Michael Jordan, Vince Carter and the 25 Best NBA Dunk Contest Throw-Downs
With Blake Griffin, Javale McGee, Serge Ibaka, and DeMar DeRozan set to attempt to revive the event known as the dunk contest, it's time that we take a look back and see just how far we have come since the first time this contest took place in 1984. 25 years ago, players like Larry Nance and Julius Erving were duking it out for the first dunk contest title and it would be the Phoenix Suns forward Nance that would take home the first trophy.
Since then, we as NBA fans have witnessed some of the wildest, most impressive feats in the sports history. The players might only be dunking the ball, but the way some of these dunks are pulled off are some of the most jaw dropping feats that have ever been performed in the sports history. If you only watched last season's contest, then you probably wouldn't expect it to have the same value it had in years prior, but it is attempting a comeback with four of the newest young high flyers in the game.
Before most of the players were even born though, it was players like Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, and Spud Webb putting on aerial assaults above the rim. Whether it was Jordan's free throw line dunk or Wilkins trademark windmill's, the former stars popularized the dunk contest with dunks that had yet to be performed. Michael Jordan defying the laws of gravity was what originally set viewers over the edge, as they yearned for more.
It would be a long lay off before Vince Carter would take over and revive the dunk contest again with one of the greatest dunk contest performances in the contest's history. It would be other stars such as Jason Richardson, Desmond Mason, and Fred Jones that would keep the contest going at an impressive pace with some new jams that had yet to be seen. Since then, we have seen some outlandish feats pulled off that include a 5'10" Nate Robinson jumping over a 6'11" Dwight Howard, Gerald Green blowing out some candles, and Andre Iguodala dunking from just about everywhere.
The dunk contest might have lost some of it's creative value and swagger, but it all might change this season with Griffin, McGee, DeRozan, and Ibaka set to rock the rim. The contest have come a long way since Erving pulled off the first official free throw line dunk and we still continue to watch at the edge of our collective seats as to just what these athletes will do next.
25 years of dunk contest have been played and we have collected the 25 top dunks in it's history. Let's see just how memorable Vince Carter and Jason Richardson were only a decade ago.
25. Eyes? Dee Brown Doesn't Need Any Stinking Eyes.
1 of 25Who: Dee Brown
Who was the competition: Shawn Kemp, Rex Chapman, Kenny Smith, Kenny Williams, Blue Edwards, Otis Smith, and Kendall Gill.
What: In only his second year in the league, the 6'1" Boston Celtics guard won his first dunk contest by putting a forearm over his eyes and then dunking.
Where: Charlotte
When: 1991
Impact: Dee Brown became relevant for one year more than he should have been.
24. Brent Barry: The Great White Hope.
2 of 25Who: Brent Barry
Who was the competition: Michael Finley, Greg Minor, Jerry Stackhouse, Doug Christie, and Darrell Armstrong.
What: Brent Barry won his first and only dunk contest by capping it off with one of the more memorable free throw line dunks in the contest's history.
Where: San Antonio
When: 1996
The Impact: White man can jump very far.
23. Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash Take Soccer To The All-Star Game.
3 of 25Who: Amare Stoudemire
Who was the competition: Josh Smith, J.R. Smith, and Chris Andersen.
What: In one of the more creative dunks in the contest's history, Amare threw the ball off the backboard just at the correct angle so that it would bounce off Steve Nash's head into the awaiting hands of Stoudemire who threw down the alley-oop.
Where: Denver
When: 2005
Impact: Flopping wasn't the only aspect that soccer brought to the hardwood.
22. Josh Smith Makes Kenyon Martin Look Small.
4 of 25Who: Josh Smith
Who was the competition: Amare Stoudemire, J.R. Smith, and Chris Andersen
What: With Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin sitting down in a chair mid-way between the free throw line and the rim and holding the basketball, he would toss the ball overhead to Josh Smith as he jumped over Martin and threw the dunk down with a windmill.
Where: Denver
When: 2005
Impact: Sometimes you can jump over someone without technically jumping over them.
21. Make a Wish, Gerald Green.
5 of 25Who: Gerald Green
Who was the competition: Dwight Howard, Jamario Moon, and Rudy Gay.
What: Gerald Green placed a cupcake with a lit candle on the rim. He would then promptly elevate, complete the dunk, and rise high enough to blow the candle out.
Where: New Orleans
When: 2008
Impact: There is no idea too outlandish when partaking in the dunk contest.
20. Julius Erving Makes The Free Throw Line Exciting.
6 of 25Who: Julius Erving
Who was the competition: Larry Nance, Dominique Wilkins, Darrell Griffith, Edgar Jones, Ralph Sampson, Orlando Woolridge, Clyde Drexler, and Michael Cooper.
What: Even though he would go on to lose to Larry Nance in the finals, Julius would stun the crowd in the inagural dunk contest with the first free throw line dunk.
Where: Denver
When: 1984
Impact: Revolutionized the art of dunking from really, really far away.
19. Nate Robinson Is How Tall?
7 of 25Who: Nate Robinson
Who was the competition: Andre Iguodala, Hakim Warrick, and Josh Smith.
