A former player has gone from the top of the NBA to the top of the airwaves.
Ex-Cleveland Cavaliers swingman Iman Shumpert qualified for the finale of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” on Monday. Shams Charania of The Athletic notes that Shumpert becomes the first former NBA player to do so.
Shumpert, who is still only 31, played just last season for the Brooklyn Nets as a 10-day contract player. He won a championship with the Cavs in 2016. As for his bid on “Dancing With The Stars,” Shumpert went viral in previous rounds for his unique routines with partner Daniella Karagach. One such routine inspired by Jordan Peele’s film “Us” scored a perfect 40/40.
Former NBA players such as Charles Oakley, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have appeared on recent seasons of “Dancing with the Stars.” But none has ever come close to making the final round. A few years ago, however, a former athlete in a different sport managed to win it all.
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