Advertisement

Zion Williamson: High school basketball phenom wins dunk-off

By Alex Butler

March 27 (UPI) -- High school basketball phenom Zion Williamson won the 2018 McDonald's All-American Dunk Contest with a flurry of high-flying antics.

The 6-foot-7 Duke commit took flight Monday night at Morehouse College's Forbes Arena in Atlanta, Ga. Williamson, 17, is the No. 2 player out of all high school basketball recruits in the class of 2018, according to the ESPN100.

Advertisement

He competed against Nassir Little, Olivia Nelson-Odoba, Jahvon Quinerly, Devon Dotson, Darius Garland, Keldon Johnson and Quintin Grimes.

Williamson - - who is already a viral dunking sensation with 1.4 million Instagram followers - - began his night by bouncing the ball under the rim and casually throwing down a one-handed 360-degree slam with his left hand.

He received all 10s for that forceful flush.

On his next dunk, Williamson threw the ball off of the right side of the backboard. He went up and caught the ball before putting it between his legs in midair and throwing it through tenet with his left hand.

He received a few 9s on that dunk.

Williamson's next slam was his most powerful. He ran in from beyond the 3-point line before jumping up in the pain. He corked the basketball way back with his right hand before slamming it over the rim.

Advertisement

The 10s came back for that attempt.

Williamson attempted a nasty 360-degree one-handed slam on his next attempt, before just deciding to throw down a reverse dunk. His previous dunks were good enough to earn him top prize at the event.

Previous winners of the high school dunk competition include: LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan, Carmelo Anthony, Baron Davis, Vince Carter, Jerry Stackhouse and Blake Griffin, among other high-risers.

The Spartanburg Day School senior heads to Durham, N.C. this fall as part of the top recruiting class for 2018, which includes R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish.

"The atmosphere was crazy," Williamson said at the dunk contest, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "When I was out there dunking, everybody wanted to stand up for some reason. I love crowds like that."

The 2018 McDonald's All-American boys game will take place Wednesday at Philips Arena in Atlanta.

Advertisement

Latest Headlines