As a member of an impressive NBA Draft class that boasts plenty of marquee talent, Charlotte Hornets rookie Miles Bridges still manages to stand out.
Though he was selected towards the end of the draft lottery with the 12th overall pick, Bridges possesses rare top-tier athleticism. This was on display during his two collegiate seasons at Michigan State and now, the rookie may be looking to put the NBA world on notice as well.
With the NBA’s annual All-Star weekend slated to be held in the Hornets’ hometown of Charlotte, Bridges could be thinking about participating in one of the evening’s most-hyped events: the dunk contest. Following from The Athletic’s Rod Boone.
Funny moment after practice with rookie Miles Bridges and Dwayne Bacon messing around trying crazy dunks. Bridges said he wouldn't mind being in dunk contest in February with All-Star game being held here in the Queen City. pic.twitter.com/8MG2v7MDLs
— Rod Boone (@rodboone) October 25, 2018
Every year we see some of the league’s high-flyers take center-stage during the dunk contest and Miles Bridges appears ready to enter that conversation. Last season, a rookie also stole the show in Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell but this year’s contest will certainly be intriguing.
If Bridges does opt to enter the dunk contest field, he will likely be going up against some stiff competition. Mitchell could return to defend his title while arguably the NBA’s best dunker, Zach LaVine, will look to reclaim his throne now that he’s finally healthy. LaVine was forced to miss last season’s dunk contest due to a torn ACL but had won two years in a row prior to 2017.
