During his short time in Durham, Cassius Stanley dazzled Blue Devil fans with his jaw-dropping athleticism and highlight-reel dunks. Now, he'll have a chance to show off that flair for the spectacular on NBA All-Star weekend.
According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Stanley is expected to participate in the Slam Dunk contest, which is scheduled to take place March 7. The Los Angeles native, who has been splitting time between the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the G-League and the Indiana Pacers during his rookie campaign, will be on the primetime stage for the first time as a professional in Atlanta.
For close observers of Duke, this should come as no surprise. Stanley made waves before he even took the court as a Blue Devil, as the then-freshman broke the program record for the vertical leap—which was previously held by Zion Williamson at 45 inches—in September 2019.
Once the season tipped off, Stanley wasted no time in showing that his athleticism translated to college basketball, with a never-ending list of impressive slams to boot.
Even last summer, the 21-year-old guard was turning heads on Twitter—including two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokuonmpo, whose shoes Stanley was wearing—after sending home an under-the-legs jam during an apparent workout.
While the list of competitors is not yet finalized, basketball fans are sure to get some entertainment in the form of Stanley putting his hops on full display.
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Max Rego is a Trinity senior and an associate sports editor for The Chronicle's 118th volume. He was previously sports managing editor for Volume 117.