What: Nate Robinson would utilize his size by bringing out fellow little-man dunk contest winner Spud Webb. Spud would stand behind the restricted area, bounce the ball which Nate would receive, and then promptly jump over the 5'8" former dunk contest champion.
Where: Houston
When: 2006
Impact: 5'10" is not as small as you think it is, especially when you're Nate Robinson.
18. Larry Nance Wins The First Dunk Contest In Style.
8 of 25Who: Larry Nance
Who was the competition: Julius Erving, Dominique Wilkins, Edgar Jones, Ralph Sampson, Orlando Woolridge, Clyde Drexler, and Michael Cooper.
What: The Phoenix Suns forward would put an exclamation mark on the first dunk contest in NBA history with a classic rock the cradle dunk. (0:20 in)
Where: Denver
When: 1984
Impact: The dunk contest would be here to stay as long as players can keep pulling off feats such as that.
17. Fred Jones Pulls Off The Upset.
9 of 25Who: Fred Jones
Who was the competition: Jason Richardson, Ricky Davis, and Chris Andersen.
What: (Skip to 2:05 in) Fred Jones would pull off the upset against the reigning dunk contest champion in Jason Richardson with this throw down. He threw up the lob to a little before the restricted area, caught it with one hand and his back still to the basket before quickly turning around and finishing it.
Where: Los Angeles
When: 2004
Impact: Ever heard of Fred Jones aside from this? Exactly.
16. Dwight Howard Gets Robbed, But Gets His Point Across.
10 of 25Who: Dwight Howard
Who was the competition: Nate Robinson, Gerald Green, and Tyrus Thomas.
What: Dwight would receive a simple alley-oop from Jameer Nelson as the dunk appeared to be a dud. However, we didn't look at the minor details that include Howard nearly touching the top of the backboard and putting a sticker of his smiling face where he touched.
Where: Las Vegas
When: 2007
Impact: Dwight wouldn't make it past the first round in his first contest participation, but he would make a name for himself as he'd become the star of the show over the next two dunk contests.
15. Michael Jordan Rocks The Dunk Contest To Sleep.
11 of 25Who: Michael Jordan
Who was the competition: Dominique Wilkins (wow), Clyde Drexler (wow times two), Otis Smith, Jerome Kersey, Greg Anderson, and Spud Webb.
What: (Skip to 0:40 in) Michael has the problem of making difficult dunks almost look too easy. Wrapped up in gold chains, Jordan would secure his second consecutive dunk contest championship with a perfect rock the cradle dunk.
Where: Chicago
When: 1988
Impact: This Michael Jordan guy can throw it down pretty well.
14. Coming To a Theater Near You, Nate Robinson Is Kryptonite.
12 of 25Who: Nate Robinson
Who was the competition: Dwight Howard, J.R. Smith, and Rudy Fernandez.
What: It was a huge gimmick, but it worked out very well in the end. With Dwight Howard donning his superman cape and Nate Robinson rocking all green (kryptonite), Robinson would promptly jump over the 6'11" Howard to secure his second dunk contest title.
Where: Phoenix
When: 2009
Impact: The dunk contest isn't always about competition. It's a fun event that needed a spark and received it thanks to little Nate and superman.
13. Vince Carter's Vertical Windmill.
13 of 25Who: Vince Carter
Who was the competition: Steve Francis, Tracy McGrady, Ricky Davis, Jerry Stackhouse, and Larry Hughes.
What: (skip to 0:40 in) It's Vince Carter being Vince Carter. He starts out from behind the backboard, takes three steps, and then throws down the huge windmill.
Where: Oakland
When: 2000
Impact: Regarded as the best dunk contest in its history, Vince Carter would dominate and outshine his opponents more than any other competitor has before.
12. Andre Iguodala Goes Behind The Back.
14 of 25Who: Andre Iguodala
Who was the competition: Nate Robinson, Hakim Warrick, and Josh Smith.
What: Oh, you know. It's just your standard lob pass complete with a behind the back swap in mid-air as he threw down the alley-oop.
Where: Houston
When: 2006
Impact: How did he lose this?
11. Desmond Mason Puts It Between The Legs.
15 of 25Who: Desmond Mason
Who was the competition: Jason Richardson, Amare Stoudemire, and Richard Jefferson.
What: Regarded as one of the most underrated dunks of all time, Desmond Mason would take a few steps and going up with right hand before putting the ball through his legs and finishing it with the left.
Where: Atlanta
When: 2003
Impact: Jason Richardson and Vince Carter aren't the only ones who can complete one of the most difficult dunks to pull off.
10. Spud Webb Makes All Little People Feel Good For Themselves.
16 of 25Who: Spud Webb
Who was the competition: Dominique Wilkins, Terence Stansbury, Gerald Wilkins, Jerome Kersey, Paul Pressey, Roy Hinson, and Terry Tyler.
What: At 5'7", Spud Webb was the shortest player to ever partake in the dunk contest. He would shock and stun the crowd and the NBA by completing a plethora of dunks that include a behind the back throw down, a bounce pass off the board with the dunk, and the always popular 360.
