{"id":152743,"date":"2026-02-12T08:02:32","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T08:02:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/152743\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T08:02:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T08:02:32","slug":"orlando-magics-richardson-shocked-to-be-in-dunk-contest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/152743\/","title":{"rendered":"Orlando Magic’s Richardson shocked to be in dunk contest"},"content":{"rendered":"

After it was announced<\/a> earlier this week that Magic rookie Jase Richardson<\/a> would be one of four players competing in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest<\/a>, the young Orlando<\/a> guard took to social media to share his reaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess,\u201d Richardson wrote on X<\/a> alongside a laughing emoji and a shrug emoji.<\/p>\n

The 20-year-old, however, didn\u2019t mean to give off the impression that he wasn\u2019t excited about the opportunity to take part in a highlight event of All-Star Weekend at Inuit Dome in in Inglewood, Calif., outside of Los Angeles, on Saturday, or that he won\u2019t try to win the competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people don\u2019t think I\u2019m going to try because of what I tweeted, but I\u2019m not going to do something I\u2019m not going to compete in,\u201d Richardson said this week in the locker room. \u201cI\u2019m always going to try to go win something. Don\u2019t know if it is going to happen, but I\u2019m still going to try to compete.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I feel like I\u2019ve got some stuff,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

That \u201cstuff\u201d could come from his father, Jason Richardson, who won the event twice with the Warriors (2002 and \u201903). But even his own father was surprised he was picked for the contest.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because Richardson hasn\u2019t developed a reputation of himself to be a living highlight reel throughout the first 52 games of his rookie campaign. Entering Wednesday\u2019s game against the Bucks, Orlando\u2019s last before the league break, Richardson had only dunked four times in 38 appearances, according to basketball-reference.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think, for me, it kind of came as a shock because I feel like I\u2019d be the last person people would expect to be in it, but I always grew up watching it,\u201d he said this week. \u201cObviously, one of the most fun things to do during All-Star and I always used to pretend, so I was like, \u2018Why not?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I put my name in there, and they said they wanted me to do it, so I was like, \u2018OK, let\u2019s do it,’\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The dunk contest will take place Saturday at 5 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Richardson will compete against Carter Bryant (Spurs), Jaxson Hayes (Lakers) and Keshad Johnson (Heat), who like himself, are all first-timers in the event.<\/p>\n

Hall of Famers Dominique Wilkins (who won the dunk contest in 1985 and \u201990) and Dwight Howard (2008) headline the former players who will serve as judges and they\u2019ll be joined by three-time contest winner Nate Robinson (\u201906, \u201909, \u201910) and Brent Barry (1996), the league said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Howard is one of two former Magic players who have won the event. Former Orlando guard Mac McClung, who recently signed a two-way contract with the Bulls, became the first three-peat winner of the dunk contest, capturing the title twice the past two years with the Magic and once with the Sixers.<\/p>\n

Fellow rookie Noah Penda<\/a>, who\u2019s dunked 11 times across 37 games this season, didn\u2019t have much advice to offer Richardson.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I have any advice on how to dunk, \u2026 not at all,\u201d the French forward said with a grin on his face. \u201cThat\u2019s really not my stuff. He\u2019s a way better dunker than me. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s advice. I said, \u2018Just go enjoy and I\u2019m going to be there to cheer for you.\u2019 That\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Magic coach Jamahl Mosley<\/a> also had a smile on his face when talking about Richardson entering the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really think it is great for him,\u201d Mosley said. \u201cHis dad did it for years. I think just being able to carry that on \u2026 He\u2019s been in the gym working on some stuff lately so it\u2019s fun to watch, fun to see. His teammates (are) rallying behind him doing it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s really big time for him,\u201d the Magic coach added.<\/p>\n

While the rest of the Orlando locker room will take some time off during the week-long break to prepare for the final stretch of the regular season, Richardson will be out west aiming to live up to the dunk contest legacy of his father.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know if I have the same amount of stuff he had,\u201d the young Richardson said about his dad. \u201cBut he just told me to go out there and have fun. I think that was the biggest thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m at All-Star break doing something that not a lot of people say they can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Up next \u2026<\/p>\n

Magic at Kings<\/p>\n

When: 10 p.m., Feb. 19, Golden 1 Center<\/p>\n

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