Justin Melton’s blindfolded dunk attempt tribute to Baron Davis
PUERTO, PRINCESA, Philippines — Justin Melton can do a lot with his ridiculous hops, but pulling off a windmill dunk from the free throw line with a blindfold on certainly is not one of them.
He knows it’s ambitious, but he did it anyway for the fans.
“You know it worked out a lot better in my head, I nailed it in my head but when I attempted it, it didn’t go so well,” Melton playfully told INQUIRER.net. “I was close. I was a little close but I don’t know man, maybe next year.”
“Yeah I did. I nailed it every time. Maybe the crowd and the pressure got to me. Every time, I’ve done it before from the free throw line, with no shoes on,” added Melton jokingly.
Kidding aside, though, the 5-foot-9 Melton, a fan-favorite with his electrifying plays, said “having fun” has always been his approach.
“I told Joe, ‘man if I don’t get my first two attempts, forget it, let’s just have fun with it,'” Melton said, referring to his good friend and Purefoods Hotshots teammate Joe Devance.
Devance, like Melton, played it well too, acting like a coach–and the crowd bought into it.
Melton, who shared the slam dunk trophy with Rey Guevarra last year, actually missed his first three attempts before waving the white flag on his opening round dunk and opting to reach for the moon.
READ: Guevarra soars to PBA Slam Dunk title even with one healthy leg
“That’s what happened and we still had fun. There was still good competition and it was for the fans, that’s all it is,” said the 27-year-old Melton.
Melton said he “never actually tried that dunk before” and he got that idea upon seeing former NBA star Baron Davis do it before on YouTube.
“It was a salute to Baron Davis.”
The funny thing is, Davis may even be the one to stumble upon Melton’s dunk instead now that is has gone viral.
