The 2020 Slam Dunk Contest became an intra-state battle between the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic. This time, the Heat take the dub as Derrick Jones Jr. took down Aaron Gordon in what many hoops fans will consider one of the most controversial wins in recent memory.
After impressing in the opening rounds of the contest, the two were pitted against each other in a dunk-off. Since Gordon put on a show of a contest in 2016, many expected him to end the night with the trophy in his hands.
One of his better dunks during the final was a riff on the Zach LaVine windmill 360 that was made against him during the 2016 contest. The difference this time was that the ball was bounced off the side of the backboard.
It was a beautiful slam that showed off Gordon's grace and elevation.
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DJJ had his own side-of-the-backboard dunk to answer Gordon. He changed up his finish by putting it underneath his legs. The amount of elevation he showcased during the dunk was nothing to scoff at as well, and the United Center crowd was all over the dunk.
Aaron Gordon answered back with another incredible slam, this time using Tacko Fall as an obstacle. He did have some difficulty in clearing the 7-foot-5 Boston Celtics big man, but the mere fact that he had the elevation to pull that off left people speechless.
However, Derrick Jones Jr. sealed the win with a Jumpman tribute of his own. He ran a bit ways from the back and didn't jump from behind the free-throw line, but the way he flew to the rim was very respectable. The Heat forward was able to score enough that he beat Gordon in the overall score tally, 198-197.
Fans are already harping about Gordon's loss online. They are shouting on social media, saying that the Magic forward was once again robbed of the opportunity to win his own title.
After this contest, it may be unlikely for him to once again participate in the Slam Dunk Contest.