Iman Shumpert Becomes 1st NBA Player to Win Dancing with the Stars' Mirrorball Trophy
Former NBA champion Iman Shumpert and his partner Daniella Karagach won Monday's finale of Dancing with the Stars, with Shumpert becoming the first former NBA player to ever win the Mirrorball Trophy.
Shumpert and Karagach beat out JoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson. Cody Rigsby and Cheryl Burke finished third, while Amanda Kloots and Alan Bersten placed fourth. Host Tyra Banks said on the broadcast that it was a record number of votes for the finale.
With the show in its 30th season, Shumpert was the first former NBA player to advance to the final round. Past former NBA players who participated on the show include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Clyde Drexler, Lamar Odom, Metta World Peace, Charles Oakley, Derek Fisher and Rick Fox.
Shumpert and Karagach earned a perfect score with their first dance of the night, a cha-cha/fox trot fusion:
It was the duo's second perfect score of the season after earning a 40 in Week 6 following a breakout performance during "Horror Night."
During their final video package, Shumpert expressed gratitude to Karagach for her partnership, praising her for the freedom of her teaching style.
"I had a coach that didn't let us dunk, told us, 'Don't dunk the basketball on my team,'" Shumpert told Karagach. "You're the coach that says, 'Don't just dunk it, 360 it.' ... Everybody wants to play for that coach."
Karagach and Shumpert earned another perfect score from the judges on their final freestyle routine. Guest-judge Julianne Hough said it was "the best freestyle I've seen in 30 seasons" of Dancing with the Stars.
Shumpert's performance this season has earned him adulation from some of his former teammates. Carmelo Anthony, who Shumpert played with during his first four NBA seasons, appeared in a video compilation dedicated to the finalists and gave him words of encouragement.
Anthony was not Shumpert's only former teammate to show support:
Shumpert, a 2011 first-round pick by the New York Knicks, was a part of the Cleveland Cavaliers' 2016 championship team.
