Jase Richardson is following in his dad’s footsteps again.
The former Michigan State standout and Orlando Magic rookie guard was selected on Saturday to compete in the NBA’s 2026 Slam Dunk Contest.
Richardson’s dad, Jason Richardson, was an All-American for the Spartans, first-round pick and two-time Slam Dunk Contest winner in 2022-23.
At 6-foot-1, Richardson is the shortest of the four players named to the 2026 Slam Dunk Contest as part of the All-Star Saturday on Feb. 14 and it will take place at at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. All four competitors will make their debut in the contest and the other three are San Antonio rookie forward Carter Bryant (6-6), Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (7-0) and Miami forward Keshad Johnson (6-6).
The Slam Dunk Contest will feature a two-round format with each player attempting two dunks in the first round. Judges’ scores will determine two finalists, who will each attempt a pair of dunks to determine the champion.
Richardson was a surprise one-and-one at Michigan State after taking over a starting role midseason. He averaged 12.1 points as a freshman while helping the Spartans to a Big Ten title and spot in the Elite Eight before declaring for the 2025 NBA draft and being selected by the Magic with the 25th pick in the first round. Richardson is averaging 5.1 points in 12.0 minutes while appearing in 36 of Orlando’s 50 games so far this season.