Photos courtesy of Getty Images
Fitting that one of the most thrilling dunk competitions in recent memory – may be ever – would take place in “The House That Michael Jordan Built.”
The Miami Heat’s Derrick Jones Jr. and the Orlando Magic’s Aaron Gordon put on a show for the ages on Saturday night at the United Center in Chicago during the NBA AT&T Dunk Contest.
Jones celebrated his 23rd birthday in style, winning a competition that will be talked about for years to come, barely edging Gordon in a final round that was extended to two tiebreaker dunks.
Both Jones and Gordon delivered perfect 50s on their dunks in the final. They then executed epic slams in the first dunk-off that netted them both 50s again and forced a second tiebreaking jam.
@NBAonTNT AG over Chance. #ATTSlamDunk
@NBAonTNT Derrick. Jones. Jr. #ATTSlamDunk
@NBAonTNT Aaron Gordon has FIVE 50s. 😱
Jones performed a dunk that had never been attempted before in a dunk competition – a through-the-legs slam while jumping over a person.
Meanwhile, Gordon nearly brought the house down with an out-of-this-world off the side of the backboard 360 windmill slam.
In the second attempt of the dunk-off, Jones took off from just inside the free-throw line, connecting on a powerful windmill slam that netted him 48 points.
Forced to dig deep into his pocket of creativity, Gordon responded by bringing out 7’5 Tacko Fall, the Boston Celtics rookie center. Gordon executed an incredible dunk by grabbing the ball from above Fall’s head and dunking over him, which you can see below.
AG dunked over TACKO!! 😨 #ATTSlamDunk
Gordon’s dunk received only a 47, much to the ire of the crowd, and Jones was named the controversial Dunk Contest champion.
Following the competition, one of the judges, hip-hop artist Common told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that the panel of judges had intended for the second round of the tiebreaking dunks to end in a tie, “but somebody didn’t do it right.”
Gordon, who also lost in another epic dunk final to Zach LaVine in 2016, said after the competition on Saturday that he was done competing in the dunk contest. “It’s a wrap, bro,” said the Magic forward. “I feel like I should have two trophies.”
The dunk contest judges had intended for the second round of the “dunk off” between Aaron Gordon and Derrick Jones Jr. to end in a tie.
“But somebody didn’t do it right,” one judge, hip-hop artist Common said.
Story with @ramonashelburne:
Chicago is hosting the All-Star Weekend for the first time since the iconic 1988 rendition that saw Larry Bird win his third consecutive three-point competition and Michael Jordan defeat Dominique Wilkins in one of the most memorable slam dunk contests of all-time.
Team LeBron Faces Team Giannis in 69th NBA All-Star Game on Sunday
For the second straight year, Team LeBron will take on Team Giannis in the NBA All-Star Game. The 69th edition of the contest will get underway at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday night from Chicago and can be seen on TNT.
Team LeBron defeated Team Giannis 178-164 in the 2019 All-Star Game in Charlotte, N.C. Kevin Durant led the way for Team LeBron with 31 points and was named the MVP for the second time in his career.
Since the NBA switched over to the new format for the All-Star game in which the leading vote-getters from each conference select their teammates from the pool of starters and reserves, LeBron James’ teams are 2-0. In the inaugural contest featuring the new format in 2018, Team LeBron beat Team Stephen 148-145 in Los Angeles, Calif.
James will take the court Sunday at the “House that Michael Jordan Built” with a supremely-talented cast of starting superstars including his Los Angeles Lakers teammate and the 2017 All-Star Game MVP Anthony Davis, two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, the 2018 NBA MVP James Harden and the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Luka Doncic.
The reigning league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will look to snap James’ two-year win streak with a starting roster comprised of three-time All-Star Joel Embiid, four-time All-Star Kemba Walker and All-Star debutants Trae Young and Pascal Siakam.
Here’s a look at the full All-Star game roster for Team LeBron and Team Giannis.
TEAM LEBRON:
*LeBron James, Lakers
*Anthony Davis, Lakers
*James Harden, Rockets
*Kawhi Leonard, Clippers
*Luka Doncic, Mavericks
Devin Booker, Suns
Chris Paul, Thunder
Ben Simmons, 76ers
Domantas Sabonis, Pacers
Jayson Tatum, Celtics
Russell Westbrook, Rockets
Damian Lillard, Blazers (Will not play, injured)
Coach: Frank Vogel, Lakers
TEAM GIANNIS:
*Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
*Joel Embiid, 76ers
*Pascal Siakam, Raptors
*Kemba Walker, Celtics
*Trae Young, Hawks
Bam Adebayo, Heat
Brandon Ingram, Pelicans
Donovan Mitchell, Jazz
Jimmy Butler, Heat
Rudy Gobert, Jazz
Kyle Lowry, Raptors
Khris Middleton, Bucks
COACH: Nick Nurse, Raptors
*Denotes Starters
NBA Renames All-Star Game MVP Trophy After 18-Time All-Star Kobe Bryant
The NBA renames the All-Star MVP trophy after Kobe Bryant 💜💛
The most valuable player of Sunday night’s All-Star Game will be bringing home a newly-minted trophy featuring a tribute to the fallen legend, Kobe Bryant.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced on Saturday at his All-Star Weekend news conference that the award will be renamed the Kobe Bryant MVP Award, in honor of the 18-time NBA All-Star who was killed in a with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others last month in a tragic helicopter crash.
In addition to the five NBA titles he led the Lakers to, Bryant was named the MVP of the All-Star Game four times during his illustrious career (2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011).
Bryant was named a finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame during the NBA’s All-Star weekend.
“I’ve never seen in my long life an athlete passing that had the impact that Kobe’s passing had on people, people on the street, people that didn’t even know him,” said Jerry Colangelo, the chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.