Minnesota Timberwolves young star Zach LaVine came into 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend with all eyes on him with everyone wondering how he would do during All-Star Saturday night for one reason and one reason only. He was the defending Slam Dunk champion and many believed the marquee event was his to lose but there was one man who had different ideas about Zach just running away with the crown.
Will Barton of the Denver Nuggets, Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons and Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic all elected to challenge LaVine for his crown and only one man proved to be tough competition for LaVine.
Aaron Gordon took Zach into double overtime and the pair pulled off some fantastic dunks using a Dragon mascot standing over six feet tall, jumping from the free throw line and teammates tossing some clutch assists. At the end of the day, LaVine did the dunks he knew best and the dunks he put down were spectacular. Although Aaron had the dunk of the night, LaVine took home the title to cap off a weekend that also saw him win the MVP in the Rising Stars Challenge the night before.
After the contest, Zach talked to the media about his performance.
And after his session with the media, when all the cameras were shut off and the arena was emptied, Zach got to sneak away from the media and managed to be alone. He took the time to post a heartfelt message to Flip Saunders, former coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves who tragically passed away before the season started.
