LeBron James Says Two Trophies Should've Been Awarded For Dunk Contest
There was some controversy at the 2020 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest after Miami Heat’s Derrick Jones Jr. beat Orlando Magic's Aaron Gordon in the competition.
Gordon had five dunks that scored perfect 50s. In the final round, a double-tiebreaker, he jumped over 7-foot-5 Tacko Fall, but was only awarded a 47 by the judges.
Jones edged Gordon by one point on his final jam, scoring a 48 on a windmill dunk off a leap from just inside the free throw line.
Many people thought that Gordon and Jones should've tied for the win, including LeBron James, who posted his thoughts on Twitter on Saturday.
Gordon also felt as though he were robbed of the win.
“Jumping over somebody 7-foot-5 and dunking is no easy feat,” Gordon told reporters Saturday evening. “What did I get, like a 47? Come on, man. What are we doing?”
Gordon, who also came in second in the dunk contest in 2016, said he's done with the event.
“It’s a wrap, bro. It’s a wrap," Gordon said. "I feel like I should have two trophies.”
Lakers' center Dwight Howard was eliminated after doing two dunks, including one in which he donned a Superman cape and honored Kobe Bryant with a No. 24 on his chest. Howard, who won the competition in 2008, patted his chest multiple times before making an alley-oop right-handed jam off a pass from Jameer Nelson, earning a 49 from the judges. His first dunk scored a 41.
Before Bryant died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, he had agreed to participate in the dunk contest alongside Howard.
"He was going to do something for me in the dunk contest, which is kind of heartbreaking," Howard said after the Lakers played San Antonio on Feb. 4. "It’s been on my mind everyday. Man, I can’t believe it. I’m still in shock. It hurts. It’s tough. I just never thought that somebody like that would be gone."
