Shaedon Sharpe has built a reputation as one of the NBA's most electrifying dunkers since being drafted seventh overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2022. But on Wednesday night, he took it to a whole new level—literally.
Sharpe threw down a ferocious one-handed slam over Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie, instantly hailed as one of the season’s best dunks. The 21-year-old called it the greatest dunk of his career, and it was part of a career-best performance in Portland’s 129-121 win.
Portland coach Chauncey Billups was left stunned by the play.
"I just started laughing, like, 'Wow, man. Poor kid up under him,'" Billups said. "That was pretty incredible."
Sharpe didn’t just dominate the highlight reel—he led the Trail Blazers with a career-high 36 points, shooting 13 of 26 from the field and hitting 7 of 10 free throws, including four crucial makes down the stretch. He also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists in 33 minutes.
The moment of the night came from Sharpe’s quick hands on defense. He intercepted a pass beyond the three-point line, took one dribble, and soared into the paint, launching so high that even his teammates were in awe.
"I don't know where he got it from," said Blazers forward Deni Avdija. "I asked him on the bench, 'If I work as hard as I can, will I be able to jump like you?' I don't know, it's just genes."
The dunk was so powerful that Sharpe briefly crashed to the floor after flushing it through the net.
"I saw the guy in the way," Sharpe said. "So I just jumped and tried to dunk it. And it went in."
Billups praised Sharpe’s all-around performance, calling his offensive display "incredible" and highlighting his defensive contributions and rebounding.
"On all three levels, he was incredible the entire time," Billups said. "And his rebounding—he got some really, really big rebounds for us."
With this jaw-dropping dunk and career-best outing, Sharpe made it clear he’s more than just a high-flyer—he’s a rising star in Portland.
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