NBA: The Greatest in-Game Old-School Dunks

In the NBA lately, the only news is bad news. The lockout is in full effect, and NBA fans are starving for game action and highlights. As the regular season nears, the impending loss of games is downright depressing.

The ongoing news of bickering multi-millionaires makes me want to go back to the days of my youth. Back to the days when short shorts were still part of the NBA. When hairstyles like the hi-top fade and racing stripes were all the rage.  

Tattoos really hadn't caught on yet.

Back when the dunk contest was still exciting. When you didn't need props to make a dunk cool. 

In those days the dunk was still in its infancy. High-flying athletes were innovating the art form. They set the standard for what you see today. 

These are my favorite "Old School" dunks.

Honorable Mention

There is really only one player that I seriously considered for this list that didn't make the final cut.  That player is Darryl Dawkins. He was a prolific and powerful dunker. His glass shattering dunks are amazing. In the end though, the dunks themselves are nothing special. It is the result that makes them great.

For that reason Dawkins makes the best of the rest.

Other players that were considered; Xavier McDaniel, Jerome Kersey, Larry Nance, Orlando Woolridge, Spud Webb, Kenny "Sky" Walker.

10. Charles Barkley's Fast Break Monster Dunk

What is more impressive? The dunk, or that Sir Charles went coast to coast?  

It's hard to believe that this is the same guy that sits shotgun to Kenny Smith on TNT's "Inside the NBA."

(Sorry for the video quality. It was the only one I could find)

9. Clyde Drexler's Hang Time Against the Lakers

Was this dunk the genesis of Drexler's nickname, "The Glide?" I'm not sure, but it could have been. 

In this one, Drexler is not dunking on someone's head, or over three players at once. It's not a powerful dunk at all. But it is mesmerizing, especially in slow motion with the way he flies through the air.

It's the closest anyone came to Michael Jordan's free-throw line dunk.

8. Kevin Johnson Dunks on Hakeem Olajuwon

Kevin Johnson is an underrated guard who was labeled injury prone. 

Unfortunately, that label was accurate. His career numbers were impacted greatly by the amount of time he lost due to injury. 

But on this night, in the 1994 playoffs, KJ showed no lingering effects of injuries. The man looked like he jumped off a springboard.

Keep in mind, he didn't dunk on a seven-foot statue like Mark Eaton. He dunked on Hakeem Olajuwon—a top-five center of all time.

After getting dunked on, it appears that Olajuwon's heads straight for the locker room to avoid further embarrassment.

Speaking of Mark Eaton...

Kevin Johnson One Hander over Mark Eaton

What can I say. Kevin Johnson could jump! I'll never get tired of seeing a point guard dunk over a seven-footer.

As I said, Mark Eaton was a lead-footed statue. His agility was that of a lamp post. His only defense was sticking his arm in the air. Funny thing was, he blocked a lot of shots that way. Notice how he does not jump and his fingers are only inches from the rim.

C'mon Mark! Jump! I still don't think he would have blocked it.

Now that I think of it, KJ posterized another guy too.......

Kevin Johnson over Hot Rod Williams

Kevin Johnson was a top 10 point guard when healthy. Hands down. In addition, he could jump out of the gym. 

Put those qualities together and you have one dominating player. If only he would have been able to stay healthy.

On this dunk, KJ sends the basketball careening off the back of Hot Rod Williams' head. He then proceeds to hitch a ride on Williams' back.

Hot Rod, ever the gentleman, grabs hold of KJ's legs to make sure he doesn't fall. 

Wow. KJ must have damaged Hot Rod's spine during that dunk.

7. Tom Chambers Jumps over Mark Jackson

Everyone's seen it, but it will never get old or less unbelievable. Yes, Tom Chambers is white. Yes, white men can't jump. I know, I don't get it. His eyes were even with the rim for gosh sakes!

I've never seen anyone duplicate this except Vince Carter, and I prefer this dunk to Carter's for two reason. 

