NBA Slam Dunk Contest Is a Marketing Layup for Players Building a Platform…….Read more 

 

 

Two-time dunk champ Jason Richardson urges athletes to make the most of their moment above the rim

For former NBA slam dunk champion Jason Richardson, the value of legacy isn’t what he could throw down but what he can pass down.

Richardson won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest during his first two seasons in the league in 2002 and 2003—including an inbound pass and a reverse slam during his second year. He’s one of only seven players to win the contest multiple times and, this year, joined fellow NBA alums Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett, and his former Golden State Warriors teammate Baron Davis (and influencer Jesser as the voice of NBA ID voters) in judging the 2025 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest during All-Star Weekend.

It was a field that included Chicago Bulls’ Matas Buzelis, the Milwaukee Bucks’ Andre Jackson Jr., and the San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle—all of whom Richardson first saw dunking on social media. In the end, Richardson and company eventually handed a third-straight title to Orlando Magic G-Leaguer Mac McClung, who dunked over a car from league sponsor Kia as one of four dunks that received perfect

Richardson’s history with the contest has made him a detail-oriented judge—and stingy with 50-point perfect scores—as a result.

“For me, when I was doing the dunks, and I was actually in the dunk contest, the things that I paid attention to, to get those type of numbers, were the element of surprise, can you get the dunk on the first try, and the creativity of the dunk—are you taking the old dunk and making it yours or is it a tough dunk?” Richardson said. “When you grab all three of those things, that’s what makes a great dunk, and that’s where you get those 50s from.”

Beyond the technical aspects of the contest, Richardson remembers what the event meant to him as he transitioned from Final Four appearances and national titles in college at Michigan State under coach Tom Izzo to five consecutive losing seasons to start his career with the Warriors. And he sees the marketing opportunity presented by it and events like it.

Because we weren’t on national TV and weren’t winning a lot of games, I used things like the dunk contest, the rookie challenge, and the All-Star Game to get my name out there and to get the Golden State Warriors’ name out there,” Richardson said. “With this young group of guys, Mac McClung and Andre Jackson, they could use the AT&T Dunk Contest to get their name out there and … make a mark for yourself by using those type of platforms to elevate you yourself, individually, and then your team.”

Putting that advice into practice, more than 20 years after his dunk contest wins, Richardson was back at the NBA Crossover All-Star festival, meeting with fans and taking photos by AT&T’s LED Dunk Court. McClung had also teamed with AT&T to host slam dunk lessons on the same court and offer tips and photo opps to fans.

During his first year with the Warriors, he was drafted with other promising stars, including Gilbert Arenas and Troy Murphy, and saw tremendous potential in both the team and the loyal fanbase of the Bay Area—which kept showing up as losses mounted. After a second-straight 34-loss season in 2006 (grim when a season’s 82 games), Richardson wrote a letter of apology to fans that catalyzed a return to the playoffs for the “We Believe” Warriors and an improbable series win over the best-in-the-West Dallas Mavericks.

“These fans are knowledgeable about basketball: They care about their team, they show up regardless of if you’re winning or not, and they just want you to play hard,” Richardson said. “I knew just me as a person, as a player, that I could capture the fan enthusiasm, their dedication because I play hard every time I show up, and that’s what I wanted to do and pass down to the next generation with my kids.”