Derrick Jones Jr. flying high
The Slam Dunk Contest presents the creativity and athletic ability of the NBA league´s best and youngest dunkers. After each dunk, the competitors are awarded with points up to 10 from five different judges. “The NBA Slam Dunk Contest is the most anticipated and visible event during All-Star Weekend,” says Evan Olesh, Head of Basketball and Sports Marketing @ PUMA, “everyone is watching.”
The final duel between Jones Jr. from the Miami Heat and Aaron Gordon from the Orlando Magic was predictably tight, with both competitors reaching the maximum number of 50 points. In the deciding round, Jones Jr. made history with his windmill-dunk, taking off at the zone border before rising up to the basket, then sinking the ball. The judge honored him with 48 points, making the 23-year-old professional basketball player the official winner of the contest.
To have our first ever NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion is an incredible accomplishment for the brand and the basketball business unit. It brings a lot of awareness and brand heat to PUMA Hoops! Derrick is hands down the best dunker in the league right now and we hope he will defend his title next year.
Evan Olesh, Head of Basketball and Sports Marketing @ PUMA
The National Basketball Association All-Star Weekend is a weekend festival which consists of different basketball events, performances, and exhibitions. The annually event is held one weekend in February during the regular NBA season and peaks with its highlight, the NBA All-Star Game. The festivities also offer some interactive basketball activities for the fans.
Derrick Jones Jr.
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an
A rising star
Derrick is a professional basketball player for the Miami Heat. Leading up to his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he played one season of college basketball for the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, joining the Phoenix Suns in 2016. Jones appeared in 38 games with Phoenix over two seasons, averaging 4.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 15.2 minutes.
Derrick has also been named the Southeastern Pennsylvania Player of the Year, the Delaware County Player of the Year, the PIAA Triple-A Player of the Year, and was selected first-team All-Catholic League.
Prior to his impressive college and young professional career, he scored 1,645 points in his high school b-ball career, collecting 1,029 rebounds and blocking 268 shots. This made him the highest scorer in school history.
