From Jordan and 'Nique to Zach LaVine, Vinsanity, and everybody in between, it's the best and worst of the NBA's All-Star Slam Dunk Contest.
34) Arlington, 2010. Winner: Nate Robinson. If we give Nate one more trophy, will he promise to never come back?
Robinson was already a two-time Slam Dunk Contest champion (and also had a second-place finish in 2007 to his credit), so the novelty of seeing his 5'9" dunk spectacularly had started to fizzle by 2010, or at least so we thought. The real star of this show should have been DeMar DeRozan, who provided the highlight of the night with an alley-oop tomahawk off the side of the backboard. But the Raptors rookie then fudged up an over-a-teammate (Sonny Weems) dunk that likely cost him the title. Robinson wasn't exactly lights out either, forced to invoke contrivances such as bringing out the Dallas Cowboys cheerleader squad for no real reason. The other competitors were Shannon Brown, who showed some athleticism but absolutely no creativity, and Gerald Wallace, who seemed to be stifling yawns the entire time. In the end, it came down to fan voting which gave Robinson the nod over DeRozan in a razor-thin result, an injustice that was the icing on the cake of the worst dunk contest in history.
33) Los Angeles, 2004. Winner: Fred Jones. A controversial new format helps Jones to a forgettable upset.
How bad was this one? So bad that TNT's Jim Grey essentially interrupted his postgame interview with the newly crowned Jones to basically beg LeBron James to compete in 2005. Though Jones, then with the Pacers, was the winner, it was less for his subpar dunking and more thanks to a new rule that was instituted for this edition. In an attempt to speed the contest along and cut down on embarrassing misses, the NBA limited the amount of mulligans players could take on dunks, therefore allowing only a set number of attempts. It was a decent idea on paper but an utter failure in practice, as two-time defending champion Jason Richardson provided the only highlights of this contest, especially his off-the-backboard, between-the-legs windmill in the first round, but walked away in second place because he ran out of attempts in the final round. Jones struggled in the last round as well, but was able to complete a dunk and clinched it. The NBA smartly scrapped the rule a year later, and though James ultimately didn't compete, the 2005 edition was a vast improvement.
32) Houston, 2013. Winner: Terrence Ross. Can anybody connect on the first try anymore?
Dominique Wilkins once famously claimed to never prepare for his Dunk Contest appearances, but his effortlessly splendid performances belied the pretense. Meanwhile, the 2013 competitors seemed to accidentally take that thought to its logical conclusion, with everyone looking under-prepared and so nerve-wracked that they couldn't compensate. The biggest disappointment was James White, a ferocious in-game dunker and YouTube sensation that took several attempts to complete a foul line two-handed jam. While the dunk was ultimately impressive, it also left him exhausted and unable to complete his second dunk. Kenneth Faried and Eric Bledsoe also had some exciting entries but were also done in by repeated misses and eliminated early. It came down to defending champ and master of props Jeremy Evans (who made use of both a painted self-portrait and 7'4" Jazz legend Mark Eaton) and the rookie Ross, whose old-school array of moves was refreshing but not immune to repeated misses, especially on his signature behind-the-back 360 that took umpteenth tries. Ross' title got far less attention the next day compared to the final tally of 36 missed dunks, a staggering number especially compared to just 15 that were made.
31) New Orleans, 2017. Winner: Glenn Robinson III. Aaron Gordon can't catch lightning in a bottle twice.
Coming on the heels of a terrific face-off with Zach LaVine in 2016 that revived a declining competition, Gordon was a major disappointment in his encore. The acrobatic Orlando star was a heavy favorite ahead of the 2017 Dunk Contest but couldn't even make it out of the first round. He got too cute with his first dunk, employing a drone (with prominent product placement for Intel) to alley-oop him the ball, an awkward exchange that took four attempts to succeed in a limited fashion. He then couldn't even connect once on his second dunk, an ambitious between-the-legs 360, and was eliminated. This left the door open for Robinson, whose father, Glen, Jr., was a two-time All-Star but never participated in the Dunk Contest. His two most impressive entries were pretty similar, first skying over a well-constructed human tower in the first round, then closing the contest out by leaping over Paul George, a Pacers cheerleader, and the mascot Boomer standing in a row. This one was otherwise an embarrassment, with second place finisher Derrick Jones unable to complete his first attempt in the finals, while DeAndre Jordan made a sad leap over DJ Khaled's turntables.
