Hamidou Diallo jumps over 7ft 1ins Shaquille O’Neal to win NBA All-Star Dunk Contest after ripping jersey to expose Superman top

HAMIDOU DIALLO soared over Shaquille O'Neal to win the NBA All-Star Dunk Contest last night - after ripping open his jersey to expose a Superman crest.

The Oklahoma City Thunder star, 20, channelled his inner-Dwight Howard to pull off an incredible superhero-themed slam.

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Diallo clinched a star-studded Dunk Contest victory with a Vince Carter-esque elbow rim hang to send the celeb-filled crowd wild.

Over a decade ago, in 2008, Howard - then at his hyper-athletic peak - donned a Superman jersey complete with red cape to pull off an epic dunk.

The then-Orlando Magic big-man sprinted in from half-court and took off from near the free-throw line in a jaw-dropping attempt.

But last night, NBA rookie Diallo - the 45th pick of the 2018 draft - went all-out to prove he is arguably one of the all-time great dunkers, despite only being in his first season in the league.

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He not only pulled off a slam Howard would be proud of, but Carter too - who himself gave birth off an elbow rim-hang way back in 2000.

Arguably the most astounding dunker of all-time in his prime, Carter was arguably bettered last night by Diallo.

He took off from near the free-throw line and flew over all 7ft 1ins of Shaq to pull off the Carter elbow hang.

Diallo dangled from the ring for seemingly an eternity, all the while pointing to his Superman crest emblazoned across his chest.

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While last night's main event in Charlotte may not have been 2016's epic duel between Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon, Diallo's near-flawless performance certainly made it an entertaining evening.

Dennis Smith Jr, John Collins and Miles Bridges were the also-rans on the night.

After his win, the Thunder star said: "The atmosphere was great. I just came out and gave the crowd what they were looking for."

Elsewhere on the night, Brooklyn Nets star Joe Harris beat Stephen Curry to win the three-point contest - holding off a host of other elite shooters.

Seth Curry, Kemba Walker, Damian Lillard, Dirk Nowitzki, Buddy Hield, Danny Green and Devin Booker also took part in the shooting showdown.

Team Giannis Antetokounmpo takes on Team LeBron James in tonight's All-Star weekend showdown - the game itself.