The Orlando Magic are represented during All-Star Weekend, as rookie Jace Richardson participated in the dunk contest. Richardson looked good early in the first round, but it was his second dunk attempt that had many wanting to check his safety.
Richardson tried to catch the ball off the backboard, but too many things happened at once and it landed straight on his back. He stayed on the floor for a few seconds and then decided to dunk safely. He was not able to advance to the next round, and this led many to wonder what dunk he was trying to do.
Luckily for those folks, there was footage of Richardson practicing and landing the dunk. She posted it on her Instagram to show the world exactly what was going to happen.
Jess Richardson posted on Instagram what his failed dunk attempt looked like
(h/t @therealBeede) pic.twitter.com/U7wDY5oKhE
- FullCourtPass (@FullCourtPass) 15 February 2026
For her height, this would have been good, and there's a good chance the judges would have given her a good score as well. Still, we're stuck in Dunk's "what if" moment, and it's not certain whether he'll be able to redeem himself for the Dunk Contest next year.
In the end, the Miami Heat's Keyshawn Johnson won the dunk contest, and without a doubt, he had fun during the experience.
As for Richardson, he may have felt bad about how things turned out, but he's not the first person to mess up during a dunk contest. All he can do is take it on the chin and keep pushing.
