The Lewd Family [Uncut]NBA Slam Dunk contest is a rare beast that regularly makes the leap from sports spectacle to full-on topic of pop-culture watercooler exaltation.
Back-to-back winner Zach LaVine (remember his Space Jamdunk two years ago?) is out this year with injury, leaving his high-flying rival Aaron Gordon and serial posterizer DeAndre Jordan to headline Saturday's field.
But the name you reallyneed to know is one you might never have heard before.
SEE ALSO: How Aaron Gordon and Zach LaVine dunked their way into the 'NBA 2K17' video gameWhen this year's dunk contest field was announced, hardcore hoop-heads immediately zeroed in on neither Gordon nor Jordan, but Derrick Jones Jr.
Jones is a Phoenix Suns rookie who only turns 20 this Wednesday. His stats this season -- six total games played, and five total points scored as of this writing -- are unimpressive. But in basketball circles, online clips of the 6-foot-7 wing's aerial exploits have attracted gawkers and admirers since he was in high school.
A quick tour of Jones' internet dunking catalog is as edifying as it is jaw-dropping, so let's take take a spin.
We'll start with an NBA Development League game last December. That's when Jones threw down one of 2016's most impressive dunks regardless of league or level -- a one-handed alley-oop catch-and-slam while knocking a defender to the ground. Look at this screen-grab. This is where he caught the pass!!
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable And here's the entire thing.
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Here's a compilation of Jones' best D-League dunks this season.
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Destroying defenders with slams and winning a dunk contest are two different propositions, however -- the former relies more on raw power and leaping ability, while the latter requires a combination of precision and creativity. So maybe Jones is just a good in-game dunker?
Nahhh. Here he is nonchalantly executing a 360-windmill during warmups before a recent Suns game.
.... get ready for a show. #AirplaneMode ✈️ pic.twitter.com/oTSEYCsLSf
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 14, 2017
Earlier, meanwhile, we mentioned that Jones' dunking ability has been a hot topic among basketball fans since he was in high school. Let's revisit that.
Below is a two-minute video from 2015 of Jones absolutely abusing rims. He dunks while looking downat the hoop. He goes through the legs off the backboard then dunks. He dunks after putting the ball around his back in mid-air. He dunks off one leg and he dunks off two legs. He dunks over defenders and pulls off crazy tricks just for kicks. Take a look.
And thus concludes our public service announcement, dear reader. Derrick Jones -- learn the name now, because after Saturday's dunk contest, it will be everywhere.
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