Houston Rockets forward Kenyon Martin Jr. (6) dunks during the fourth quarter of an NBA game between the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, at Toyota Center in Houston.
Mark Mulligan/Staff photographerThe Houston Rockets won't have a single representative at the 72nd NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 19, but one young Rocket will have the chance to steal the show at All-Star Weekend one night prior.
Houston forward K.J. Martin was announced Tuesday as one of the participants in the 2023 Slam Dunk Contest, which is one of three competitions on NBA All-Star Saturday night. Martin will be joined by Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, 76ers guard Mac McClung and Knicks center Jericho Sims. Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr. will compete in the skills challenge on Saturday night, playing on an all-rookie team that includes Pistons guard Jaden Ivey and Magic rookie Paolo Banchero.
Martin will look to become the first Rockets player to win the dunk contest in the 38th edition of the event in Salt Lake City, and moreover, he'll look to avenge Jalen Green's poor performance in the 2022 dunk contest. Green didn't make it out of the first round of competition in Cleveland, and he spent nearly five minutes attempting and failing to convert a between-the-legs windmill dunk. Green did succeed on his second dunk of the evening, but his previous misses were enough to eliminate him from competition before the event ended.
News | Yes, Texans actually pay more in taxes than Californians do
History | How Houston's iconic landmarks have evolved since the '90s
Food | An ode to China Garden, Houston's oldest Chinese restaurant
Travel | Hill Country's Johnson City is the new, cooler Fredericksburg
Wildlife | Texas woman gored by bison lives to share video on TikTok
Green and a pair of other Rockets are set to take the floor in Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 17 in the annual Rising Stars event. Green will be flanked by Smith and second-year sensation Alperen Şengün, though they are not guaranteed to play on the same team. G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson will also compete in Friday's event in what could be a showcase for a potential rookie season in Houston in 2023-24.
Martin enters Tuesday night averaging a career-high 11.7 points per game this season, his third NBA campaign after being selected in the second round of the 2020 NBA draft. Only six players league-wide have registered more dunks this season than Martin's 122.