Where: Dallas
When: 1986
Impact: Webb would revolutionize the art of dunking for short players like Nate Robinson. He also makes 5'10" people like me feel bad for themselves because they can't even come close to winning a dunk contest, let alone grabbing the rim.
9. Dominique Wilkins Perfects The Windmill.
17 of 25Who: Dominique Wilkins
Who was the competition: Spud Webb, Terence Stansbury, Gerald Wilkins, Jerome Kersey, Paul Pressey, Roy Hinson, and Terry Tyler.
What: The Human Highlight Reel didn't disappoint even if he didn't pull off the back-to-back dunk contest victories. He took a few steps and completed one of the pure dunks in the game: the trademark windmill.
Where: Dallas
When: 1986
Impact: It's just Dominique Wilkins being Dominique Wilkins. He would popularize the windmill throw down and would forever be in the annuls of dunking history.
8. Vince Carter's Honey Dip.
18 of 25Who: Vince Carter
Who was the competition: Steve Francis, Tracy McGrady, Ricky Davis, Jerry Stackhouse, and Larry Hughes.
What: In the dream that was the 2000 dunk contest, Vince Carter would continue to impress as he completed the honey dip: a dunk that requires the player to elevate so high that they go elbow deep into the room.
Where: Oakland
When: 2000
Impact: A lot of hurt forearms from people trying to replicate this dunk.
7. Dwight Howard Puts Clark Kent to Shame.
19 of 25Who: Dwight Howard
Who was the competition: Gerald Green, Jamario Moon, and Rudy Gay.
What: Howard would don a superman cape and outfit and would proceed to complete one of the most ridiculous 'dunks' in dunk contest history. Upon receiving an alley-oop from Jameer Nelson, Howard would elevate behind the dotted line, receive the pass, and literally throw the ball into the hoop.
Where: New Orleans
When: 2008
Impact: What exactly constitutes as a dunk? Isn't it just as impressive that Howard actually elevated high enough to throw the ball into the hoop from a foot away rather than clutching the rim?
6. Where Can't Michael Jordan Dunk From?
20 of 25Who: Michael Jordan
Who was the competition: Dominique Wilkins, Terence Stansbury, Julius Erving, Larry Nance, Darrell Griffith, Orlando Woolridge, and Clyde Drexler. That's what you call some serious competition.
What: It's probably the most official free throw line dunk in history as Jordan lifted off with only his big toe grazing the paint.
Where: Indiana
When: 1985
Impact: Many would try, but none could replicate just how far Jordan jumped from to complete the dunk. It's one of Michael Jordan's trademark dunks and has been failed to be matched by anyone.
5. Andre Iguodala Takes Hangtime To a Whole New Level.
21 of 25Who: Andre Iguodala
Who was the competition: Nate Robinson, Hakim Warrick, and Josh Smith.
What: Andre would stand about 10 feet behind the backboard with Allen Iverson as his assistant also behind the backboard. Iverson would bounce the ball on the back of the board which Iguodala would receive, while still behind the backboard mind you, dunk under the board, and then throw down the reverse.
Where: Houston
When: 2006
Impact: The creative level of these players are much more impressive than we think and it gives hope for future dunk contests that maybe their can be some fresh ideas for once.
4. Jason Richardson Goes Glass and Then Between The Legs.
22 of 25Who: Jason Richardson
Who was the competition: Fred Jones, Ricky Davis, and Chris Andersen.
What: Richardson would waste his best dunk of the competition in the first round with one of the greatest dunks in history. Jason would throw a pass off the backboard which he would then receive, put between his legs, and throw it down.
Where: Los Angeles
When: 2004
Impact: There are a lot more aspects to the between the legs dunk than we imagined.
3. Michael Jordan Gets Horizontal With The Rim.
23 of 25Who: Michael Jordan
Who was the competition: Jerome Kersey, Terence Stansbury, Clyde Drexler, Ron Harper, Johnny Dawkins, Tom Chambers, and Gerald Wilkins
What: His first dunk contest victory, Michael would once again drop some jaws by nearly getting horizontal with the rim on second round windmill dunk attempt.
Where: Seattle
When: 1987
Impact: Michael and his dunking would leave an impact on the NBA world for years to come and possibly forever.
2. Jason Richardson Adds Another Element To The Between The Legs Dunk.
24 of 25Who: Jason Richardson
Who was the competition: Desmond Mason, Amare Stoudemire, and Richard Jefferson.
What: It's just your average run of the mill between the legs reverse dunk, no big deal.
Where: Atlanta
When: 2003
Impact: Just.......where do you begin?
1. Vince Carter: IT'S OVER!
25 of 25Who: Vince Carter
Who was the competition: Steve Francis, Tracy McGrady, Ricky Davis, Jerry Stackhouse, and Larry Hughes.
What: It was an exclamation mark on a dunk contest that belonged to Vinsanity's from the start. He received the bounce pass from his teammate and promptly put the ball through his legs and completed the dunk and the easiest dunk contest victory in history.
Where: Oakland
When: 2000
Impact: Oakland is the luckiest city in the world.
