The 2020 NBA Slam Dunk Contest did not disappoint. With a field including new-comer Pat Connaughton, former Dunk Contest champion Dwight Howard, and former dunk contest participants Derrick Jones Jr and Aaron Gordon, the contest was set to be a primetime spectacle.
In the early rounds, Dwight Howard paid tribute to Kobe Bryant by recreating his vintage Superman dunk with Bryant’s number 24 inside the insignia, as well as Connaughton impressing by jumping over reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo on a dunk where he also tapped the backboard with the ball.
Over Giannis and touched the backboard ? pic.twitter.com/VJgIC2FyCv
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) February 16, 2020
Despite these antics, the dunks of Derrick Jones Jr and Aaron Gordon stole the show the entire night. Included in their dunk packages was Jones jumping over two people on a between the legs dunk and Aaron Gordon grabbing a lob off the backboard from his Orlando Magic teammate Markelle Fultz, finishing his dunk with a 360 windmill.
Over two people and between the legs ???? pic.twitter.com/2HRgSNSFNs
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) February 16, 2020
Aaron Gordon defies the laws of physics ? pic.twitter.com/zPopd1kvag
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) February 16, 2020
In the end, Derrick Jones Jr was named the 2020 NBA Slam Dunk champion, even after Aaron Gordon finished his routine with a dunk over the mammoth center Tacko Fall from the Boston Celtics, a dunk which was only given a 47 by the judges. ESPN’s commentators Reggie Miller and Kenny Smith described the score handed to Gordon after that dunk as “highway robbery”.
GORDON WENT OVER TACKO pic.twitter.com/SjRhBAPi78
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) February 16, 2020
The Stars weighting in on the dunk contest results ?? pic.twitter.com/x45HoFK0yZ
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) February 16, 2020
