing more than a bruised ego and a viral moment.

While attempting his second dunk in the 2026 NBA Slam Contest. Richardson suffered a terrifying fall it saw him hit the back of his head on the hardwood. Despite the terrifying optics, the young guard quickly took to social media to reveal he was “crying with laughter” at the replay.

Richardson, the son of two-time slam dunk champion Jason Richardsonhe entered the night in search of preserving the family legacy. He opened the contest with a solid 45.4 after following a clean reverse slam on the bounce to himself.

However, he needed a huge score in his second attempt keep up with Keshad Johnson and Carter Bryant. Richardson went for a 360 tomahawk off the side of the board, but misjudged the angle and was impaled by the board before he fell hard to the floor.

After a few tense moments, the former Michigan State star was able to pull himself up under his own power. He even finished the round with a sure shot 360 to seal the score, although his 43.4 in the attempt effectively ended his night. Richardson finished last in the field of four with a total score of 88.8, behind Jackson Hayes of the Los Angeles Lakers.

While the Orlando Magic guard won’t be adding a trophy to his father’s mantle, his ability to find humor in the “board block” has already taken social media by storm. With Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson ultimately taking home the crown, Richardson is just happy to be healthy and return to Orlando with a story to tell.





2026-02-15 04:34:00

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