Jaylen Johnson has given up on declaring for the NBA’s Greatest Slam Dunk Contest
Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson was one of many players who went to the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Friday to watch An all-star game between Team Giannis and Team Anthony.
It’s always nice to see players take a break from the frenetic NBA schedule and enjoy being spectators for a change.
In the third quarter, Johnson was interviewed by the crowd and asked if he might volunteer for a dunk contest in the future. His answer was pretty clear.
“One day I’m going to be in a slam dunk contest,” Johnson said.
As usual, ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson tried to add fuel to the fire, hilariously, with some reverse psychology.
“I just want to say that I don’t think he has enough bounce to be in the slam dunk contest,” Jefferson said.
“Sounds great. We’ll see when the time comes,” Johnson replied with a smile.
“One day I’ll be in the dunk contest.”
– Jaylen Johnson 👀
pic.twitter.com/liIvCLE0Zk— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 14, 2026
That drew a laugh from Jefferson, who then turned serious with his praise for the high-flying forward, calling him “one of the most talented young men in the entire league” and praising his growth over the years.
24 year old Johnson definitely showed his dunk abilityand it would be cool to see him show off his creativity in a dunk contest one day.
He will play in his first All-Star game on Sunday. He will suit up for Team Stars, along with Toronto Raptors forward Scotty Barnes, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, Detroit Pistons teammates Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, i7 Philidelphires guard Philidelphires7.
2026-02-14 02:28:00
