Zach LaVine wins NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest

With the greatest Slam Dunk Contest performance since Vince Carter, Zach LaVine has won the 2015 NBA Sprite Slam Dunk Contest.

LaVine put on an incredible four-dunk performance, leaving little doubt after his first attempt that he'd be walking out with the crown. Many expected Saturday night to be LaVine's coronation as the league's new dunk overlord, and he didn't disappoint. The 19-year-old can fly like no other.

With the event taking place at Barclays Center, it was hometown Brooklyn Nets center Mason Plumlee starting things off in the first round. Giannis Antetokounmpo followed, surrounded by Greek goddesses and an enormous Greece flag. Victor Oladipo was next, and entered singing "New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra, complete with tuxedo top and hat. That left LaVine, the night's most anticipated dunker, to close the round out in a Tune Squad jersey with the "Space Jam" theme playing.

The sequence of dunks for the entire first round were as follows:

• PLUMLEE, 40: Former Duke teammate Kyrie Irving throws off the side of the backboard for Plumlee, who delivers a two-handed reverse.
• ANTETOKOUNMPO, 30: Throws a self-alley-oop from a ridiculous distance looking for an enormous one-handed spike, but fails all three attempts.
• OLADIPO, 50: Drove baseline and delivered a two-handed 540-degree dunk, the first in dunk contest history.
• LaVINE, 50: Throws a self-alley-oop and has to duck his head under the rim as he goes through the legs for a sick reverse.
• ANTETOKOUNMPO, 35: Brings brother Thanasis out to hand off a pass for a two-handed reverse pump, with the pair taking a selfie after.
• PLUMLEE, 36: Brings 6-foot-11 brother Miles out to stand at the restricted area line, dunking over him with a one-handed jam, though he did need a bit of a hand on his brother's back to do so.
• OLADIPO, 39: After Hakeem Olajuwon signs the ball, teammate Elfrid Payton throws Oladipo an alley-oop off the side of the backboard, but Oladipo doesn't quite finish the 360-jam as cleanly as he would have liked.
• LaVINE, 50: Throws a self alley-oop and then goes behind the back with his face at the rim. Oladipo's reaction told the story on this one:

That made for a Oladipo-LaVine final, which didn't disappoint, even if it was tough to measure up to the ridiculous opening round. Once again, here is the sequence of final-round dunks:

• OLADIPO, 31: Payton sits in a chair at the top of the restricted area, providing a pedestal for the ball. Oladipo sails over Payton and grabs the ball, going through his legs but getting stuffed by the rim on all three attempts.
• LaVINE, 45: Teammate Andrew Wiggins stands near the baseline holding the ball out at head height, and LaVine goes through the legs for the left-handed jam.
• OLADIPO, 41: After failing on a few tries at what appeared to be a self-alley-oop, rock-the-cradle 360, Oladipo took a Payton pass off the back of the backboard for an impressive windmill.
• LaVINE, 49: Taking a pass off of the stanchion from teammate Shabazz Muhammad, LaVine went through the legs for an emphatic dunk that hit him on the way down.

LaVine scored two perfect 50s in four tries, finishing with 194 of a possible 200 total points. Even the one 45 he scored was probably a 50 in other years, but LaVine's first two dunks set the bar too damn high for a great-not-unbelievable dunk to clear. It was a thoroughly dominant display.

LaVine entered the event as a very heavy favorite, both in the minds of oddsmakers and fans who voted ahead of the event. So, yeah, everybody knew, but that didn't make it any less unbelievable.

The NBA switched back to a traditional format this season, ditching last year's ill-fated East vs. West set-up with a fan-voted winner. Instead, the contest saw each of the four dunkers throwing down twice, with a panel of judges deciding which two moved forward. In the finals, judges determined the winner rather than a fan vote. The contest was judged by New York basketball icons Bernard King, Chris Mullin, Nate "Tiny" Archibald, Walt Frazier and Julius "Dr. J." Erving.