Ja Morant respects Fran Belibi’s dunk game.
The Stanford signee made history at Tuesday’s Powerade Jam Fest, becoming the first female dunker to win the high school dunk contest since Candace Parker took the title in 2004.
Belibi, a 6-foot-1 forward, wowed the fans and participants with a reverse dunk, an off-the-backboard jam and a dunk over a fellow All-American who was seated in a chair.
She won the contest with this dunk.
Yet, some fans watching the action unfold didn’t think Belibi’s dunks measured up with Scottie Lewis’ windmill over three people. Morant, though, chimed in to offer his defense of Belibi’s accomplishment.
Morant did ultimately say that Lewis’ dunk was better, but Belibi’s dunks were incredible given that she is just 6-foot-1 and breaking an athletic barrier. Lewis, on the other hand, is 6-foot-5.
There’s always going to be people who diminish a cool moment. But if you’re calling for the judges to not take Belibi being the first girl to dunk like that into account, then you’re missing exactly what made that moment special.
Morant knew that Belibi deserved respect right away.
