Jaxson Hayes #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes took flight during the Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend on Saturday night at the Intuit Dome.
What we know:
After the 3-Point Contest and Shooting Stars event, All-Star Saturday concluded with the Slam Dunk Contest.
Hayes was the final participant in the first round, following Keshad Johnson, who energized the crowd by bringing out Bay Area rapper E-40.
Using his explosive vertical, Hayes threw down a powerful one-handed slam that earned a score of 44.6 from judges Dr. J, Dwight Howard, Corey Maggette and Dominique Wilkins.
In the second round, Hayes improved with a 47.2. However, it wasn’t enough to advance, as he fell short of Johnson and San Antonio’s Carter Bryant.
The dancing and star power paid off for Johnson, who was crowned the league's best dunker.
What they're saying:
The 25-year-old center said competing in the Dunk Contest was a childhood dream.
"For me, I’ve always dreamed of being in the dunk contest," Hayes said. "I was always big into the dunk contest — if you can’t tell by the way I play. So when I got the call, I was definitely down."
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What's next:
The 75th NBA All-Star Game is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at the Intuit Dome.