LOS ANGELES, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell beat the Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr., winning the Slam Dunk Contest of 2018 NBA All-Star Saturday night at Staple Center.
Mitchell wasn't even supposed to be in the competition, he was placed into the event less than two weeks ago following a hip injury to Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon.
He won the first 50 points of the Saturday's contest in the first round by bringing out his sister, comedian Kevin Hart, and a child to leap over and completed an impressive one-handed slam.
In the final round, Mitchell's first dunk got his second 50 points of the night, while Nance Jr. who was traded to the Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers at the deadline this month, scored 46 points.
Then the two player started their tribute game.
Mitchell, wearing to a Vince Carter Raptors jersey for a homage on his final dunk, completed Carter's 360 windmill dunk and celebrated it with the "it's over" pose Carter used in 2000.
Nance Jr. changed into the Phoenix Suns jersey that his father Larry Sr. was wearing when he won the inaugural contest in 1984 and finished a double-tap off the backboard.
Nance Jr. took 50 pints on his final dunk, but Mitchel's 48 points locked the final winner position.
"Growing up I was a big dunker. I wasn't really much of a basketball player. I just dunked and played defense, and I watched a lot of Vince's videos. I've been seeing what he's been doing all year at his age, which is incredible," Mitchel said of his final dunk after the show.