30) Philadelphia, 2002. Winner: Jason Richardson. Wheel of misfortune.
Oh, that dunk wheel. After a relatively dull affair in 2001 succeeded Vince Carter's sublime 2000 performance, adding a gimmick in 2002 wasn't the worst idea. But while having competitors spin a wheel and attempt to replicate the legendary dunks of history they land on was a nice idea in theory, in practice it created some issues. Start with the fact that the wheel looked like it was re-purposed from a church basement casino night. Then, consider the possibility that Gerald Wallace, a power dunker, isn't the best candidate by blind luck to simulate the Dr. J foul line dunk or that the small-handed Steve Francis would struggle with Terrence Stansbury's palm ball 360. Though the contest's real highlight was Charles Barkley verbally dressing down the wheel and general concept before the first round even ended, there were some decent moments from first-timer Jason Richardson, who was in the midst of his rookie year with Golden State. He would truly break out the next year, defending his title in a much-improved, non-wheeled 2003 edition.
29) Cleveland, 1997. Winner: Kobe Bryant. Screw it, let's just scrap this thing next year.
He was still only an 18-year-old rookie at the time, but Bryant was easily the Dunk Contest's bigger star in seven years when he participated in 1997. But there's a reason that over two decades later the most memorable part of this contest was the crowd shots of his then-girlfriend, Brandy. Bryant was consistent but uninspiring on the road to victory, with his best dunk being a bastardized version of Isaiah Rider's legendary "East Bay Funk." Ray Allen, Chris Carr, and hometown hero Bob Sura also put in pedestrian performances, but credit due to Michael Finley, who energized the crowd with his ill-fated attempts at a cartwheel dunk (if you can truly call this a "cartwheel") and a two-ball dunk. When even Bryant's star power couldn't re-energize the competition and fan interest, the NBA chose to postpone it indefinitely, starting in 1998.
28) Phoenix, 1995. Winner: Harold Miner. Miner and Isaiah Rider's 15 minutes run out.
This dull contest and the exhilarating classic edition from 1988 have one thing, and one thing only, in common: they both featured the last two defending champions. But whereas 1988 had a heavily-hyped match-up between Michael Jordan and Spud Webb, in 1995 we were stuck with Miner and Rider. Both players had become semi-household names for their previous Dunk Contest titles but their stars were quickly fading by the 1995 All-Star break, with Miner falling out of the Heat starting lineup while Rider was gaining a petulant reputation in Minnesota. They were the final two competitors in this one almost by default, as fellow entries Tony Dumas, Antonio Harvey, Jamie Watson, and Tim Perry were all total non-entities (Harvey actually whiffed on a 360 yet still finished in fourth place out of six, if that's any indication of how the first round went down). But after inspiring performances in the previous two contests, Rider and Miner seemed to run out of gas and ideas in the final round here. Rider was unable to complete an audacious between-the-legs, under-the-basket attempt, leaving Miner to clinch the title just by completing an above average reverse 360.
27) Charlotte, 2019. Winner: Hamidou Diallo. Fair to say that they're just running out of ideas.
There have certainly been dunk contests in the past that made fans question whether the players were out of original ideas, but 2019 seemed especially disheartening in that regard. Even the consensus best dunk of the night, from the champ Diallo, was yet another take on jumping over someone (though props for using Shaquille O'Neal), followed by sticking his arm through the basket, a la Vince Carter, followed by revealing a Superman shirt under his jersey, a la Dwight Howard. Otherwise, you had two more rappers getting leaped over (Quavo from Migos by Diallo, and J. Cole by Dennis Smith, Jr.), another tribute to a legendary local dunker by donning their jersey (Larry Johnson worn by Miles Bridges), and another elaborate prop and costume show (John Collins, donning a vintage pilot's uniform to soar over a Wright Brothers style replica plane, in an homage to the local aviation history). None of this was particularly bad per se, but none of it was original enough to be truly memorable either.
