50 Nastiest Dunkers in NBA History

Could we possibly rank anything else during this lockout? How many more weeks can your favorite columnist go before he goes through the major basketball withdrawals that the majority of you reading are feeling right now?

I say not much longer. Rather than writing analysis pieces dealing with what free agent will go where or some hypothetical trade that will never work, I aim to bring the entertainment value of the game that we all miss so much.

By entertainment value, I'm referring to the players that consistently put on a show with their aerial assaults and thunderous throwdowns any time they get the chance.

These athletes have put on displays that we never thought we could witness until that one player proves us wrong...before another player could one up the last best dunk.

It's a competition between these players to see who can get the biggest rise out of their fans. We're honoring the 50 players who could do it best by ranking the 50 nastiest dunkers in the history of the NBA.

You can follow John Friel on twitter @JohnFtheheatgod

No. 50: Serge Ibaka

If you can complete the type of legitimate foul line dunk that Serge Ibaka can, you deserve a spot on this list.

Aside from that dunk, Ibaka is still one of the league's top athletes, surprising us with the hops that a 6'10" player should possess.

Ibaka prides himself on defense above all—leading the league in total blocks last year—but can still throw down and hit the mid-range shot when called upon.

Best dunk: Ibaka dunks it from the foul line

No. 49: Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett might not look like the strongest power forward, but he is the most intense. That's what allows him to throw down some of the most ferocious dunks you will ever see from a player listed at 6'11".

Before winning a title with the Boston Celtics, Garnett spent the majority of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he would hone his craft and become the defensive specialist and emotional player he is today.

Garnett wears his heart on his sleeve as one of the hardest workers in the game. You can tell by the work ethic that he puts on constant display.

Best dunk: Garnett throws down over Shawn Bradley

No. 48: Derrick Rose

Point guards shouldn't be performing dunks like this.

Not even 22-year-old MVPs like Derrick Rose should be pulling off dunks like that. Somehow though, Rose is pulling off throwdowns and aerial assaults that most small forwards couldn't do. It shows just how much athleticism the 6'3" guard actually possesses.

After only three years in the NBA, we can only wonder as to what Rose will do next.

Best dunk: Rose climbs the ladder against Detroit

No. 47: Amare Stoudemire

The modern day equivalent to Shawn Kemp in terms of athleticism, Amare Stoudemire reigns supreme as one of the best big men dunkers in the game today.

Stoudemire utilized that exceptional athleticism with the Phoenix Suns when he and point guard Steve Nash paired up to form one of the most unstoppable pick and rolls in the history of the game.

With Nash's passing skills combined with Stoudemire's athleticism, the Suns were consistently in the mix for an NBA title for three consecutive years.

Now with New York, Stoudemire continues to put his athleticism on full display for his new team.

Best dunk: Stoudemire just kills Anthony Tolliver

No. 46: Russell Westbrook

Too soon to put Russell Westbrook amongst the 50 best dunkers of all time? You could argue it, but I wouldn't since he deserves to be at this level despite being 22.

Westbrook is a point guard that plays like a small forward when it comes to driving, as he withholds some of the greatest athleticism that any other player currently possesses. He has the capability to lift off at any given moment and can complete dunks that most shooting guards and small forward wish they could complete.

Along with the speed that allows him to get to the rim, Westbrook also possesses the strength to spar with any member of the front court.

Best dunk: Westbrook posterizes Shane Battier

No. 45: JaVale McGee

There must be something in the water these days because too many young players are jumping too high and dunking too many basketballs.

JaVale McGee dunked two basketballs on two different hoops in one round during his first dunk contest appearance. HE then managed to go out next round and dunk three basketballs in one hoop for the first time in dunk contest history.

McGee has a great deal of athleticism for a seven-footer. It only helps the center throw down at a more prolific rate thanks to his arms that seem to swing down near his ankles.

