Watch: LJ Figueroa touches the sky with an insane putback dunk
LJ Figueroa recently made himself known to the world after an impressive putback dunk that rocked the entire arena during the LA Lakers' Summer League game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The dunk was so good that the Lakers' bench had to get up from their seats to enjoy the moment.
The California team played their final contest for the Summer League games in Las Vegas. They finished the tournament in Nevada with two wins and two losses, with impressive minutes coming from their young stars. One of the highlight plays that stood out for Lakers fans was the putback dunk.
Watch the video below to see Figueroa elevate for the slam:
THIS LJ FIGUEROA PUTBACK 😨
(via @NBATV)
https://t.co/2xBSTJzwFR
The 6-foot-6 forward woke up the crowd with his thunderous dunk. With that move, he earned his moment of fame, which could be beneficial as he tries to make his way to the league.
Unfortunately, the Lakers lost against the Grizzlies on the night. Memphis took the chance to win the game by a large margin, ending with a score of 100-69. Jake LaVaria and David Roddy had 20 and 21 points, respectively. The duo led the Grizzlies to the win against LA.
For the Lakers, LJ Figueroa finished the game with 15 points off the bench, as he tried to help the team to mount a comeback. Notably, Max Cristie and Scotty Pippen Jr. didn't play in the final game for them in Las Vegas.
Also read: "That dude is a superhuman" - Lakers' newest sensation is nonchalant about LeBron James' ESPYs announcement
Looking at LJ Figueroa's college career with 3 different schools
Like most players who showed up in the Summer League this year, LJ Figueroa is hopeful to be given a contract by a team for next season. His journey to the NBA hasn't been easy and he's been working hard to achieve his dreams.
In college, Figueroa attended three different schools to help him develop his skills. First, he went to Odessa College, where he spent his freshman season. The forward had great numbers, averaging 21.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 48.2% from beyond the arc.
The next season, he transferred to St. John's and continued to develop his skills on the court. However, his numbers suffered a lot after his transfer as he averaged 14.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 1.7 APG.
He then transferred once again to continue his junior year at Oregon. During that season, his numbers roughly stayed the same, averaging 14.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 2.1 APG.
Even with decent numbers on the hardwood, it wasn't enough for him to get scouted by a team. In 2020, LJ Figueroa declared for the draft but would end up getting undrafted.
He later went back to college to finish his senior year.