26) San Antonio, 1996. Winner: Brent Barry. The white guy wins it.
Most everyday basketball fans of a certain age will cite this as the worst Dunk Contest of all-time when queried, and for good reason. It was the year a skinny, track suit-clad, white guy won it with a semi-impressive but unoriginal foul line dunk. But the dunk really isn't as bad as you likely remember and it was definitively the best of the night, which featured mediocre performances all around but no terrible ones. Greg Minor was solid, while Michael Finley had his moments, particularly a self-alley-oop angled windmill that propelled him into the final round. Barry, then a Clippers rookie, actually completed his foul line dunk not once, but twice, with a superior version coming in the first round. Perhaps unprepared due to expectations of being eliminated early, he lined up and did it again to clinch the title just barely over Finley. It's an easy dunk to criticize, since he was just aping Michael Jordan (who, in turn, was doing an homage to Julius Erving) and he plainly stepped over the foul line. It may stand as the most ignominious singular moment in Dunk Contest history, but it's not quite indicative of the worst ever competition.
25) New Orleans, 2014. Winner: John Wall. A star-studded affair mired but yet another contrived format change.
Give the NBA credit for continually attempting to spice up the Dunk Contest with format tweaks, but this is the ultimate example of where we could have had a classic if the league had just gotten out of its own way. John Wall, Damian Lillard, and Paul George joined defending champion Terrence Ross in the 2014 contest, marking the first time since 1988 that three All-Stars were participating. But instead of facing off each other as per usual, they, along with the other participants Ben McLemore and Harrison Barnes, were placed in two teams along conference lines with a new format that included a "freestyle" round and then a "battle" round. It was an ill-fated though reasonable attempt to improve the flow that had been completely upended by a multitude of missed dunks in the disastrous 2013 edition. Unfortunately, the attempt to streamline dunks just caused confusion and, ultimately, boredom, as even the most exciting attempts were stilted in impact. There wasn't even technically a champion, as the East won in a romp and Wall was declared "Dunker of the Night" by fan voting (he did at least receive a trophy for that).
24) Orlando, 2012. Winner: Jeremy Evans. Is this a Dunk Contest or a prop comedy show?
With the advent of YouTube and social media, the '10s have placed added pressure on Dunk Contest competitors to not just impress the judges, crowds, and TV viewers, but also create "viral" moments. The apotheosis of this came in 2012, when the NBA opted to let fan voting decide the winner, leaving the players scrambling to pull out all the gimmicky stops. Thus we had Derrick Williams leaping over a motorcycle, Paul George dunking with the arena lights lowered, and Evans donning a head-mounted "dunk cam." And then there was Chase Budinger, who dragged P. Diddy onto the floor for his first attempt then later re-created Cedric Ceballos' blindfold dunk, which had taken place 20 years earlier, also in Orlando. It was an inspired performance that almost won him the trophy but Evans took it home in the end, thanks to an awe-inspiring slam with two balls caught on a double alley-oop from Jazz teammate Gordon Hayward (not to be lost in all the gimmicks, he also had an extended "Mailman" dunk, with cameos from Karl Malone's jersey an an in-character Kevin Hart). Though tempered by the over-reliance on props and the lack of reactions from a seemingly benign Orlando crowd, it was still far from a terrible overall contest.