Best dunk: McGee rocks the cradle

No. 44: Gus Johnson

One of the first players in the NBA to utilize dunking as a major aspect of their game, Gus "Honeycomb" Johnson was one of the league's most underrated athletes in the '60s.

Johnson spent the majority of his career during a time when athleticism was running low and players like Gus thrived. He played with the Baltimore Bullets from 1963 until 1972. He finished out his career in Indiana in the ABA where he would take home his one and only championship.

Best dunk: A tribute to Gus Johnson

No. 43: Dee Brown

Unlike Cedric Ceballos who could see through his blindfold, Dee Brown wanted to make sure that everyone saw that he couldn't see on his dunk attempt.

Rather than using a blindfold, Brown jumps, covers his eyes with his right hand, and then throws it down with the left.

Standing at only 6'1", Brown is an extremely underrated athlete for a player of his stature.

Best dunk: Brown dunks with his eyes closed

No. 42: Kenny Walker

An underrated dunker that actually won a dunk contest title in its early days, Kenny Walker shared the same nickname as David "Skywalker" Thompson. Though he didn't share the same skill set by any means.

Walker only played in seven less than stellar seasons and is only known for his athleticism. If your dunking overshadows your overall game, you might have to work on your skill set.

Best dunk: Walker wins the 1989 Dunk Contest

No. 41: Gerald Green

Another player whose dunks overshadowed his overall game, Gerald Green didn't have much of an NBA career outside of blowing out a candle on top of the rim.

Green played in the league from 2005-2009 and wasn't utilized for much else other than his astounding athleticism.

At 6'8", 200 pounds, Green was just too light to be taken completely serious on both sides of the ball.

Best dunk: Green throws it down off the glass

No. 40: Fred Jones

Not many fair weather NBA fans have heard of Fred Jones, and for good reason. He didn't do much outside of winning a dunk contest.

It was a well-deserved win for Jones though, so we'll give him some props for that.

Best dunk: Jones throws down the 360 tomahawk

No. 39: Eddie Jones

An extremely underrated dunker, shooting guard/forward Eddie Jones was one of the best dunkers in the league during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jones was more of a shooter than anything, but he could drive the lane and throw down whenever he wanted to early on in his career.

Best dunk: Jones slams it in over Shawn Bradley

No. 38: Karl Malone

Arguably one of the league's most consistent and dominant scorers over the course of his near 20-year career, Karl Malone made a career on utilizing every strong suit of his game.

Aside from a consistent jumper, Malone was unbelievably strong and athletic. He was able to lead the Utah Jazz to their best seasons in franchise history because of it.

Malone was a stellar dunker in traffic and the open court, which is unusual for a player that stands at 6'9" and weighs 250 pounds.

Best dunk: Malone unleashes the hammer

No. 37: DeMar DeRozan

Spending only two years in the league thus far, DeMar DeRozan has already done enough to prove that he's one of the best dunkers in the history of the game.

At 6'7" and with lengthy arms, DeRozan is the perfect package when it comes to throwing down with authority. He showed great signs of leadership last year with the Toronto Raptors and could be the one to help lead the franchise out of obscurity.

With his jump shot not in tact, DeRozan finds the majority of his points coming near the basket as he utilizes his athleticism on just about every possession.

Best dunk: DeRozan throws it down over Tyrus Thomas

No. 36: Ricky Davis

Not known for being one of the best teammates, Ricky Davis instead made a career out of scoring and displaying his athleticism any time he had the chance.

Even if it didn't always work out.

Davis might not have worked out well for many of the teams he was on, but he did at least give them a momentary show.

Best dunk: Davis nearly jumps over Steve Nash

No. 35: Gerald Wallace

One of the game's greatest athletes, Gerald Wallace has the capability to convert on some impressive dunks. Just don't judge him on his dunk contest appearance.

Wallace is much better at throwing down in the game. He has the ability to dunk in traffic and send down alley oops that had no purpose of being sent down in the first place.

