Gokul Venkatachalam, speller 140, wore Jordans on his feet and a LeBron James jersey under his shirt as he spelled his way to the co-championship.
"LeBron James and Michael Jordan represent two of the greatest to play and compete," he said after taking the trophy. "I just wanted to do something cool to help remember the moment."
Gokul and Vanya Shivashankar, speller 90, have been spelling together for years.
"We all started when we barely knew any words," Gokul said.
After their joint victory, Vanya said the experience was surreal. Gokul said it was "ridiculous."
"I wouldn't have imagined it," said Vanya, a 13-year-old from Olathe, Kansas in her fifth bee. "I obviously thought, 'What if I win?' But whoa, I actually won."
Both said they had considered the possibility of becoming co-champions, but neither broached the subject. After last year's joint winners, Vanya said, she didn't think there would be co-champions again. Gokul said the thought had crossed his mind, but he didn't want to ruin Vanya's mindset.
"It's not like we were fighting to the death," said the 14-year-old St. Louis resident. "I've never actually had a face-off like that before."
Vanya chimed in: "It's really awesome."
Both said there were some words they weren't completely sure of. Vanya said she used language rules to figure them out. Gokul said he tried to stay calm and ask questions.
"I saw my mom, and I didn't want her to yell at me," he said.
Vanya and Gokul both lauded the other spellers and each other.
"We both worked hard this past year," Vanya said.
"Life's good," said Gokul.