LOS ANGELES — Rookie Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz put on a show in the slam dunk contest to cap off NBA All-Star Saturday.
Mitchell edged Larry Nance Jr. by two points, sealing his victory with a close approximation of the 360-degree spin dunk that Vince Carter used to win the 2000 contest.
“I wanted this so badly,” Mitchell said. “This is one of my favorite events of All-Star weekend. To not only be in it, but to win it, it’s crazy.”
Before making his winning dunk, Mitchell peeled off his Jazz jersey and wore a vintage Carter jersey from the Toronto Raptors.
"Half man, half amazing!"
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2018
Is that Donovan Mitchell or Vince Carter?
Mitchell replicates the dunking legend and wins the #VerizonDunk Contest with this incredible hammer!#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/G4XxvLbgYl
Mitchell — three inches shorter than the 6-foot-6 Carter — needed a score of 47 to beat Nance, and he got a 48 from the five judges: DJ Khaled, Mark Wahlberg, Chris Rock and Hall of Famers Julius Erving and Lisa Leslie.
Nance, who was trying to win the contest 34 years after his father won it, had earned a perfect 50 with a dunk off a double alley-oop off the glass.
Mitchell advanced to the finals with a creative dunk in the first round that used his sister, Jordan, as well as Kevin Hart and the comedian’s son as props. For that dunk, Mitchell wore a Darrell Griffith Jazz jersey. Griffith participated in the first slam dunk contest in 1984.
The hype-up, the bounce, the power!
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2018
📽️ Donovan Mitchell puts on a show in LA on #PhantomCam!#VerizonDunk pic.twitter.com/KZInG4Ne21
“I appreciate Kevin Hart coming out there and helping me out,” Mitchel said. “He’s my favorite comedian.”