Dwyane Wade has received plenty of criticism for the way the 2020 NBA Dunk Contest concluded, but he insists he's not the only one to blame for Aaron Gordon's final score. In case you missed it, the Dunk Contest ended in controversy when Wade, Scottie Pippen and actor Chadwick Boseman all gave Gordon a '9' for his final dunk over 7'5 center Tacko Fall, resulting in a win for Derrick Jones Jr.
Wade, who was clearly favoring his former Miami Heat teammate, was promptly bombarded with nasty messages from disgruntled fans who felt he personally robbed Gordon of his first Dunk Contest crown. Check out the video embedded below to listen to D-Wade's thoughts about all of the hate he has received.
According to a report by ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Malika Andrews, the five judges had agreed to give Gordon a total score of 48, which would have tied him with Derrick Jones Jr. in the dunk-off. However, it appears that someone (Wade) went rogue, and Gordon ended up with a 47 as a result.
"We thought it was going to be tied. We were like, 'This is a tie!'" Common told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne."But somebody didn't do it right. I don't know who it is."
Needless to say, Gordon was just as frustrated as the fans after he delivered five, perfect 50 dunks in a row only to go home empty handed. "I did four straight 50s -- five straight 50s," Gordon said afterward, per ESPN. "That's over. It's a wrap. Let's go home. Four 50s in a row in an NBA dunk contest, it's over. But I don't know. Who's running the show?"
Dwyane Wade, Common Among The Five NBA Dunk Contest Judges
Chicago-natives Dwyane Wade and Common revealed as part of the crew of judges for the 2020 NBA Dunk Contest.
Future NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade will be in the building at the United Center on All Star Saturday night, and not just as a spectator. Wade, a Chicago-native, has been announced as one of the five judges for the 2020 NBA Dunk Contest, joining fellow Chicago kid Common, former Chicago Bulls star and Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, Los Angeles Sparks' forward Candace Parker, and actor Chadwick Boseman.
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Though D-Wade never competed in the NBA Dunk Contest during his career, this won't be the first time that he'll be involved in the event. Last year, in his final season as an NBA player, Wade was brought out as a prop for New York Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr, who windmilled an alley-oop over the Heat legend for a perfect 50.
As is tradition, the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest will cap off the festivities on All Star Saturday night, following the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest. Competing in this year's event is Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon, Miami Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr., and Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton.
Howard is the only former champion of the bunch, but both Gordon and Jones Jr. have experience in the dunk contest. According to Bovada, Gordon is a slight favorite to take home the crown this year with odds of +125, followed by Jones Jr. (+150), Connaughton (+45) and Howard (+500).