23) Phoenix, 2009. Winner: Nate Robinson. Normal sized players need not apply
Poor Rudy Fernandez. The Spaniard became the first foreign-born player to compete in a Dunk Contest by virtue of a fan vote over Russell Westbrook (thanks in large part to memories of his incredible dunk over Dwight Howard in the 2008 Olympics), and he put on quite a show. His first dunk was solid yet unspectacular, but his second dunk was a thing of beauty, taking a pass from countryman Pau Gasol off the back of the backboard and slamming it down as a reverse. Perhaps because it took several attempts (which was actually Gasol's fault as he struggled to get the pass right), but more likely because fans and judges all wanted Nate Robinson vs. Dwight Howard, Fernandez unfairly did not advance. Howard got creative, as usual, with a dunk on an 11-foot rim, and an audacious attempt at the free throw line leap. But he also went back to the Superman gimmick and dulled its impact, and stepped well over the free throw line in his final dunk. By virtue of essentially not screwing up any of his pretty good dunks, Robinson walked away with his second title.
22) Brooklyn, 2015. Winner: Zach LaVine. "Come on and slam, and welcome to the jam."
There had been more subtle tributes to Michael Jordan in past contests, but LaVine in 2015 was the first dunker brave enough to overtly pay homage to the Dunk Contest's biggest legend. Coming out onto the court to the strains of the "Space Jam" theme, performed live by the Quad City DJs, LaVine tore off his warm-ups to reveal Jordan's Tune Squad jersey underneath and threw down a beautiful off-the-bounce reverse on his first attempt. He followed it up with a powerful, behind-the-back jack hammer on his second dunk before doing just enough in the finals to hold off Victor Oladipo. LaVine was the first Timberwolves player since Isaiah Rider in 1994 to win the Dunk Contest, and, at age 19, the youngest since Kobe Bryant in 1997. Oladipo also had showmanship on his first dunk, walking out in a top hat singing "New York, New York," then nailing a dynamic two-handed reverse, but ran out of gas late and couldn't even complete of his final round dunks. The biggest disappointment of the night was Giannis Antetokounmpo, who didn't make much of his only Slam Dunk Contest appearance, showing off some of the athleticism that earned him the nickname "Greek Freak" but struggling to make his dunks within the allotted attempts. Luckily for Antetokounmpo, there was an even worse performance on the night from Mason Plumlee, who missed almost all of his attempts before finally just barely skying over his brother, Miles.
21) Denver, 2005. Winner: Josh Smith. "It's time for the Birdman to fly!"
There was a palpable excitement when the Dunk Contest returned to its roots in Denver, site of both the original ABA contest in 1976 and NBA edition in 1984. The 2005 edition managed to showcase both the best and worst of what the exhibition can be. Under the "worst" column, we'd have to include Smith becoming seemingly the millionth player to attempt a free throw line dunk and obviously stepping inside the line before taking off. But the true nadir came courtesy of Chris "Birdman" Andersen, a 6'10" heavily tattooed oddball who had a decent showing in 2004 but embarrassed himself and the concept of dunking in general in his follow-up. After remarking to the TNT camera that it was "time for the Birdman to fly," Andersen attempted a series of ostentatious dunks without connecting, grinding the proceedings to a halt. This pathetic showing overshadowed an otherwise exciting showdown between Smith, then a rookie for the Hawks, and Amare Stoudemire. Smith took home the crown thanks to an array of impressively athletic dunks but Stoudemire had the dunk of the night, tossing the ball off the backboard to teammate Steve Nash, who headed it back to him, soccer-style, for an alley-oop. It was a terrific display of where unfettered creativity can effect a spectacular dunk, without having to resort to cheap gimmickry.
20) Washington, 2001. Winner: Desmond Mason. Mason and DeShawn Stevenson quietly duke it out.
It had to be a letdown for the NBA, the year after Vince Carter rehabilitated the Dunk Contest, to have Baron Davis as its biggest star in 2001, along with relative unknowns Mason, Stevenson, Corey Maggette, Stromile Swift, and Jonathan Bender. It is fitting that this edition didn't feature any real defining moments, with the diminutive Davis failing to capture the crowd, while most of the best dunks actually happened in the first round. It did, however, feature a refreshingly pure burst of unencumbered athleticism, plus a decent back-and-forth showdown between Mason and Stevenson. Mason clinched it early in the final round with a beautiful straight-on leaning tomahawk, while Stevenson got too repetitive with alley-oops, both from teammates and himself, and Davis made an ill-fated attempt at the Cedric Ceballos blindfold dunk, and whiffed completely. It wasn't the most inspiring Dunk Contest, but it was efficiently solid, and Davis' blinder gaffe aside, there were no other memorably embarrassing moments. After always relying on five-to-seven dunkers per competition, after this bloated display the NBA wisely scaled back to four competitors starting in 2002.
