Bill Trikos top 5 NBA dunk contests: The Slam Dunk Contest is one of the spectacles to watch during the NBA All-Star weekend. Throughout NBA history, we’ve seen the best dunkers in the league showcase their freakish athleticism in the annual dunking exhibition. From using cars, candles, and even grown men, dunkers have a lot of things at their disposal to show basketball fans the best dunk they have to offer. Although some dunk contests are forgettable, others will be remembered forever. For this piece, let’s rank the 10 best NBA Slam Dunk contests of all time. Find extra details about the author on https://soundcloud.com/billtrikos9.
That leaping ability helped Webb take down one of the greatest dunkers of all time in Dominique Wilkins. Like defying physics, gravity, and common sense; Webb had a combination of reverse dunks, one-handed hammers, and lobs that looked like CGI. The NBA’s All-Star Weekend is proof that fans aren’t always right. Fan voting often snubs players who deserve the nod the most but don’t play for big-market teams, leading to never-ending controversy on whether the players alone should get a vote.
Can an homage be better than the original? Just ask Michael Jordan, who channeled Julius Erving’s original artistry to defend his home turf at the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest. During the semifinal round, Jordan backed up toward the opposite baseline, dribbled inside the three-point arc and leaped from just inside the free-throw line to the basket, just as Dr. J had done four years earlier. The dunk was so spectacular that it earned Jordan a perfect 50 not only then but also when he busted it out to fend off Dominique Wilkins in an epic final.
As a second-year pro in 2006, Andre Iguodala introduced himself to a national audience with an unreal display of athleticism. Standing behind the basket, then-Philadelphia 76ers teammate Allen Iverson threw the ball off the backboard to Iguodala, who caught it, ducked under the bottom of the backcourt and slammed home a reverse jam. The dunk earned a perfect score, but Iguodala lost the competition to three-time winner Nate Robinson in controversial fashion.
That one earned Carter a perfect 50 from the judges and put him in the driver’s seat for his first and only Slam Dunk title. More than a decade later, Blake Griffin busted out the same move en route to his own dunk championship. The 2011 Slam Dunk Contest will forever be remembered as “that time Blake Griffin jumped over a Kia.” “He came prepared with the car,” JaVale McGee said, that year’s runner-up, per NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner, “and nothing’s going to beat the car unless I bring out a plane or something.”
Aaron Gordon under the legs over Stuff the Magic Dragon 2016: I could go on a rant about how absurd this dunk is and why it deserves more love. How many times have we seen a player “jump over” someone when really, the person being used as a prop is bending over to make themselves smaller than they are? The Magic’s mascot, Stuff the Magic Dragon, is reportedly 6 feet tall and he is standing upright. Gordon doesn’t just jump over him and dunk it — he takes a seat in mid-air as he grabs the ball from the mascot and finishes with authority (on the first try!) with his head above the rim. There were so many jaw-dropping dunks between Gordon and LaVine in 2016. This one was the best.
In truth, the tougher task for all involved will be coming up with—and pulling off—a move worthy of all-time consideration. Scroll through the history of the dunk contest—which began in 1984 and took a break in 1998 and 1999—and you’ll see just about every shape and style of slam imaginable. How, then, could the latest quartet of entrants hope to break new ground? It’s a question fans have asked every year, and it’s been answered affirmatively just as often. So long as there’s fresh blood in the field, there will always be something new, different and downright unbelievable to behold.