Spoilers ahead for the Horror Night episode of Dancing with the Stars Season 30!
Dancing with the Stars Season 30 has been consistently good since Week 1, and a large part of that is thanks to the cast. The ABC competition brought it this year with its casting and found a good mix of people who are not only noteworthy but willing to put in the work and improve their performances from week to week. Few have exhibited that as perfectly as NBA star Iman Shumpert, who deserves to win this year given his progression through the season.
Iman Shumpert, to be completely candid, looked like he’d be one of the first exits on Dancing with the Stars Season 30. Shumpert and partner Daniella Karagach started off with a dismal 21 points that would’ve been the lowest score of the competition had it not been for Cobra Kai actor Martin Kove. Shumpert had a bit of a score rebound in Week 2 but in Week 3 again delivered one of his worst scores with a 19. Shumpert acknowledged he needed to get better, and based on his Horror Night performance, for which he earned a perfect 40/40 for a chilling performance channeling the movie Us, I’m inclined to believe him.
Judge Len Goodman said a few weeks ago that he never knew what to expect when Iman Shumpert hit the stage to dance, and it’s so true. I’m not sure Dancing with the Stars viewers were ready for a performance that legitimately may go down as one of the best of the season. Considering Shumpert and Daniella Karagach had the lowest score the week prior, these two came back with a vengeance and tied JoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson for the best performance of the night. He deserves to go far in this competition and even win if he continues to show the same effort going forward.
Don’t get me wrong though – I have no illusions any competitor will outlast JoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson. Siwa’s been a competitive dancer since her childhood, though, so it’s a given she’ll rock the stage every time she goes out there. The same can not be said for Iman Shumpert, which makes it such a thrill to see him go out on Dancing with the Stars each week and impress.
What Iman Shumpert lacks in polished performances, he has more than made up for with heart, and I think that’s helped him stay safe even when he’s not at his best. Of course, he’s just one random bad performance from being sent home by the judges if he’s in the Bottom 2, but I’m hoping, given his recent perfect score, he’ll ride that momentum and last a lot longer.
Dancing with the Stars airs on ABC on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to tune in for more wonderful performances week-to-week and to see if some of the underdogs like Iman Shumpert can edge out the competition and win Season 30 after all.
