VIDEO: UCLA’s Norman Powell Dunks Over Larry Drew II In Pauley Opening Madness

UCLA basketball opened up New Pauley to students in a festival filled with laughs, entertainment and silly dunks as a result of an all-in-good-fun dunk contest.

One of those silly dunks included UCLA combo guard Norman Powell’s not-so-silly display of athleticism, which saw him jump over his backcourt teammate Larry Drew II at the renovated Pauley Pavilion. Take a gander (via Chris Nguyen at the Daily Bruin):

We know, the whole dunk-over-a-player-shorter-than-you bit is getting old but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t take extreme athleticism to jump over any human being, especially when that human being is 6’2” and a starting guard for the UCLA basketball program.

The idea first originated from Nate Robinson’s 2006 dunk over the 5’6” Spud Webb in the 2006 NBA All-Star weekend dunk contest, and it was a stunt that essentially gave Robinson the contest. To put Powell’s dunk into perspective, Larry Drew II is eight inches taller.

Norman Powell’s athleticism has never been in question, though; the kid’s a freaking athlete, his deficiencies be damned, and given his ability to drive to the basket, it’d be nice to see him earn some dunks after he puts the ball on the floor during actual games.

The UCLA dunk contest, which saw Josh Smith and Travis Wear — yes, Travis Wear — also participate, was essentially anything but, with Powell’s display of his upper-tier hops taking the crown, without contention, as the best dunker in Westwood.