Best dunk: Wallace dunks all over Bostjan Nachbar

No. 34: Josh Smith

Currently one of the league's greatest athletes, Josh Smith should be thankful for his athleticism because his jump shot sure doesn't cut it.

Smith is another unbelievable athlete with hops out the ceiling and the uncanny ability to put just about any shot blocker on a poster.

Best dunk: Smith goes up, up, and away on Steve Nash

No. 33: Desmond Mason

An unbelievable athlete, dunker and not much else, Desmond Mason basically made a career out of his athleticism.

Not many fans remember Mason's career, but they do remember him in the 2001 dunk contest. He pulled out one of the best between the legs dunk you will ever see.

Best dunk: Mason goes between the legs

No. 32: Steve Francis

Before Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook were making dunks look easy for point guards, there was Steve Francis. He made it look even easier with some of the throwdowns that he completed.

With a career that started out so well, Francis was getting plenty of media attention in Houston thanks to his ability to throw down dunks despite standing only 6'3".

After averaging 21 points per game in his first year with Orlando, however, his career went down the tubes as injuries forced him into an early retirement at 30.

Best dunk: Francis bounces it to himself and throws it down

No. 31: Penny Hardaway

An underrated athlete through and through, Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway was only a few injuries away from being considered one of the game's elite players.

Sadly, we only got four productive years out of Penny before his overall production began to decline and he lost the athleticism that helped him lead the Orlando Magic to their first title appearance in 1995.

At 6'7", Hardaway possessed the length, strength and power to throw down over anyone with little worry of getting his shot turned back.

Best dunk: Hardaway sends Sam Mitchell to the hardwood

No. 30: Shannon Brown

Taking the NBA world by storm over the past two seasons, Shannon Brown's hops continue to shock and amaze us no matter how many times we see him do what he does best.

Standing at 6'4", Brown's vertical leap is exceptional and his hang time is something to be reckoned with as well.

Watching Brown dunk is one of the greatest sights to behold in the NBA, as it appears that the guard floats through mid-air for seconds at a time.

Best dunk: Brown switches hands mid-flight

No. 29: Darryl Dawkins

You won't find many centers in a list of the top dunkers in league history, mostly because they're already 7' and it's difficult to do much more than a standard dunk.

Darryl Dawkins managed to take that to the next level.

The reason why your backboards are currently made of a plastic material is thanks to Dawkins rendering glass backboards obsolete. Dawkins broke not one, but two backboards before the NBA got it together and began implementing plastic backboards.

Best dunk: Dawkins shuts the game down

No. 28: Elgin Baylor

The best scorer in the 1960s not named Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor averaged as much as 38 points per game during his time in the NBA.

Baylor stood at 6'5" and was a superb athlete that could score from outside and inside. He also utilized that athleticism on many occasions as he emerged as one of the game's original best dunkers.

Best dunk: Elgin Baylor among the early greats of dunking

No. 27: Isaiah Rider

A career that just never seemed to reach the heights anticipated for it, Isaiah Rider is one of the NBA's most disappointing stories.

Despite averaging nearly 20 points per game at 28 years old, Rider's career would drop off at that point and he would retire two years later.

During his time, Rider impressed everyone with his exceptional ability to dunk and pull off feats that not many have seen before.

Best dunk: Rider revolutionizes the between the legs dunk

No. 26: Grant Hill

With a promising career that was cut short by injury after injury, Grant Hill was close to being regarded as the best. He averaged 26 points per game in the 1999-'00 season.

Following that year, however, Hill would only play in 47 games over the next three years and would never be the same. Now at 39, Hill has been healthy as ever and can still throw down.

During his prime, Hill was one of the league's most athletic players. He made sure to let everyone know by putting countless shot blockers on posters.

Best dunk: Hill sends it in over Alonzo Mourning

No. 25: Harold Miner

Nicknamed "Baby Jordan," Harold Miner possessed the hops of Michael Jordan, but not much else to warrant a comparison to the greatest player of all time.

