Iman Shumpert just became the first ex-NBA player to make it to the finals of “Dancing With The Stars” in the show’s 30 seasons.
On Monday night (Nov. 15), the former Brooklyn Nets player and his partner Daniella Karagach received a 38 out of 40 for their jazz routine to Kanye West’s “Dark Fantasy.” Following the show, Shumpert spoke to reporters about how he felt making it to the finals. “I kinda invite pressure. It makes for a better moment, and apparently, we are the ‘moment makers’ – Tyra [Banks] gave us that name,” he said. “I think we just sort of lean on doing choreo that is challenging.”
He added, “I came on this show to take on a challenge, and this is something that I’ve never done, and it’s been a lot of fun. The whole journey through it, so we are just gonna keep rolling with that.” Shumpert also said that he hopes his accomplishments on the show will encourage other NBA stars to join “Dancing With The Stars” in the future.
Teyana Taylor, Shumpert’s wife of five years, took to Twitter to celebrate her husband’s victory. “I’m so fucking proud!!!” she tweeted, alongside several crying emojis. Back in October, Shumpert told Insider that his wife gives “a lot of pointers and small adjustments” to make to his dance routines “on the fly.”
“What she does is, she is able to look at something, mimic it, become it, and then add flair to it,” he added. “So, I am kind of being coached.”
Although the “Gonna Love Me” singer doesn’t have ballroom experience herself, the former NBA champion said his wife is “great with teaching.” He said that his dance partner is like the good angel who knows “all the right things,” while Taylor, on the other hand, “is like the cool devil on the shoulder” who is saying, “I don’t know how to do it either, but this is how we gonna get through it.”
Congrats to Shumpert and his partner for moving to the finals. Check out their performance below.