10 Greatest Dunkers in LA Lakers History
Ten—insert anything here—is pretty easy to come up with when you're dealing with the Los Angeles Lakers and their illustrious history.
To be honest, I wish I was writing something more along the lines of "10 Keys to the 2011-12 Season," but who knows when or even if I'll ever be able to come up with that list?
I've been on a bit of a break as a Lakers Featured Columnist, and rightfully so, considering one of my last Lakers articles discussed why the Lakers would sweep the Mavericks in the second round (whoops).
Anyway, here's to hoping we have NBA games to watch during the holidays this year, because as we all know, Kobe Bryant certainly isn't getting any younger.
Speaking of a younger Kobe, let's take a look at the 10 greatest dunkers in Lakers history.
10. Antonio Harvey
1 of 10Who? Antonio Harvey signed with the Lakers as a free agent in 1993 and even started on opening night of the 1993-94 season.
He's most famous (or should we say infamous) for his participation in the 1995 slam dunk contest and his badly missed 360 dunk.
Take a look below, starting at the 1:23 mark:
9. Michael Cooper
2 of 10Michael Cooper played for the Lakers from 1978 to 1990 and was probably best known for his ability to guard the other team's best player and his knee-high socks.
At 6'5" and 170 lbs, Cooper was a rail-thin, versatile defender who was a fan favorite off the bench.
From a dunking standpoint, he was best known for his ability to rise above the rim and throw down the "Coop-a-loop"—a lob pass thrown by Magic Johnson to Cooper for a powerful dunk.
8. Eddie Jones
3 of 10Eddie Jones (6'6", 200 lbs) played for the Lakers from 1994 to 1999 and was a mentor for Kobe Bryant when he first came into the league.
Jones was a high-flying wing from the day he entered the NBA and could often being found creating posters similar to this one:
7. Byron Scott
4 of 10Byron Scott (6'3", 195 lbs) played for the Lakers from 1983 to 1993 and was mostly known for his ability to score the basketball—especially from three-point range.
Scott was also a very underrated dunker who could really elevate in traffic when he needed to...
6. James Worthy
5 of 10"Big Game" James Worthy (6'9", 225 lbs) played for the Lakers from 1982 to 1994 and is widely known as one of the best players in Lakers history.
Worthy was a perfect fit for the Lakers' "Showtime" brand of basketball and was best known for his trademark Statue of Liberty dunk.
5. Elgin Baylor
6 of 10Elgin Baylor played for the Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lakers from 1958 to 1971 and is widely regarded as one of the best players in NBA history.
Baylor is one of the more underrated dunkers in NBA history simply because we don't have access to a lot of his highlight-reel dunks on film.
Baylor is known as one of the pioneers in bringing the slam dunk into the NBA game.
4. Orlando Woolridge
7 of 10Orlando Woolridge (6'9", 215 lbs) played for the Lakers from 1988 to 1990 and was one of the most athletically gifted players ever to play in the NBA.
Physically blessed with strong legs and a lean frame, Woolridge was one of the best dunkers of his era.
3. Cedric Ceballos
8 of 10Cedric Ceballos (6'7", 220 lbs) played for the Lakers from 1994 to 1996 and won the 1992 NBA slam dunk contest with his famous blindfold dunk.
Ceballos was a prolific scorer with the Lakers and was a member of the 1995 Western Conference All-Star team.
2. Shannon Brown
9 of 10Shannon Brown (6'4", 210 lbs) played for the Lakers from 2009 to 2011 and is potentially one of the top ten athletes on the planet today.
Brown has a vertical leap of 44.5 inches and is known for one of the best missed dunks in NBA history.
1. Kobe Bryant
10 of 10Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest dunkers in NBA history and is the youngest player ever to win a slam dunk contest at the age of 18 in 1997.
Kobe's dunking ability is yet another reason why he is so often compared to Michael Jordan.
Here are 10 of his best dunks during his career:
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