Who Won the NBA Dunk Contest This Year?
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The 2019 NBA Slam Dunk Contest was held on February 16, 2019, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The contest was televised in the United States on TNT. The participants were Hamidou Diallo of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets, John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks, and Dennis Smith Jr. of the New York Knicks.
Zion Williamson
The 2020 NBA Slam Dunk Contest was the 44th edition of the annual National Basketball Association (NBA) Slam Dunk Contest. This year’s contest took place on February 15, 2020, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, and was broadcast on TNT. Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans won the contest, becoming the first rookie since Kobe Bryant in 1997 to win the dunk contest.
His background
Zion Williamson was born in Salisbury, North Carolina, on July 6, 2000. As a high schooler, he played for Spartanburg Day School and won the Gatorade National Player of the Year award as a senior. Williamson then played one season of college basketball at Duke University. In his lone season with the Blue Devils, he was named the ACC Player of the Year and was a consensus first-team All-American.
Williamson declared for the 2019 NBA draft after one year of college and was selected first overall by the New Orleans Pelicans. He made his NBA debut on October 22, 2019, and has since become one of the league’s most popular players. In 2020, Williamson won the NBA dunk contest.
His performance in the dunk contest
Zion Williamson wowed the crowd in the 2020 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, winning the event with aperfect score of 50 on his final dunk. The Pelicans rookie sensation had earlier put on a show in the first round, scoring a 47 on a between-the-legs dunk from the free throw line. He followed that up with a powerful one-handed slam off an alley-oop pass from teammate Derrick Favors to seal the victory.
Ja Morant
Ja Morant put on an show in the 2020 NBA Dunk Contest. Morant did a between the legs dunk from just inside the free throw line. Morant’s first dunk was a reverse 360 dunk. Morant won the 2020 NBA Dunk Contest.
His background
Ja Morant was born in Dalzell, South Carolina on August 10, 1999. He is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Murray State Racers. As a sophomore in 2018–19, he was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and the Associated Press (AP) NCAA Men’s Basketball Player of the Year.
His performance in the dunk contest
Ja Morant won the 2020 NBA Dunk Contest with a between-the-legs throwdown that had the crowd at the United Center on its feet. The Memphis Grizzlies rookie needed just two successful dunks to take home the title, and he didn’t disappoint with his first attempt: a between-the-legs slam that drew a perfect score from the judges. His second dunk, a one-handed 360 slam, was also impressive, but it wasn’t enough to beat Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon in the final round.
Derrick Jones Jr.
Derrick Jones Jr. won the 2020 NBA Dunk Contest with a between-the-legs, one-handed dunk in the final round. Jones Jr. had perfect scores on all three of his dunks in the first round, and his final dunk was the only one to receive a perfect score in the final round.
His background
Derrick Jones Jr. (born February 15, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels. As a freshman in 2015–16, he was named the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year.
Jones Jr. was born in Chester, Pennsylvania to Debbie and Derrick Jones Sr. His father Derrick Sr. played collegiate football at Widener University. As a youngster, he idolized Vince Carter and Houston Rockets point guard Steve Francis. He began playing competitively in fifth grade for a team coached by his father.
His performance in the dunk contest
Derrick Jones Jr. won the NBA dunk contest this year after putting on an incredible performance. He started off the contest by dunking two balls at once, and then followed it up with a between-the-legs dunk that had the crowd going wild. He also threw down a reverse slam dunk that was simply breathtaking. When it was all said and done, Derrick Jones Jr. was the clear winner of the contest and left everyone wondering how he could top such an amazing performance next year.
