Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Thursday that LA Lakers center Jaxson Hayes has accepted an invitation to participate in the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. It will be the first time that Hayes will showcase his dunks for the fans during All-Star Saturday Night.
Along with Hayes, San Antonio Spurs rookie Carter Bryant was also announced as the second participant of the event. So far, only Hayes and Bryant are the only two players who have confirmed.
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Following the news, fans were hyped to see Hayes showcase his dunks. Here are some of the things the fans said.
“I will be there when Jaxson becomes the second Laker to ever win a dunk contest🫡” a fan said.
“Jax is winning it all,” another fan commented.
“Lol Hayes? Not after that dunk I saw him do earlier on the week😭😭” one fan said.
Other fans were not excited for the event after seeing the first two names who confirmed.
“Holy a**, call shaedon sharpe,” someone commented.
“The dunk contest was once enjoyable,” a comment read.
“This s**t finna be one of the worst NBA Dunk contest ever 😭” one fan commented.
On Monday against the Chicago Bulls, the Lakers center teased what kinds of dunks he could do. Jaxson Hayes stole the ball from guard Josh Giddey and rose for an East Bay dunk. Hayes’ dunk got his team excited, and the moment has since become viral.
As a 7-foot big man, Hayes could be one of the tallest players to be featured in the event. The Lakers center is tied at the No. 20 spot in made dunks this season with Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan. Both big men have made 64 dunks, according to Basketball Reference.
Spurs’ Bryant, meanwhile, has only made four dunks.
Jaxson Hayes can hype the crowd with his dunks
For those who are watching Jaxson Hayes’ career closely, it’s known that the big man isn’t shy to showcase his skills. Even as a high school player in Ohio, Hayes knows how to bring fans to their feet. During a dunk contest in his senior year, the big man’s creativity was highlighted after he made a windmill dunk from the free-throw line.
His dunk sealed a dunk contest win at an early age.
He has made an effort to demonstrate his aerial prowess whenever possible in the NBA.His East Bay dunk against the Bulls wasn’t his first. Back in April 2024, he did the same dunk during a regular-season game against the Toronto Raptors.
Fans are excited to see what Jaxson Hayes will show on Feb. 14.
Edited by Reign Amurao
