SHARE Jordan, NBA D-League slum dunk winner at All-Star Weekend, plays for Raptors 905.

By Mark Travis

Move over Michael, there is a new Air Jordan in town.

John Jordan, whose aerial abilities made him a star during his four-year career at Texas A&M Corpus-Christi, earned international acclaim with his victory in the 2016 NBA D-League Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday.

The event was a part of the NBA All-Star Weekend festivities in Toronto, and Jordan won the competition representing the hometown Raptors 905, the D-League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors.

"It was awesome," Jordan said. "Being in Toronto and representing one of their teams, it was unbelievable. Things kind of lined up perfectly for me."

The point guard had been with Raptors 905 for 11 days before the competition. After going undrafted in the 2015 NBA D-League Draft, Jordan started the season with the Delaware 87ers and was waived in December. Jordan also spent time with the Erie BayHawks before they traded him to Raptors 905 on Feb. 2.

"It has been tricky at times, with all the moving around," Jordan said. "Every team plays different, so I have to find a new niche, but I feel like I am doing a good job adapting."

Jordan has played two games for Raptors 905, but his dunk contest performance boosted his notoriety north of the border. Dan Tolzman, general manager and director of player personnel for Raptors 905, said Jordan has the potential to contribute during the second half of the season.

"We've been very happy with John in the little bit of time that he's been with us so far," Tolzman said. "He's a pass-first PG who has a lot of toughness and is not afraid to get after it on the defensive end. Those are traits that will be very valuable to our roster."

Jordan, listed at 5 feet 10, is teammates with 7-5 Sim Bhullar, making for the D-League version of the Washington Bullets' former duo of Muggsy Bogues and Manute Bol. Jordan said he considered incorporating Bhullar in his dunk contest routine, but a scheduling conflict prevented it.

"It was crazy walking into the locker room and being teammates with him," Jordan said. "He's actually one of my closest friends on the team. He's a great guy. It would have been a tall task (to dunk over him), for sure."

As it turned out, Jordan didn't need any help to capture the crown, and receiving three perfect scores on his four dunks wasn't even the pinnacle of his weekend.

Some of the ancillary benefits of Jordan's dunk contest victory included chatting with Hall-of-Famer Isiah Thomas, attending Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon's legendary dunk duel Saturday night and, most importantly, being present for the NBA's ceremonious send-off for Kobe Bryant as he participated in his final All-Star Game before retirement.

"This whole experience has been crazy," Jordan said. "Kobe is my favorite player. Getting the chance to see him play in his final All-Star Game is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I will never forget that."

After soaring to new heights in the dunk contest, Jordan sets his sights on an even loftier goal: Earning an NBA contract.

Although it is the most difficult challenge of his career, Jordan knows a thing or two about leaping for the stars.

"I think I'm on the right track," Jordan said. "I'm with a great organization and I have faith in myself. The sky is the limit for me as long as I work hard."