Keshad Johnson may not have saved the NBA's Slam Dunk contest, but he certainly left his mark on All-Star Saturday night. As the Miami Heat wing won the dunk contest, it was an easy reminder of what it isn't anymore.
But it also served a revelation of what it can be.
There was no star power, with all due respect to the participants, present. Nor much hype heading into the start of the competition. However, it was still fun. And the young players put on a show.
None of the contestants unearthed any dunks that we hadn't seen before, but that's not what the dunk contest is anymore. Those days are long gone. Fans are never going to be floored by anything the dunk contest offers.
But it can still be fun. And that's what we saw Johnson, and the other competitors, proved.
It doesn't have to be a grim reminder of what the dunk contest isn't. Instead, we should celebrate the young players who put themselves out there to try and put on a show for the fans. And they accomplished that.
Keshad Johnson should celebrate his moment
And on Saturday night, Johnson should've celebrated his moment. So should the fans.
Again, Johnson didn't reinvent the dunk, but he had fun with it, put his own spin on it, and entertained the fans. And, at the end of the day, shouldn't that be the ultimate goal of the dunk contest?
It's easy to get caught up in the exhausting habit of hating everything the new NBA provides us. Whether it's the Play-In Tournament, the death of free agency, or even the laidbackness of Adam Silver as the commissioner. Most years, that also includes the Slam Dunk Contest.
Sure, there is a time and place for all of that, but Saturday night isn't that.
It's unfair to minimize the performance of Johnson or any of the other slam dunk contest participants. That shouldn't be the role of NBA All-Star Saturday night. Instead, those players should be congratulated for their efforts and willingness to put themselves out there when few other notable players across the league are.
Who knows what Johnson's future holds in the NBA, but he'll forever have his moment at the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. And no matter how much the fans miss the Slam Dunk Contest days of old, there's nothing that will be able to take that away.
It's time for fans to start redefining what NBA All-Star Saturday night is. Maybe Johnson's win is the start of that shift.