19) Los Angeles, 2018. Winner: Donovan Mitchell. A solid tribute to the legends of 1984.
24 years after his dad, Larry, Sr., won the inaugural NBA Slam Dunk Contest, it was inevitable that Larry, Jr. would pay tribute to his legacy. Participating just a few days after he was traded from the Lakers to the Cavaliers as part of the blockbuster Isaiah Thomas deal, Nance eschewed his Cleveland jersey early on in the contest, donning the Suns uniform that his father wore when he won the 1984 edition, complete with the high socks, and replicating dad's contest-winning "rock the cradle" slam. He would later add a powerful windmill, an alley-oop from Larry, Sr., and an impressive, if difficult to comprehend, double-tap dunk that proved more remarkable on slo-mo video replay than it was live. But Nance ultimately came in second behind Mitchell, who also paid homage to a 1984 Dunk Contest participant, Jazz legend Darrell Griffith, and closed things out with a superb 360 tribute to Vince Carter. Dennis Smith, Jr. also put in some solid first round dunks in this one, while Victor Oladipo struggled, but at least got to pay tribute to Wakanda with a little help from the real Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman.
18) Minneapolis, 1994. Winner: Isaiah Rider. The East Bay Funk Dunk.
There's no doubt Rider's winning "East Bay Funk Dunk" is a first ballot Greatest Dunks Hall of Fame inductee. But there's also a reason the official NBA "best of" highlights package that appears for this contest on YouTube is barely two minutes long. For the first time contestants were granted 90 seconds in the opening round to complete as many dunks as possible for a cumulative score. This led to a surfeit of mediocrity in the first round, with only Rider and the always explosive Shawn Kemp standing out, setting up a potentially epic finale. After Rider thrilled his home crowd by opening up the finals with his signature dunk, a napalm baseline jam between the legs (that Charles Barkley, still an active player but making his debut announcing gig, called "possibly the best I've ever seen"), Kemp, considered the favorite, essentially wilted under the pressure, a disappointing cap to his fourth and final Dunk Contest. He missed badly on both of his dunks (you were only allowed one attempt in the final round that year), questionably trying to palm the ball in a skill that wasn't really his forte. Though this contest was lacking overall, Rider's brilliance is enough to place it in the top 20 on our list.
17) Houston, 1989. Winner: Kenny Walker. The stars start to skip it and the Skywalker rips it.
A letdown was inevitable after the heights of the 1988 Michael Jordan-Dominique Wilkins duel, but the Houston contest still featured some intriguing names, especially Blazers teammates Clyde Drexler and Jerome Kersey, defending champion Spud Webb, and a young Ron Harper. Drexler especially felt like the favorite and put on an inspiring performance early (Webb, meanwhile, was disappointingly eliminated in the first round) before falling apart in the finals, opening the door for Walker. The young Knicks player was the least marketable participant and not particularly flashy, but put on a workmanlike aerial display to win the title and earn the indelible nickname "Sky" Walker. It marked a sea change of sorts for the Dunk Contest, with more bankable stars like Drexler either bowing out or coming up short while lesser known players like Walker, Isaiah Rider, Dee Brown, and Harold Miner took advantage and made themselves household names.
16) Denver, 1984. Winner: Larry Nance. The original, but far from the best.
