Orlando Magic star Aaron Gordon has committed to take part in the upcoming Slam Dunk Contest as part of the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
He will join Dwight Howard and Derrick Jones Jr. as the only participants to have committed to take part in the showdown.
Gordon had been previously undecided whether to take part on it or not after losing in back-to-back contests in 2016 and 2017.
It was Gordon's first participation, which grabbed the attention of most fans, as he went head-to-head with Zach LaVine, losing to the latter in the finals. Gordon's 2017 outing saw him be eliminated in the first round, as the favorite to win it all was taken out quite early in the competition.
This would be Gordon's third appearance, and likely a promising one, considering he's up against a former Slam Dunk champion in Howard.
Gordon has excelled as an in-game dunker, but has also shown a flair for showcasing his hops in a freestyle setting, displaying creative dunks like his around-the-back slam and this under-the-legs throwdown that defied gravity.
He will be testing his skills against one of the most promising high risers in Derrick Jones Jr., who has already put plenty of bodies in posters this season and in past campaigns.
Jones has buried battle-tested 7-footers like Jonas Valanciunas and Rudy Gobert under the basket with his otherworldly athleticism and his length.
Given the cast of characters, it appears the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend might just be full of excitement after all.
Editor's Note: This story initially said Derrick Rose has committed to be in the Slam Dunk Contest. Rose has not, so the story has been changed to reflect that.
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