Summer in the City: SLAM Summer Showcase Vol. 1 Recap

3 of 3

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 18: Cassius Stanley #0 of Team Stanley encourages his teammates against Team Ramsey during the SLAM Summer Classic 2018 at Dyckman Park on August 18, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Cassius Stanley, Team Stanley #0 (#28 Class of 2019)

Another West Coast stud, Stanely was the perfect showmen and a crowd favorite — his high-flying dunks became social media gold in the blink of an eye. Stanley didn’t fail to live up to the hype as he slammed home 360 dunks, windmill dunks, alley-oop dunks, and between the legs dunks. It was no surprise to learn that Stanley took home the crown at the slam dunk contest the night before — Jalen Green was the runner-up.

At the game’s end Stanley was showered with applause as it was announced that the game took place on his birthday. The birthday boy was also awarded a nickname from the MC, “Top Floor”. Captain of Team Stanley, he left NYC as dunk contest champion with a game-high, 21 points, thanks to his aerial acrobatics.

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 18: James Wiseman #23 of Team Ramsey warms up before the game against Team Stanley during the SLAM Summer Classic 2018 at Dyckman Park on August 18, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

James Wiseman, Team Ramsey #23 (#1 Class of 2019)

All-Star games and showcase events are often guard-dominated. With the uptempo play and isolation-heavy offense it’s hard for big men to get involved most times. Yet, Wiseman had no issue making his presence felt on the floor. Wiseman chipped in a team-high 19 points for Team Ramsey.

His putback dunk as the 1 Train passed by in the background was definitely his signature moment, but the play that stuck out for me was when he blocked Kyree Walker’s dunk attempt on a fast break. The two had some friendly trash talk afterwards, but it definitely stuck out because it was the only time a player challenged a dunk all afternoon.

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 18: Kyree Walker #23 of Team Stanley looks on during the SLAM Summer Classic 2018 at Dyckman Park on August 18, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Kyree Walker, Team Stanley #23 (#11 Class of 2020)

No player had more fun than Kyree Walker. He had just come off making his Dyckman debut two days earlier — a debut so good that he ended up tossing his game-worn sneakers into the crowd afterwards. Walker is a true assassin on the court and you can tell it from his resting Mamba-scowl facial expression. After every highlight his eyes get wide, he puffs his chest out and just gives off a “you can’t stop me” air of self-confidence.

As mentioned above, he and Wiseman had some banter with each other, but Walker was talking to anyone on Team Ramsey that had the time to listen. Hampton and Josh Christopher argued over a foul call and as Hampton shot his free throws, Walker could be heard in the back yelling “Guard him for real then Josh!”

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 18: Jalen Green #4 of Team Stanley and Sharife Cooper #2 of Team Ramsey stand on the court during the SLAM Summer Classic 2018 at Dyckman Park on August 18, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Sharife Cooper, Team Ramsey #2 (#23 Class of 2020)

One of the smallest players in the game, Sharife Cooper capped off an impressive summer by giving the fans a jolt of energy at Dyckman. Cooper’s jitterbug style of play saw him weave his way into the lane at will and if the defense left him open behind the arc he was certain to drill the 3-pointer.

Next. The story of Kawhi and Mr. DeRozan. dark

Cooper let his game do much of the talking for him at the SLAM Summer Showcase Vol. 1. and it spoke volumes. Outside of Cassius Stanley, Cooper is the one player who is likely to have his ranking drastically change heading into the fall.