Timberwolves’ Zach LaVine Wins Second-Straight Dunk Contest

Zach LaVine of the Minnesota Timberwolves dunks as NBA players look on in the Verizon Slam Dunk Contest during NBA All-Star Weekend 2016 at Air Canada Centre on February 13, 2016 in Toronto, Canada.

“The Timberwolves” second-year guard got the Toronto crowd going with a variation of his first dunk last year.

It was theater that hadn’t been seen in what had been the crown jewel of the NBA’s All-Star Saturday, but has since taken a back seat to the 3-Point Contest, thanks to Steph Curry.

While the first two participants in the 2016 NBA Dunk Contest (Will Barton and Andre Drummond) were duds, Defending champion Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon put on a show that will be remembered for years.

“We were kind of mind-boggled a couple times because we got 49s and they were 50s”, LaVine said. “Just try to keep getting better and better and keep accomplishing things that are instilled in me and my goals”. Not in practice. Not at that playgrounds back home in Seattle. It was the ideal mix of strength, athleticism, and creativity, the kind of thing that everyone wants to see out of the Dunk Contest. “I think I have a great opportunity”. Gordon had dunk of the night, but still didn’t win, was he robbed? “It was ridiculous, man”. At worst, Zach LaVine’s marathon double-overtime victory over Aaron Gordon belongs in the top three in the contest’s history with Michael Jordan over Dominique Wilkins in 1988 and Vince Carter’s epic performance in 2000. “People usually aren’t that prepared to go up against you. He makes me that much better”. One of those memorable dunks that Gordon made was when he grabbed the ball from the spinning mascot and dunked a 360 degree to start the round.

Wade was once a very explosive dunker, and says he couldn’t even imagine how LaVine and Gordon came up with some of the dunks they executed on Saturday night. We would have been here all night. You know, I’ve never been on a team with someone who shoots it better than me, so it’s a privilege to work with him every day. When the judges gave LaVine a 50 out of 50 (compared to Aaron’s 47), Drew lost it. He actually shattered his phone in the range and then proceeded to call out Judge Shaquille O’Neal on Twitter. Curry batted it down to other end of the court after he and the other National Basketball Association stars who were as captivated as the fans and celebrities sitting courtside charged onto the court when LaVine leaped from just inside the free-throw line, put the ball between his legs in midair and slammed it down.