Stephen Nedoroscik is up to all kinds of tricks on Dancing With The Stars! One minute he’s the charismatic Disney character Hercules, and the other, he’s soaring 7 feet high in the air as Simba, the king of the world. Well, with just 8 couples remaining, DWTS had its first team performance on October 22, where Team Roar performed The Lion King group dance on ‘I Just Can’t Wait To Be King.‘ Although, their score may have been lower than Team Goofs’ act on ‘Eye to Eye,’ Stephen did create a moment that took the internet by storm.

Amid the team performance, Stephen Nedoroscik was lifted by the former NBA player and DWTS participant, Dwight Howard who was part of Team Roar. The 6′ 10 NBA player hoisted the gymnast straight over his head after the latter took a giant leap. Well, this sensational moment has been the talk of the town ever since. Thus, when a PageSix media representative spoke to Dwight after, asking how he managed to create the moment that social media is ‘losing it over,’ here’s what he had to say.

Dwight Howard answered, “It was nerve-wracking! ‘Coz we could not get it all like right every time. He was like falling and I am trying to catch him but we got out here, we had so much fun and we trusted each other. You know, I just kept telling him and we kept saying to each other, ‘trust, lets each other.’ And he just weeeee.”

Despite being a gymnast, Stephen Nedoroscik faced issues while rehearsing the step. But trust is what kept the duo going, per Dwight. Speaking to Access Hollywood, Stephen made a similar confession about how him and Dwight worked relentlessly to ace that lift. Although, he added a fun spin to it by remarking that the viral moment gave him a ‘view that none one has ever gotten’ of the place.

Previously, the two had added a clip from their rehearsals on Instagram, hinting that ‘the boys were up to something.’ The video showed Stephen Nedoroscik jumping over the six-foot-plus NBA player, Dwight Howard’s shoulders, leaving fans intrigued. But acing a landing from that height was hardly an extraordinary feat, as Team USA’s pommel horse guy confessed, ‘I’ve been landing for years‘ accrediting his good landing muscles for it. Although the gymnast may have earned the new moniker of ‘Simba Nedoroscik’ from USAG after his performance, it did come at a cost.

Stephen Nedoroscik’s had his first dance injury on DWTS?

Being a 2x Olympic medalist gymnast, Stephen Nedoroscik is no stranger to the ‘injury scare.’ Although this may have been the first time he’s confessed that a dance routine left him minutely injured. Talking to Extra TV after a thrilling Disney Night performance on Dancing with the Stars, Stephen admitted that getting lifted to that height during the routine was “the coolest thing ever.” But coolness doesn’t come bruise-free!

Here’s how it all went down: after the individual dances, the contestants split into teams for the first group number of the season. Team Roar, led by NBA’s 6’10” Dwight Howard, took on “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” from The Lion King. And, as if channeling the ultimate “Simba” moment, Dwight spun Olympian Stephen high above the dance floor. Turns out, Dwight’s insane grip left Stephen with a few unexpected souvenirs!

“He’s [Dwight] got some good grip strength and I have like bruises on my stomach from that lift. Oh yeah!” Stephen Nedoroscik shared and laughed. Choreographer Rylee Arnold chimed in, explaining that Dwight’s grip was essential to get Stephen that high up. Apparently, if you don’t arch just right, the body sort of concaves, making it painful right in the stomach area. But hey, they stuck it out and nailed it, scoring 24 out of 30! So, did that “Simba” moment pay off? You be the judge! Let us know what you think in the comments!