His athleticism was sick, though, and it did get him a solid four years in the league before he retired due to injuries. Miner was decent in his first two years, but injuries took their toll on the USC product, as he was forced to retire at 24.

Best dunk: Miner breaks out the windmill

No. 24: Shaquille O'Neal

At 7'1" and pushing 300 pounds for the majority of his career, Shaquille O'Neal was one of the most dominant forces the NBA had ever seen.

Even today, O'Neal in his prime would dominate any center in the game without question.

It was bad enough for opposing centers to deal with the gigantic mass in the paint, but they also had to deal with a player that knew how to use his size correctly. O'Neal was consistently dominant in the paint and would help lead the Los Angeles Lakers to three titles as well as one for the Miami Heat.

Best dunk: O'Neal slams it in over some poor soul

No. 23: Rudy Gay

An athletic freak with arms that could scrape the ceiling when he elevates to his highest, Rudy Gay has actually brought attention to the Memphis Grizzlies franchise with his aerial assaults.

Gay is a terrific dunker in the open court, traffic and in the dunk contest. It comes as a result of the strength and athleticism that he exhibits every time he goes up for a throwdown.

Best dunk: Gay dunks all over Luis Scola

No. 22: Tracy McGrady

Only a shell of the player that used to average 32 points per game, injuries have deterred Tracy McGrady from having a healthy second half to his career.

In the first half of his career, McGrady was an elite player with the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets. Coupled with a consistent jump shot and exceptional athleticism, McGrady was one of the most dominant and feared players you could come across in the mid-2000s.

What McGrady is best known for, though, is putting Shawn Bradley on the worst poster of his career. And that's saying a lot.

Best dunk: T-Mac crosses Vince Carter and then posterizes Keon Clark

No. 21: Nate Robinson

The second best little man dunker, Nate Robinson stands at only 5'9" and is the winner of three Slam Dunk contests.

He might not have deserved one or two of them, but Robinson did put on a show with his ability to reach heights that no one thought a player of his stature could reach.

Best dunk: Robinson dunks over Dwight Howard

No. 20: Scottie Pippen

An underrated dunker overshadowed by the exploits of his six-time MVP of a teammate, Scottie Pippen had the hops and the strength to compete with just about any other dunker that qualifies as elite.

Pippen was an exceptional athlete and utilized that strength not only on his astounding perimeter defense, but on offense as well when it came to driving and finishing.

No player knows that better than Patrick Ewing, who was abused by a number of Chicago Bulls.

Best dunk: Pippen goes up and over Ewing

No. 19: Dwyane Wade

Pound for pound the best athlete in the NBA at 6'4" and 220 pounds, Dwyane Wade has quietly taken over the NBA with his freakish athleticism.

Since injuries have limited his abilities to hit jumpers, Wade has made a haven out of the paint and finds the majority of his points coming by way of floater, layup or dunk. Dunking is Wade's specialty, as he plays a lot larger than what his size indicates.

Wade has become notorious for a large amount of players on the opposite end of posters with most of those victims being power forwards or centers.

Best dunk: Wade demolishes Anderson Varejao's career

No. 18: Connie Hawkins

One of the first great dunkers in the history of the game, Connie Hawkins abused the NBA with his aerial assaults in the 1960s and '70s.

Standing at 6'8", Hawkins dominated a league that had yet to possess the greatest of athletic talent. He was another flashy player that transitioned that type of game from the ABA to the NBA the same way David Thompson and Julius Erving did when the ABA dissolved.

Best dunk: Hawkins shows off his high flying skills

No. 17: Blake Griffin

It took one year for Blake Griffin to be ranked this high. There should be no complaints about it either because he is easily one of the best athletes the game has ever seen and ever will see.

Even after suffering a knee injury that kept him out of his rookie year, Griffin has come back stronger than ever. He was one of the league leaders in dunks last year as he took home Rookie of the Year honors.

Griffin doesn't have too much of an offensive game outside of the paint, so it's not uncommon to see him go for dunks from unheralded distances.

