Jason Richardson on basketball’s next generation in Abu Dhabi

Dubai: There was a time when the slam dunk was basketball’s ultimate highlight. Jason Richardson knows better than most.

The former Golden State Warriors star won back-to-back NBA Slam Dunk Contest titles in 2002 and 2003, building a reputation as one of the game’s most spectacular high-flyers during a 13-season NBA career.

Today, Richardson sees a different game.

“It used to be the slam dunk was the most exciting play in basketball, but it kind of died out because deep three-pointers are the most exciting play in basketball now,” Richardson told Gulf News.

The reason?

“Thanks to Steph Curry,” he said with a laugh.

Richardson was speaking at the first-ever NBA Academy Select Showcase, held by the NBA and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) at NYU Abu Dhabi from September 23-26.

The four-day event brought together 36 top high-school-age prospects from 15 countries across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia for skills-development sessions and exhibition games.

Richardson worked with the players alongside five-time NBA champion Ron Harper and veteran NBA assistant coaches Damian Cotter, Dan Craig, Henry Domercant and James Wade.

For Richardson, the Showcase offers young players from the region a platform to be seen.

“These are young high school players who want the opportunity to be professional basketball players and they give them a chance to get together, teach them fundamentals, teach them different aspects to the game and identify those kids that are able to maybe one day be NBA players.”

The event is part of the NBA and DCT Abu Dhabi’s wider basketball development efforts across the region.

H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, and David Watts, NBA Head of Middle East Strategy & Development, were among those who attended.

For the teenagers hoping to turn that opportunity into a career, Richardson stressed the importance of an all-round game.

“When you’re trying to play basketball at the highest level, especially this generation where there’s a lot of skilled players, you have to play all aspects of the game,” he said.

“You’ve got to worry about the jumping, the shooting, the ball handling, playing defence. All those things matter if you want to be a professional basketball player, especially in this era.”

With many of the prospects just 14, 15 and 16 years old, Richardson believes there is still plenty of time to improve.

“They’ve just got to keep on developing, become a better basketball player every opportunity they get,” he said.

“Work on their craft, work on their shooting, work on the ball, their defence and their basketball IQ.”

But if there is one skill he would prioritise, it is shooting.

“This day and age, it’s always shooting,” Richardson said. “If you shoot the ball, you could play the game for a long time.

“I see a lot of guys out here that could shoot the ball. And I think as they continue to work on their shooting, work on their development, it’s a couple of kids that might have a chance.”

The Showcase concluded with the Chicago Bulls defeating the San Antonio Spurs 42-23 in the championship game.

Nigeria’s Stephen Edwin was named MVP, while Ivory Coast’s Nathan Djako earned Defensive MVP honours. India’s Shekar Rathee won the Three-Point Contest.

Djako, Edwin and Rathee were joined by Mahdi Baqer and Yahya Ammar on the All-Select Showcase Team, while Jock James, Rathee, Arman Arman and Ismail Hassini won the 3v3 competition.

The Richardson family returned to the Slam Dunk Contest in 2026 when his son, Orlando Magic rookie Jase Richardson, competed in the event.

For his father, today’s contest presents a different challenge.

“I think the only issue with the dunk contest is it’s only so many dunks you could do,” Richardson said. “Everybody has seen everything you possibly can.”

Professional dunkers have raised expectations further.

“You have professional dunkers where these guys, all they do is dunk,” he said. “And so I think a lot of fans expect NBA players to do those types of dunks.

“For NBA players, we’re trying to play basketball, trying to get better.”

Richardson took a much simpler approach during his own contest days.

“When I did a dunk contest, I only practised once and that was like two days before the dunk contest,” he said. “I just kind of had a plan that I was going to do and that was it.”

“It just becomes harder because the dunks are getting more difficult to do if you try to do something that they’ve never seen before,” Richardson said.

Outside the contest, however, Richardson sees a different picture.

“There’s not a lot of guys that’s really doing a lot of crazy dunking and jumping like that,” he said.

“But it’s still cool to see games where you have players still that’s dunking pretty well, like Anthony Edwards. LeBron James is still getting really good dunks. Wemby has some crazy dunks. Giannis will come down and have some crazy dunks. Zach LaVine is still doing some crazy dunks.

“So you still have some guys that are doing some crazy dunks in game.”