Aaron Gordon Was Robbed and Deserves Two Dunk Contest Titles
Look, I didn’t expect to write a quick thing about the 2020 NBA Slam Dunk Contest either. But there was such an injustice last night. I have to be on the right side of history.
Aaron Gordon was not only robbed of the 2020 Dunk Contest title, but he was also robbed of the 2016 Dunk Contest title. That man deserves two Dunk Contest wins and yet, he was robbed of both.
I don’t ask for much as an Orlando Magic fan. But we haven’t had much to root for since 2009 and even that felt like a lost cause. It felt like we, at least, could have this. Our young, athletic star, Aaron Gordon, win a dunk contest. But no. The basketball gods stripped that from us, as well. (More accurately, Dwyane Wade stripped us of it. But that’s a whole different story.)
It was the best dunk contest I had ever seen until Gordon was robbed. Dwight Howard brought the Superman cape back twelve years later. White Men Can’t Jump was referenced. The greatest dunk of all-time happened!
He had a score of 50 for every dunk and then, he jumped over Tacko Fall, the league’s tallest player. And somehow got a 47? I can’t even say the name of the man who got it instead of him. Aaron Gordon deserved a 50 for that final dunk and he deserved the win, too. He was undeniably robbed. Shea Serrano said it best.
Maybe, this will light a fire under Aaron Gordon and he will go on such a tear in the second half of the season that the Magic will steamroll their way to an NBA championship.
Or maybe I am just a delusional fan, always teased, always chasing after the carrot. But I know what I saw with my eyes last night. I know what Aaron Gordon deserves.
