Local NBA talent takes the stage at slam dunk contest.
Jason Richardson, son of a beloved former Golden State Warriors player, and Oakland native Keshad Johnson are set to make their mark in this year's NBA slam dunk contest. The event is part of All-Star weekend festivities in Inglewood.
Jase Richardson, selected by the Orlando Magic with the 25th overall pick in June, will compete alongside his father's playing days as a rising star in the league. Jason Richardson won back-to-back dunk contests during his prime but gained more recognition for being part of the 'We Believe' Warriors team that overcame the top-seeded Mavericks.
Jase's NBA journey has been marked by steady development; he is averaging 5.1 points per game, playing in 36 out of the Magic's 50 games so far.
"It still doesn't feel real," Jason told Bay Area News Group back in July. "It's surreal seeing him out there." Richardson's experience will be invaluable as a rookie, putting his skills to the test on the biggest stage.
Keshad Johnson brings Oakland's rich basketball heritage to the contest. As a standout at San Leandro High School, Johnson earned All-Bay Area News Group honors and led the Pirates to the 2019 North Coast Section Division I playoff semifinals. He has a knack for making an impact in clutch situations with 14.4 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists per game during his senior season.
As part of the San Diego State team that made it to the NCAA championship, Johnson signed with Miami Heat as an undrafted free agent after spending a year at Arizona. In his second year in the league, however, he has struggled to establish himself as a consistent player due to averaging just 3.1 points while playing in only 21 games.
"I've been working on my jumper a lot," Johnson told Bay Area News Group, "And for other skills, how to screen and how to get off of screens faster, and passing and making the right reads." With both Richardson and Johnson vying for spots in this year's dunk contest, fans will be watching closely as their hometown pride is on full display.
Jason Richardson, son of a beloved former Golden State Warriors player, and Oakland native Keshad Johnson are set to make their mark in this year's NBA slam dunk contest. The event is part of All-Star weekend festivities in Inglewood.
Jase Richardson, selected by the Orlando Magic with the 25th overall pick in June, will compete alongside his father's playing days as a rising star in the league. Jason Richardson won back-to-back dunk contests during his prime but gained more recognition for being part of the 'We Believe' Warriors team that overcame the top-seeded Mavericks.
Jase's NBA journey has been marked by steady development; he is averaging 5.1 points per game, playing in 36 out of the Magic's 50 games so far.
"It still doesn't feel real," Jason told Bay Area News Group back in July. "It's surreal seeing him out there." Richardson's experience will be invaluable as a rookie, putting his skills to the test on the biggest stage.
Keshad Johnson brings Oakland's rich basketball heritage to the contest. As a standout at San Leandro High School, Johnson earned All-Bay Area News Group honors and led the Pirates to the 2019 North Coast Section Division I playoff semifinals. He has a knack for making an impact in clutch situations with 14.4 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists per game during his senior season.
As part of the San Diego State team that made it to the NCAA championship, Johnson signed with Miami Heat as an undrafted free agent after spending a year at Arizona. In his second year in the league, however, he has struggled to establish himself as a consistent player due to averaging just 3.1 points while playing in only 21 games.
"I've been working on my jumper a lot," Johnson told Bay Area News Group, "And for other skills, how to screen and how to get off of screens faster, and passing and making the right reads." With both Richardson and Johnson vying for spots in this year's dunk contest, fans will be watching closely as their hometown pride is on full display.
! it's always sick to see these youngins show off their skills, especially when they've got hometown pride on their side 
. jase richardson is literally living his dream competing alongside his dad's playing days and that's so cool 
. keshad johnson's gotta bring his A game tho, struggling in the league can't be easy 
. but hey, it's all about redemption and making a mark for himself in that dunk contest 
!
. His dad was a Warriors legend, for real – who wouldn't want to follow in his footsteps? And then there's Keshad Johnson, an Oakland native with some serious skills 
. I'm rooting for both of them, and I know the crowd is gonna go wild when they hit those dunks 
! It's all about the hometown pride, you feel me?
...he's only averaged 5.1 points per game so far and played in like half the Magic's games 
. And what's with Keshad Johnson strugglin' to establish himself? He went from bein' a star at San Diego State to gettin' stuck on the Miami Heat bench 
...this dunk contest is just gonna be some youngins tryin' to out-dunk each other, I mean, it's not like there's any real skill involved 
.
Jase & Keshad are gonna bring that fire to the slam dunk contest 
️!
averaging just 3.1 points is def not where he wants to be at. But hey, he's working on it 
. And Jason Richardson is like, all ready to rock 
this slam dunk contest thingy! As a rookie, he's got some serious sauce 
Jason Jr.'s got big shoes to fill, but I'm hyped to see how it goes down 
while their dads were already makin' waves back East 
tryin' to live up to his pop's hype and maybe even get some recognition himself 
and he's got that same passion in his heart but somehow still findin' it hard to crack the code in Miami 
! Jase's got that prime vibe going on, but also knows what it takes to make a splash on bigger stages. And with his dad being a Golden State legend, he's got the skills AND the storylines 
I think Jase has what it takes to bring the heat 
Keshad Johnson's got game too 
hopefully he can get back on track 
. The Bay Area is reppin' hard 
. That's dope, Oakland rep 
, can't have him chillin' with 3.1 points avg 
It's amazing to see a new generation of ballers carrying on their families' legacies, like Jase doing his dad's playing days justice.