Basketball player Aaron Gordon was visibly frustrated. The Orlando Magic winger had lost the dunk competition again during the NBA All-Star weekend and, after losing to Miami pro Derrick Jones Jr. in a pouting manner, announced that he would no longer take part in the prestigious showdown.
“It’s over for me. I think I should have two trophies, you know? I’m done with that now,” said the 24-year-old on Saturday.
Gordon had already narrowly lost the most spectacular competition of the All-Star weekend in 2016 – against Zach LaVine. Now, even five times in Chicago, the top score of 50 was not enough for him. In the second jump-off, Jones scored a 48, and Gordon saw his chance: He showed an incredible jump over 2.26-meter-man tacko fall from the Boston Celtics, stuffed the ball into the basket, got only 47 points and lost.
“Come on. What are we doing here? I don’t even know which of the judges gave me the nine. I’ll find them,” Gordon said after the controversial decision.
The All-Star weekend in Chicago was also overshadowed by the tragic death of Kobe Bryant. In honor of the fatally injured superstar, the NBA announced that it would name the award for the best professional at the annual All-Star Game after Bryant.
NBA honors Kobe Bryant
“It seems very fitting because nobody stood for an all-star more than Kobe Bryant,” said League boss Adam Silver ahead of the match of the best professionals in the North American league on Sunday night. Bryant had 18 appearances in the NBA All-Star game. The legend of the Los Angeles Lakers was killed in a helicopter crash at the end of January with his daughter and seven other people.
During the show events, both Bryant and the former NBA commissioner David Stern, who died at the beginning of the year, had been commemorated several times. Bryant himself was voted best actor in the All-Star Game four times.