Iman Shumpert and Daniella Karagach are officially “Dancing With the Stars” winners.
The duo took were announced as the newest Mirror Ball trophy champions on Monday’s season 30 finale, besting fellow celebrities JoJo Siwa, Cody Rigsby and Amanda Kloots, who were paired with pro partners Jenna Johnson, Cheryl Burke and Alan Bersten, respectively.
[Q&A: Iman Shumpert speaks with Channel 2 on his journey to the ‘DWTS” finale]
Shumpert’s victory is historical, as he is now the first NBA player to ever compete in the “DWTS” finals and ultimately win it all. Karagach is also a first-time winner, having joined the series just last season.
Karagach praised Shumpert’s tremendous improvement over the season, noting that he was one of the few competitors who “never danced a day in [his] life” and but worked hard to defy all expectations by making it into the finale.
Shumpert said being this season’s underdog fueled his desire to come out on top, which saw him perform never-before-seen stunts on the ballroom floor with perfect execution.
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Aside from a glittering new trophy, Shumpert ended his “DWTS” journey with two perfect scores: one for a foxtrot/cha-cha fusion, which saw judge Bruno Tonioli declare him the “king of the ballroom,” and one for a Chicago-themed freestyle that was deemed one of the best in show’s history.
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This article was written by Good Morning America.
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