Eight years after the ABA put on its famous Slam Dunk Contest in Denver during halftime of the All-Star Game, the NBA decided to finally follow suit and institute its own version, as the flagship of its new All-Star Saturday Night competition (the only other event at the time was a "Legends Classic" featuring recently retired stars like Earl Monroe and Pete Maravich that was phased out after 10 years due to excessive injuries). Julius Erving, now an established veteran with the 76ers, was on hand just as he had been in 1976, taking on young high-flyers in Dominique Wilkins, Ralph Sampson, and Clyde Drexler. Dunkers took an absurd nine attempts back then, with just Erving and Nance surviving the war of attrition to make the finals, edging out third place Wilkins. Though just shy of his 34th birthday at this point, Dr. J was still game, even re-appropriating his legendary foul line dunk, but flubbed one of his final attempts, opening the door for the acrobatic Nance to claim victory. The diluted value of the overstuffed format, which the NBA would soon fix, dragged this notable competition down, as did disappointing performances from Drexler, Sampson, and a misplaced Michael Cooper.
15) Houston, 2006. Winner: Nate Robinson. Robinson impresses, but Andre Iguodala gets robbed.
On paper Robinson seems like the logical evolution of the Spud Webb phenomenon, a little man that entrances fans with his ability to dunk at all, let alone in spectacular fashion. The problem with Robinson is that he always seemed too fabricated, which was aggrandized by his populist act beating out a more worthy title holder all three times he won. Even though his first contest was the height of his act, thanks to the jolt of astonishment from seeing elevated acrobats from such a small player, it may have been the most egregious example of him essentially stealing the trophy in a popularity contest. While Robinson was in full showman mode in this one, even dunking over Webb at one point, Iguodala consistently dropped power dunk after power dunk, egged on fiercely by his Sixers teammate Allen Iverson. His alley-oop off the backboard into a reverse jam was jaw-dropping, as was his self-alley-oop behind-the-back tomahawk. With defending champ Josh Smith bowing out meekly, Iguodala and Robinson were actually tied after their final dunks, leading to the first, and still only, tiebreaker in Dunk Contest history. Even though his final attempt took 14 tries to get right, Robinson was impressive enough to the judges to win his first of three titles.
14) Salt Lake City, 1993. Winner: Harold Miner. "Baby Jordan" takes the spotlight.
When the All-Star Weekend descended on Utah in 1993, the concept of Dunk Contest champion as prefab superstar was still at its height. Defending champion (and solid all-around player) Cedric Ceballos returned, as did former runner-up Kenny Smith, but the rest of the players were neophyte high-fliers looking to make a name (and shoe contract) for themselves that probably wouldn't come just from their in-game play: Miner, Clarence Weatherspoon, Tim Perry, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and David Benoit. Miner put on a vigorous display, as his ability to leap from almost a stand-still under the basket an awe-inspiring and original sight. He consistently dunked with such force and beauty that he essentially overwhelmed the two best contenders, Ceballos (who perfectly executed a two ball dunk) and Weatherspoon. The press immediately dubbed him "Baby Jordan," a designation that would prove to be both a blessing and a curse for the shy and unassuming Heat guard, who could never live up to his gargantuan expectations and flamed out of the league by 1996, after winning another Dunk Contest in 1995.
13) Orlando, 1992. Winner: Cedric Ceballos. No look, sure, but can you do it blindfolded?
The field in 1992 was actually quite stacked, both at the time and in retrospect, featuring two young rising stars in Larry Johnson and Ceballos, the always explosive John Starks, Shawn Kemp, Stacey Augmon, and hometown hero Nick Anderson. Fresh off being the #1 pick in the 1991 draft and well on his way to earning Rookie of the Year honors, Johnson was considered the crown jewel and certainly his shoe endorsers, Converse, were pulling for him as much as anybody. He dominated the first round, wowing the crowd with sheer power and seeming to overwhelm the competition. Ceballos managed to eke into the finals just ahead of Anderson and Starks, setting up what still might be the ultimate Dunk Contest controversy. After Johnson muffed his opening salvo in the final round, Ceballos strapped on a blindfold, and with the Florida crowd watching in stunned awe, ran towards the basket (without dribbling) and dunked it home. It was immediately debated whether Ceballos could actually see through (or under) the blindfold but it was no matter, as the shrewd tactic helped him receive a perfect 50 and be crowned as champion.
