What happens when a team allowing the NBA’s second most dunks goes head-to-head against a walking highlight boasting a 49-inch vertical? As confirmed by Shaedon Sharpe on February 26, 2025, the type of play that some have considered a “Dunk of the Year” candidate. Unwilling to even allow the Washington Wizards a single pass before amending a teammate’s turnover, Portland’s budding third-year star interrupts his opponent’s fastbreak plans, telegraphing a pass with his momentum already rolling towards the rim. In a poster jam powerful enough to command a “get well soon” card thereafter, Sharpe teleports skyward, extending into a vicious one-handed flush that balloons the Blazers’ lead in the second quarter. Not far removed from producing 2024-25’s highest leap — 45.1 inches during an early-December game, according to the NBA’s official “Dunk Score” statistics — Sharpe’s flush against Washington encouraged hold of four of this season’s five top spots. In a performance that held equal argument as a breakout-type game, Sharpe starred in the Portland Trail Blazers’ win, leading the charge with 36 points (on 13-of-26 shooting), eight rebounds, five assists, one steal, one block, and three 3-pointers. · Feb 27, 2025