Gateway Charter forward reflects on City of Palms Dunk Contest win

Gateway Charter senior forward Pat Johnson set the tone early in the City of Palms Dunk Contest by breaking out the windmill dunk as the first dunk.

“I’ll put the best dunks first,” Johnson said.

“(Pat) said Coach I think I got to do my best right out of the gate,” Gateway Charter boys’ basketball head coach RJ Jones recalled. “And I said absolutely you got to get to the finals and we’ll figure out the rest.”

That strategy worked as Johnson was crowned champion of the City of Palms Dunk Contest.

Johnson said, “I think it’s just mind blowing honestly. Didn’t think I could do it but I did.”

The senior loves being creative with his dunks and that showed in the contest.

“The 360 windmill that was just something easy honestly,” Johnson said. “I do that a lot and then I tried to jump over I tried to jump over two people I missed one of them. But then I redid it and I got it.”

Jones said it took convincing for Johnson to put his name in the contest but he’s proud of him for doing it.

“Once he did it, I think it was good to have a little confidence in himself that he belonged,” Jones said.

With the win, Johnson puts his name in history as third Southwest Florida player to win the Dunk Contest, the first since 2009.

“I feel like there’s a lot more eyes on me and people get to know my name more,” Johnson said.