NEW YORK — He invoked Space Jam, then leaped to another galaxy. Minnesota Timberwolves rookie ZachLaVine stunned the Barclays Center crowd in running away with the slam dunk contest at All-Star Saturday.
He beat Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo in the finals, as Oladipo stalled out after a 540-degree spin on his first dunk.
LaVine never stopped. He was dominant at a level rarely seen in dunk contests.
"I'm still on cloud nine. I feel like I'm dreaming," LaVine said. "Seeing all the dunk contests and people hoisting the trophy, I just saw myself do it and lived it. So it's a dream come true. I'm glad my family is here to witness it and go through it."
He wore a "Tune Squad" Michael Jordan jersey for his first dunk, a reverse between the legs in which he switched his hands. Then he topped that with a behind-the-back windmill on his second to advance to the finals with a perfect score.
His finals showing was by comparison standard fare. He threw down with the help of fellow T'wolves rookie Andrew Wiggins on the first, drawing 9s from the five judges. Then he closed with an off-the-support beam slam that earned a 49 to close things out.
LaVine, drafted 13th overall last June, also scored 22 points in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night, where Wiggins was the MVP. The former UCLA standout turned heads in the draft process with his athleticism and widely was regarded as the favorite entering the event.
With all due respect to Victor Oladipo, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Mason Plumlee, there was only one player in the dunk contest that had any chance of winning. From his very first dunk through to the final, 19-year-old Zach LaVine stunned the crowd inside the Barclays Center and ran away with the competition.
For his first dunk, a perfect 50, LaVine tossed the ball up to himself from the arc, soared through the air and put the ball through his leg for a reverse.