What is the most beautiful Slam Dunk Contest in history? Some will cite the clashes of Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins in 1985 and 1988 or the arabesques of Vince Carter in 2000. But while the competition had lost much of its luster, the duel of February 13, 2016 between Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon remains for many a technical summit.
Will Barton and Andre Drummond quickly dismissed, Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon find themselves in the final and it is the Magic winger who starts. With the help of Orlando’s mascot, placed on a hoverboard, he places an incredible first dunk, a 360° with one hand behind his head at the start. It is necessarily a 50 from the judges. Zach LaVine responds with a similar dunk, a little less surprising but equally impressive, and that too is a 50.
Aaron Gordon a little more impressive on the first two dunks
This is when Aaron Gordon will probably pass the most beautiful dunk of the contest. Always helped by the Magic mascot, he recovers the ball above it, passes the ball under his legs and dunks, sitting in the air…
The visual impression is incredible and Zach LaVine must answer with heavy. The fullback then pulls out a “windmill” from the free throw line. We are really familiar with the stars and even if it seems a little less crazy, the jurors can only award a 50. The two players are impossible to decide between and must continue their duel. So much the better !
Aaron Gordon then asks for the help of Elfrid Payton, who throws the ball to him on the side of the board, and places a “reverse windmill” with two hands. It’s still 50, while Zach LaVine responds with a new very technical dunk, a “Rider” from the back, also concluded with two hands. This is also a 50 and it takes a second overtime to make the difference.
Zach LaVine has more in stock
This time, the Florida player seems a little out of ideas and misses two attempts by sending the ball on the clock of 24 seconds. Finally, he lands a “Dominique Wilkins” dunk, a powerful rear double pump.
But his two misses and the dwindling impression from previous successes only give him a fairly severe 47.
This is an opportunity for Zach LaVine to make a difference and he does not hesitate. Passing the ball under his leg with an impulse just a little bit in front of the line of the franks, he forces the judges to offer him a new 50. “ I don’t want to go into comparisons, because everyone is going to talk about Mike (Jordan), Dr. J and the others. But I think we really did some things that nobody did“explains the winner, who retains his title.
On the first two dunks in the final, Aaron Gordon had the advantage, with Kenny Smith saying his 50s were “better”, but Zach LaVine had more dunks in his repertoire.
“I was set up to do four dunks but to tell the truth he did stuff that no one else ever did”assures the winner, who wanted to share his trophy with his opponent. “He did two crazy dunks with the mascot, jumping over them. Until the last dunk, we pushed each other to surpass ourselves. “
And resuscitate a competition that will have a hard time finding these heights.
