Congratulations are in order for Iman Shumpert! He won Dancing with the Stars on Monday evening’s season finale.
The NBA shooting guard and husband to R&B sensation Teyana Taylor became a fast fan favorite on the show’s 30th season. He garnered multiple perfect scores from the judges throughout the show’s season alongside partner Daniella Karagach, performing everything from classic ballroom dance to contemporary modern.
For his final performance, Shumpert and Karagach performed a freestyle set to Missy Elliot’s “Lose Control” earning him just one more perfect score before the end of the competition. Missy Elliott herself Tweeted her congratulations and approval of the star’s performance, to which he responded the Hip-Hop legend is his eldest daughter’s favorite.
Naturally, his wife, a noted skilled dancer herself, was thrilled at his perfect score. She showed her excitement via Instagram stories, screaming in elation at the screen.
Shumpert reposted the clip to his own stories, captioning it with heartfelt thanks.
“It’s when no one’s watching and they really with you…that’s the part that can make grown men cry,” he said of his wife and daughter’s support.
Shumpert was a popular contender all season but went viral beyond the DWTS fandom when his Halloween performance gained social media popularity. He and his partner did a modern dance routine to I Got 5 On It remix, themed after Jordan Peele’s modern horror classic Us.
For the finale, Shumpert’s partner decided to forego their typical forray into the world of ballroom and classic dance, instead learning to do a Chicago footwork routine to keep things more authentic to his Illinois roots.
The pair gained a perfect score, with judge Julianne Hough calling the performance the hands-down best freestyle that the show had seen in 30 whole seasons.
Shumpert revealed on Good Morning America’s DWTS afterparty that choreographer King Kemo taught him and Karagach the Chicago party-style dance that ultimately earned them this season’s mirrorball trophy.
“King Kemo actually flew in from Chicago to teach us both the footwork, I thought it was cool that all season I had to learn all these dance styles,” Shumpert told Robin Roberts. “It was like cool to have that flip flop, and have her have that solo moment and feel like, she’s at a house party with me in Chicago having a good time.”
Shumpert also says his wife would help him practice alongside Karagach, training him to put on a show beyond just performing the routine. It’s obviously no wonder how he earned the edge to win.