This weekend was All-Star weekend for the NBA, which means fans were treated to the annual display of the very best slams in the league in the Dunk Contest. Sadly, this year’s showing was pretty lackluster and disappointed many. However, the occasion does give us the opportunity to look back on some of the best dunk the contest has had to offer over the years.
10. Blake Griffin- 2011
Making an impact at the Dunk Contest is not always about the most skilled jam. Sometimes it just comes down to giving the audiences something they’ve never seen before. Such was the case with Blake Griffin’s 2011 showing in which he rolled a Kia onto the court and had the ball passed to him through the sun roof as he jumped over the car. He came prepared!
9. Dwight Howard- 2008
A little flash goes a long way in the Dunk Contest and there’s certainly no rules against wearing a costume to win a few extra points. Donning a Superman outfit, Dwight Howard soared through the air and slammed the ball. It actually wasn’t technically a dunk since Howard was above the rim and just threw the ball in.
8. Spudd Webb- 1986
Webb was not the typical NBA star to win the Dunk Contest. While he had undeniable skills on the court, he stood at a rather diminutive height of 5’7”. No one had much faith he would put on a show in the contest but that little man sure can jump. He finished off his surprising and crowd-pleasing display with a one bounce reverse jam that won him the whole thing. Everyone loves an underdog story.
7. Dee Brown- 1991
Similar to Spudd Webb, no one was really expecting much from Dee Brown at the 1991 contest. He originally wasn’t going to take part but was a last minute alternate. He improvised a couple interesting dunks before cementing himself in NBA history with a no look slam with some serious hangtime.
6. Vince Carter- 2000
Vince Carter put on quite a show at the 2000 contest (his first appearance). The man who may have single-handedly saved basketball in Toronto started a legacy with this one bounce between the leg jam that is legendary to this day.
5. DeMar DeRozan- 2011
A fellow Raptors alumni did Carter’s fantastic reputation proud at the 2011 contest. With all the confidence in the world, DeRozan named his jam “The Showstopper”. Coming from the side of the net, he passed beneath it before throwing the ball behind his head with a vicious slam. It lived up to its name.
4. Michael Jordan- 1988
Michael Jordan has had so many amazing and memorable moments on the court that a dunk contest would almost seem beneath him as the greatest player to play the game. However, this is the moment where he proved the name Air Jordan actually meant what it promised. Taking off from the free-throw line, Jordan soared through the air for wat felt like an eternity before a one-hand slam.
3. Zach LaVine- 2016
How do you possibly hope to top the greatness of Air Jordan? What could you possibly add to a dunk like that to one-up the greatest? LaVine did the impossible when he took off from the free-throw line and passed the ball between his leg in id-air before slamming.
2. Aaron Gordon- 2016
The perfect dunk is a mixture of amazing skill and pageantry. That’s what Aaron Gordon went for in 2016 and he succeeded big time. With some help from a mascot, Gordon leaped over him, taking the ball from the mascots hands, passed it beneath him while sitting in mid-air and finally slammed it.
1. Vince Carter- 2000
No words can to justice to what Carter did with his amazing dunk in 2000. Just watch the video and you’ll realize why he is now considered by many to be the NBA’s greatest dunker of all time.