Come on and slam and welcome to the jam!
According to Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com, 2015 NBA Slam Dunk champion Zach LaVine will attempt to defend his crown during All-Star Saturday night in Toronto on Feb. 13.
Joining the Minnesota Timberwolves high-flyer will be Detroit Pistons big man Andre Drummond, athletic Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon and Denver Nuggets guard Will Barton, according to Haynes.
This report comes on the heels of LaVine’s rim-rocking teammate Andrew Wiggins telling ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne that he won’t be participating in the contest, even though the festivities are in his home town of sorts.
LaVine won last year’s Slam Dunk title fueled by his homage to the movie Space Jam and his jaw-dropping between-the-legs slams.
Drummond is enjoying an excellent season as denoted by his 2016 all-star selection. Most of his slams come in the context of him putting guys on posters, but he’s definitely got the hops to make something happen.
Gordon has been a known dunk artist since his high school days and his appearance in the competition could finally introduce him to a more wide-spread audience.
Barton is probably the least known player of the bunch, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have much in his bag of tricks. As a guard he likely will have an advantage over the likes of Drummond and Gordon since big guys don’t look as impressive. He’s a sneaky sleeper pick to win the contest.