Best dunk: Griffin absolutely destroys Timofey Mozgov

No. 16: J.R. Smith

An exceptional athlete that should really utilize his athleticism more, J.R. Smith would rather spend more time shooting from beyond the perimeter instead of driving.

It's a shame too as Smith has completed some of the best dunks in recent memory with his poster dunk over Gary Neal being one of his latest great endeavors.

Best dunk: Smith goes 360 on the alley oop

No. 15: Spud Webb

One of the best little men dunkers of all time, if not the best, Spud Webb stood a lot taller than what his actual height indicates.

At 5'6", Webb gives inspiration to all the short people around the world that have dreams of dunking on a 10' hoop. Sadly, only a small fraction possess the athleticism that Webb possessed when he won a dunk contest.

Best dunk: Webb dominates the dunk contest

No. 14: Dwight Howard

Scoring 20 points per game strictly on dunks isn't as difficult as it sounds when you're Dwight Howard.

Despite having little to no post game or jump shot, Howard has managed to average nearly 20 points per game for his career thanks to his unmatched athleticism.

In a league where centers are an extremely rare commodity, Howard is taking advantage of the situation by utilizing his strengths and throwing down over the numerous weaker centers.

By numerous weaker centers, we mean all of them because no center can match Howard's strength.

Best dunk: Howard goes full extension against the Boston Celtics

No. 13: LeBron James

The most athletic player in the NBA, and the best at using that athleticism, LeBron James has had little trouble transitioning his overall game to the Miami Heat after spending seven years with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

No matter what team James would have ended up on, there's no doubt he would have thrived strictly because of the dominant athleticism that he puts on full display night in and night out.

James isn't too well known for putting opposing players on posters, but he is easily one of the best finishers when it comes to the open court.

Best dunk: James destroys James Johnson

No. 12: Jason Richardson

One of the best displays of athleticism ever put on at a dunk contest, Jason Richardson brought back the art of the between the legs dunk and the art of getting eye level with a 10' rim.

Richardson was widely considered as one of Vince Carter's greatest competitors when it came to best dunker. It can even be argued that J-Rich was the more athletic player by far.

Best dunk: Richardson goes reverse and between the legs

No. 11: James White

The best dunker you've never heard of, James "Flight" White only played a few games for the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets before taking his talents overseas.

White couldn't cut it as an NBA player, but he is possibly the best dunker in the history of the sport. He has completed some of the most insane dunks you will ever see in a dunk contest and has even shown just how close he can get to the top of the backboard.

Best dunk: White windmills it from the free throw line

No. 10: Larry Nance

Who said big men didn't have creativity when it came to dunking?

Before there was Dwight Howard, before there was Amare Stoudemire and even before there was Shawn Kemp, there was Phoenix Suns power forward Larry Nance throwing down some of the sickest dunks you'll ever see from a player standing at 6'10".

Nance not only possessed the thighs of a bicyclist that just completed a marathon on the Great Wall of China, but the athleticism to complete some of the NBA's first greatest dunks including the famed rock the cradle.

Best dunk: Nance wins the first dunk contest

No. 9: Andre Iguodala

One of the league's most athletic players and arguably the best dunker in the league, Andre Iguodala is one of the scariest players you can face if you're a center. He has gotten just enough room to take off.

The chances are high that you're either going to end up on a poster trying to block the shot or looking scared when shying away from the ferocity of Iguodala's jams.

Best dunk: Iguodala completes the impossible

No. 8: Kobe Bryant

Even at 33, Kobe Bryant still proves to us that he can dunk with the best of them.

In his heyday though, Bryant was one of, and still is, the greatest athletes for his time.

He possesses many of the attributes that Michael Jordan had as a dunker with the exceptional hang time, the strength he uses against shot blockers and the ability to lift off at any given moment.

It's not right to compare Jordan to Bryant since they're their own two players, but these two did share some striking similarities when it came to throwing down.

