Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes opens up about the incident with the Washington Wizards mascot as well as accepting the invite for the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes will be joined in the 2026 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk contest field by San Antonio Spurs forward Carter Bryant, Orlando Magic guard Jase Richardson and Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson.

Hayes gets honest about competing in the All-Star tradition.

The NBA announced the four competitors for the slam dunk contest for All-Star Weekend. The league also announced a return of shooting stars competition.

Orlando Magic rookie Jase Richardson delivers a low-key reaction after being named to the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend.

The first-ever Dunk Contest was held on January 27, 1976, at halftime of that year’s ABA All-Star Game, featuring George “Iceman” Gervin and Julius “Dr. J” Erving in what was the final season before the ABA-NBA merger