Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Hamidou Diallo literally took NBA All-Star Saturday Night to new heights when he leapt over the giant frame of Shaquille O’Neal on his way to victory in the Slam Dunk contest.
NBA legend Shaq stands 7ft 1in (2.16m) tall, but that mattered little to Diallo as he soared over him before sinking a gravity-defying elbow dunk.
Shaq had his head lowered slightly, but it was still an incredible feat by the 20-year-old, who followed it up by hanging from the rim and fittingly revealing a Superman logo underneath his Thunder jersey.
It was the highlight of the night and helped Diallo seal the Slam Dunk title, ahead of the New York Knicks’ Dennis Smith Jr.
Diallo also sensationally scaled rapper Quavo on his way to the title.
In the highly-anticipated 3-point showdown, Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry was edged out by the Brooklyn Nets’ Joe Harris.
After Curry led the way in the first round with some incredible shots, Harris took over in the decisive round, ending with 26 points to Curry’s 24.
Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics claimed the Skills Challenge title, seeing off Atlanta rookie Trae Young in the final. Tatum incredibly sank his contest-winning shot from midcourt.
The attention at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, will now turn to Sunday’s All-Star Game.
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