Slam Dunk Contest 2016: Full Highlights (Video)

Zach LaVine defended his championship in one of the best dunk contests ever, to win the 2016 Slam Dunk Contest.

It was a thrilling night at NBA All-Star Saturday Night, which was capped off by an exciting Slam Dunk Contest between by Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine, Denver Nuggets guard Will Barton, Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond and Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon. LaVine came into the contest as the defending champion and his goal was to defend his crown.

Barton would go first and had quite the intro, as he copied the music video for Michael Jackson’s Thriller. He went through the legs and slammed home a dunk backwards on the hoop. It was a safe dunk, but it was a good dunk.

Barton was given a 44 for his first dunk and it was a good dunk to get the 2016 contest started. Drummond would follow Barton.

Drummond would try to lob the ball of the ground to himself from the corner behind the hoop and go between his legs for a backwards one-handed slam, but his missed his first couple drives. He then shortened it and went for a lob to a backwards one-handed slam at the front of the rim. Drummond was given a 36 for his efforts.

Gordon would be the next one to dunk and his dunk closely resembled the others, as he went through his legs followed by a behind-the-head one-handed slam. Gordon would be awarded a 45 on his dunk.

The defending slam dunk champ LaVine would then enter the floor and would garner a 50 on his very first dunk by lobbing the ball off the ground to himself and going behind his back and then up for the slam.

The dunk was so powerful that his teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins went crazy after the huge slam.

Then began the next portion of the dunk contest with the dunkers using the assist of another player to help them. Drummond had a throwback to 2005, when he brought out former Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash to kick a lob up to him soccer-style for the slam.

Drummond couldn’t quite get it on the first try and received a 39 for his second dunk.

Nerves would get to Barton, as he missed several dunk opportunities and would be awarded a 30 on his next dunk. However, Gordon would them come out and wow the audience. Gordon brought out the Magic’s mascot, Stuff the Magic Dragon, who was on a hoverboard and grabbed the basketball off the top of his head, went through his leg and dunked over Stuff.

He was given a 49.

The crowd booed as Shaquille O’Neal was the only one that didn’t give Gordon a 10 on the dunk. Next up would be LaVine, who would wow the crowd again, as he took off from the free-throw line and slammed home a lob from Andre Miller.

Just like Gordon, O’Neal was the only one not to give LaVine a 10 for his gigantic take-off slam. The finals would be set and it would come down to Gordon and LaVine.

Gordon would bring back the Magic’s mascot out on the hoverboard and this time it was better than the first time. Stuff would begin spinning around on the hoverboard and Gordon timed Stuff’s spin and would throw down a spinning one-handed dunk with his hand behind his head.

The dunk brought everyone to their feet and was awarded a 50. Suddenly, LaVine’s title hopes looked in jeopardy, but he followed it with a 50 of his own.

Gordon would cap off his final dunk with a 50 in epic fashion.

Just when it looked like Gordon wrapped it up with his two 50’s, LaVine took off from the free-throw line again and threw down a vicious windmill slam.

With each men tied with perfect scores. It went to overtime in the dunk contest, as both men would throw down more epic dunks. As things would go, both men would score a 50 on their overtimes dunk. They went to a second overtime of dunks.

After Gordon went with a safe dunk in the double overtime, LaVine won the contest on a big between-the-legs slam from near the free-throw line.

It was quite possibly the greatest dunk contest in history, as LaVine successfully defended his championship and won the 2016 slam dunk contest.