Joseph Jones responds to hype about ‘and-1’ dunk

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WTHS News

Shawanda Jones, Hi-Times Staff Writer

It’s on MaxPreps, USA Today, Yahoo News. Joseph Jones’ dunk has gone viral.

“I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, really,’” the Tupelo High School basketball player said about the hype surrounding his “and-1” slam dunk during the Dec. 9 game against Aberdeen.

With 4.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Jones put up the biggest dunk of the season for the Golden Wave against Bulldogs defender Malik Merhundrew. It was his second of the night, earning the shooting forward 11 points toward Tupelo’s 79-52 victory.

Fan reaction was “almost out of control,” THS Sports Information Director Braden Bishop said.

Bishop said the video, filmed by WTHS broadcast journalism student Benton Barber, has garnered 10,000 views on Vine and 891 hits on YouTube.

In addition to being picked up and/or tweeted by Yahoo News, USA Today and MaxPreps, the video has also been distributed by the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, WCBI, WTVA, The Clarion Ledger and various smaller social media accounts.

Some have called it the “dunk of the year.”

As for Jones?

“I try not to think about it and keep moving on and not get the big head,” the junior said, adding that he plans to “still work along with my team to get what to we’re looking for, and that’s going to Jackson this year.”