1. Carter dunked over Frederic Weiss—a French guy. Like he was going to put up any fight.

2. Carter screamed and beat his chest for like five minutes. Act like you've been there before Vince.

Tom Chambers turned around, high-fived a teammate, and got back on defense. Now that is classy.

6. John Starks' Playoff Dunk on Jordan

This dunk highlights the fearlessness that was John Starks. He wasn't afraid to take it to the hole on Michael Jordan or anyone else. 

Starks had more than a couple battles with Jordan. Unfortunately, he lost more times than he won. But he definitely won this one.

Although let's be honest, the dunk is more in the face of Horace Grant than Michael Jordan.

5. Dr. J Windmill Jam

It's often referred to as either Dr. J's windmill or his cradle dunk. I like to call it, "the one where Dr. J dunks on Michael Cooper."

As a kid I never liked Michael Cooper. He was a good player. Honestly, I just could never get past the socks. Why Michael? Why?

The first time I saw this, I thought Dr. J took off from the three-point line. He did not. But the way he elevated and soared through the air is still amazing.

And dunking on someone's head is always impressive!

4. Shawn Kemp Destroys Alton Lister

Poor Alton Lister. You can't help but feel sorry for him. He was either too slow to get out of the way, or too stupid to think he could stop Shawn Kemp.

Notice how no other Warrior makes much of an effort to get in the lane. In fact, Chris Mullin literally steps aside, leaving Lister all alone to take the brunt of Kemp's aerial attack. 

The result? 

The force of the dunk sends the seven-footer sprawling across the baseline. As Lister attempts to peel himself off the court, he looks up and sees Kemp giving him the "Gotcha" double finger point.

How humiliating.

3. Dominique Wilkins' Two-Handed Jam on Larry Bird

Dominique was probably the second-best dunker of his time. I don't need to tell you who was number one.  

Wilkins combined the leaping ability of Jordan, with the raw power of Daryl Dawkins.

Larry Bird was one of the best players, and best defenders, in NBA history. He was an assassin on offense, and a tenacious defender. Larry Bird would never back down from anyone. So it should not surprise anyone that he goes after Dominique Wilkins the way he does.

That being said, c'mon Larry! You did not stand a chance.

This dunk is the definition of "posterize." Bird literally gets the ball thrown down in his face. The impact spins him around in mid air. When he lands, and comes to rest on the floor, he pauses to contemplate what just happened.

Even Larry Bird had to think, "What was I thinking?"

2. The Hoya Destroya I

This posterizing dunk upped the ante on the viciousness scale. 

Someone must have stolen Scottie's lunch money. Or put a whoopie cushion on his seat during a timeout. Or called him cheap (the truth hurts). Whatever the reason, Pippen needed to get out some aggression.

Knicks center Patrick Ewing, who played college for the Georgetown Hoyas, made the mistake of getting in his way.

If a dunk can be disrespectful, this is it. Pippen dunks over Ewing, gives him a mid-air shove to help him down, then stands over him to gloat. 

Sorry Patrick, there are no holes big enough for you to crawl into buddy.

1. The Hoya Destroya II

The New York Knicks could never get past the Chicago Bulls. After all, Chicago had the greatest player in the game, and Scottie Pippen. Who is probably the greatest "second-fiddle" player of all time. 

The rivalry between the Bulls and Knicks can be summed up by watching both players dunk over Patrick Ewing. 

Ewing and the Knicks were in the path of an unstoppable force. That force was Jordan, Pippen and the Bulls.  

In this particular dunk, Jordan fakes out the entire Knicks team, which leaves Ewing alone under the rim. I think anyone watching this game knew Ewing was in trouble. 

Jordan elevates, then elevates some more, and throws it down in Ewing's face. Ewing immediately turns to the ref to whine. I don't know what he was whining about. Offensive foul?

Sorry, Ewing. The only thing offensive about that play was your sorry defense.