Best dunk: Buckle up for Kobe Bryant

No. 7: David Thompson

If your nickname is "Skywalker," you have officially made it to the big time of dunking.

Former Denver Nugget David Thompson was one of the first players to make dunking a large part of his game as he transitioned that flashy ABA play to the NBA.

Thompson had an absurd vertical leap, leading to its inclusion as a kept statistic. He also claims that he could touch the top of a backboard.

Best dunk: Thompson lifts off and throws down

No. 6: Clyde Drexler

Clyde "The Glide" Drexler was one of the smoothest and most electrifying dunkers in the league during his time. He competed with Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins as the best dunker in the late-1980s and early-1990s.

Drexler could easily be argued as the best dunker amongst the three thanks to the impression of flight he gave as he glided through the air after jumping from a far distance.

He only makes it look more impressive when he moves his legs and appears to be walking on air.

Best dunk: Drexler annihilates Bill Cartwright

No. 5: Shawn Kemp

A freakish athlete and one of the greatest dunkers for a player of his size at 6'10" and 230 pounds, Shawn Kemp was the last player you wanted to run into when he was coming down the lane with momentum.

Kemp wasn't the best jump shooter, so he had to find the majority of his points near the rim. He had no problem finding points in the paint, as he would utilize his unmatched strength to outmuscle and slam over the top of opposing members of the front court.

Combined with speed and power, Kemp remains as one of the greatest big man dunkers in league history.

Best dunk: Kemp embarrasses Alton Lister

No. 4: Dominique Wilkins

A rare breed of power and finesse, Dominique Wilkins used both when going up for his jams.

Wilkins was given the title "Human Highlight Reel" because he could compile an entire list of an ESPN top tens in one game.

He was also a part of one of the best dunk contests when he challenged Michael Jordan for the crown.

'Nique was fast, but his main specialty was the raw power and strength that he put on display when he did throw down a dunk. He, Clyde Drexler and Michael Jordan competed numerous times in dunk contests with either of the three having a solid argument as to why they were the best dunker.

Best dunk: Wilkins makes Larry Bird look foolish

No. 3: Julius Erving

Revolutionizing the art of the dunk, Julius Erving was one of the first players to transition the flash of the ABA to the NBA.

It worked well for the NBA and the Philadelphia 76ers, who won a championship on account of Erving's leadership.

Erving was one of the first NBA players to begin using the dunk as a major part of his game and it made it extremely difficult for defenses to stop it since he was too athletic to deter.

Best dunk: Erving throws down on Michael Cooper

No. 2: Michael Jordan

The best player to ever step onto an NBA court, Michael Jordan finds himself just a one place behind the No. 1 spot that he has become so accustomed to owning.

Whether in a dunk contest or in a regulation game, Jordan's dunks are some of the most unbelievable to behold. It made him nearly unstoppable when he got some breathing room.

He possessed the hops to jump from as far as the free throw line. He had the speed to lift off before any defender had time to deter him. His vertical leap allowed him to throw down over just about any center.

Jordan's greatest attribute when it came to dunking, though, was his hang time. His most memorable dunks came by way of staying in the air for seconds at a time before gravity woke up and decided to bring him back to earth.

Best dunk: MJ lifts off from the free throw line and doesn't even travel

No. 1: Vince Carter

The best dunker in NBA history by far, Vince Carter has performed feats that we never thought possible.

Deterring Carter from dunking is one of the last things a defender wants to do because it's impossible. He's put too many shot blockers on posters, has throw down too many alley oops and is sometimes just too quick for defenders to react,

Carter's dunking ability is second to none as he has completed some of the greatest dunks in game and in the dunk contest.

He has also performed the greatest dunk in regulation game history. During the 2000 Olympics, Carter managed to somehow completely jump over the top of a 7' Frenchmen named Frederic Weis. It's a dunk that was never seen before and will never be seen again.

Best dunk: Carter unleashes the beast on Frederic Weis