Technology fails Gordon
He incorporated a drone in his creative dunk performance
NEW ORLEANS — Aaron Gordon promised reporters that his dunk contest performance would be “innovative” and “technology oriented” during his Friday media availability. He lived up to his promise, bringing out a drone for his first dunk of the night.
But the Silicon Valley inspired show by the San Jose native spluttered out after a failed attempt at a between the legs dunk with the drone that ultimately cost him the contest.
“I was just going to be real creative, real innovative,” Gordon said after the competition. “It would’ve been nice to do all my dunks but it didn’t happen.”
It took Gordon four attempts to finish the drone dunk. He received only 38 out of a possible 50 points for it from judges Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, Chris Webber, Dominique Wilkins and David Robinson.
The now 21-year-old got his start dunking back on the playgrounds in San Jose.
“As far back as elementary school, I loved dunking. I’d always see my older brother Drew dunk so I wanted to do it too,” Gordon wrote in a blog post before the game. “I could always dunk of 7- or 8-foot rims, no problem. But what I really wanted to do was dunk on a 10-foot rim.”
He continued saying that one day while playing for Union Middle School, a 12year-old Gordon decided to try dunking during an open gym. He missed, but he hit the back rim and eventually, he starting making it.
Last year, Gordon soared onto the dunk radar by leaping over the Magic’s mascot, Stuff, who was holding the ball up for him, passed the ball under his bottom and into his left hand for the one-handed slam. But much to the disappointment of fans, the dunk received only nines and resulted in a loss to Zach LaVine.
Gordon was supposed to wow the crowd with his technology-based performance in 2017 and avenge last year’s narrow loss to LaVine. He was the heavy favorite to take home the title over the Los Angeles Clippers DeAndre Jordan, Phoenix Suns Derrick Jones Jr. and Indiana Pacers’ Glenn Robinson III.
He was supposed to use the drone in more than one dunk. His mother, father and sister came to support him and they posed for photos before the events started. Instead, Gordon was eliminated in the first round and Robinson took home the 2017 All Star Slam Dunk title. After taking only a minute worth of questions from media members, Gordon left.
Later, Gordon told Sports Illustrated’s Ben Golliver this would be his last dunk competition.