When it was announced that Iman Shumpert would be joining the cast of Dancing With The Stars for the show’s 30th season, it effectively ruled out playing NBA basketball for at least the first half of the season. After bouncing around following his time in New York and Cleveland, Shumpert was a free agent heading into the 2021-22 NBA season, and decided to pursue something other than basketball instead.
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After a slow start, Shumpert and his DWTS partner, professional dancer Daniella Karagach, hit their stride, receiving a rare perfect score just six weeks into the competition. Shumpert’s former teammate and Lakers’ great LeBron James showed his support for the hooper-turned-dancer and it became increasingly clear that the 2011 first-round pick might have a real shot at winning it all.
Fast forward to now, and both Shumpert and Karagach are one step away from doing just that. After turning in a rousing routine set to Kanye West’s “Dark Fantasy” during last night’s DWTS episode, it was announced that the pair would advance to the show’s final round.
In doing so, Shumpert became the first ex-NBA player to make it to the DWTS Finals. His wife, Teyana Taylor, tweeted that she was “so f*cking proud,” and in a recent interview with The Real, Shumpert compared the dancing advice he receives from Taylor, and from Karagach.
“Daniella will give me structure tips. This is the form, this is the point system. This is how, this is why,” he said. “Teyana gives me, ‘All right, you got your steps? Now sell it.'”
Shumpert also told The Real that he is absolutely trying to win the Dancing With The Stars championship, and the Mirrorball Trophy.
“I didn’t come on the show to lose,” he assured. “I think that’s another reason it’s exciting for me, ’cause at the end of the day, it’s a competition.”
What do you think of Shump advacing to the final round of DWTS? Let us know down in the comments.