Miami Heat high-flyer Derrick Jones Jr. has accepted an invitation to participate in the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
Jones is one of the best dunkers in the NBA, and he joins Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard in the event.
More than three decades have passed since Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan defeated Atlanta Hawks great Dominique Wilkins in the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest in The Windy City. It would be cool to see Jones — along with Howard and perhaps Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine and Orlando Magic power forward Aaron Gordon — put on a show at the United Center in February for basketball fans around the world.
Jones can flat out jump out of the gym. The Heat forward has already had a few monster dunks this season, including this one over reigning Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QNzfJNk93s
Jones has appeared in 29 games for the Heat this season. He’s averaging 8.6 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 47.1 percent from the field, 23.7 percent from beyond the arc and 77.3 percent from the free-throw line.
The Heat, led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, are 30-13 on the season. They have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference standings and look like a serious contender for the championship.
Before the season started, most pundits had the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers meeting in the Eastern Conference Finals. It looks like the Heat will have something to say about that when it’s all said and done.
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