12) Las Vegas, 2007. Winner: Gerald Green. The crowd bores with Nate Robinson and Green steals the show.
Homages and gimmicks have been doled out in heavy doses ever since the Dunk Contest lost its star power in the early '90s, and have only increased in recent years as bare bones original ideas have become increasingly sparse. The novelty of a little man dunking was nothing new, though, starting with Spud Webb in 1986, and twenty years later Robinson joined him in winning the title. He came back a year later to defend that championship in Vegas against Gerald Green, Tyrus Thomas, and Dwight Howard, who was arguably the biggest star to participate since Vince Carter in 2000. In front of a raucous crowd, and surprise guest judge Michael Jordan, Howard had the dunk of the night, pasting a sticker near the top of the backboard before throwing down a powerful slam. He was, however, eliminated by Robinson, but the crowd started to turn on the diminutive high flyer in the final round due to Green's heroics, which were helped in part by Robinson himself. In the night's most memorable moment, Green was primed to dunk over a cardboard cut-out of Robinson, until Robinson stepped in himself to take over for his doppelganger.
11) Atlanta, 2003. Winner: Jason Richardson. Richardson's coronation, and Amare Stoudemire's glorious debut.
It's a rare case when two of the Dunk Contest competitors are defending champions but a third guy is actually the biggest star and most heavily hyped. Stoudemire was in the midst of a revelatory rookie year that would end with him becoming the first prep-to-pro player to win Rookie of the Year. Richardson and Desmond Mason were the past two champions but their accolades were limited as their titles seemed subdued in the wake of Vince Carter's earth-shattering 2000 performance. While Stoudemire impressed in his opening dunk, going between the legs, an impressive feat for a man his size, he couldn't execute on his second attempt, leaving the finals as a showdown between Richardson and Mason. The two former champs both competed valiantly, with Richardson's reverse between-the-legs dunk becoming an instant classic and one of three perfect 50 scores on the night for the Warriors star, propelling him to his second consecutive title.
10) Miami, 1990. Winner: Dominique Wilkins. 'Nique's Last Stand.
Though the date showed the year as 1990, this was in many ways the final '80s Dunk Contest. After finishing as a runner-up to Spud Webb in 1986 and Michael Jordan in 1988, Wilkins came back one last time seeking to repeat his 1985 title. Many expected his top competition to come from defending champion Kenny Walker or facile youngster Shawn Kemp (Scottie Pippen was also in it, while Rex Chapman had probably the best all-time showing by a white guy not named Brent Barry), but instead his pushing came from a young Sacramento guard named Kenny Smith. For those who only remember him for his later years as a shooting specialist for the Rockets or his TNT broadcasting gig, watching this contest is a good reminder of why he previously earned the nickname "Jet." His high point here (in his first of three Dunk Contest appearances) was a stunningly executed self-alley-oop backwards through his legs from the free throw line into a reverse jam. Though the diminutive Smith quickly became a fan favorite, there was still plenty of residual good will for Wilkins, then 30 years old. He stuck to his usual procession of power dunks, including not one but two incredible two-handed windmills to win his second title, just holding off Smith.
9) Los Angeles, 2011. Winner: Blake Griffin. One of the all-time classics devolves into a Kia commercial.
This was a Dunk Contest purist's nightmare but it's near the top thanks to its undeniable collection of talent and pure entertainment factor. It's telling that fans of any of the three runners-up, Serge Ibaka, DeMar DeRozan, and JaVale McGee, could make a compelling case that their guy was robbed. In fact, rewatching this contest, one could argue the hometown hero Griffin to deserved to finish in last place on the opening round, where DeRozan had two thundering dunks, McGee somehow managing to dunk three balls into one hoop, and Ibaka getting clever by snatching a tiny Thunder mascot doll off the rim with his teeth before slamming the ball home. But the Clippers "Lob City" star moved on with McGee, who continued his herculean effort in the final round with a legitimately dangerous dunk in which the seven-footer sailed just underneath the rim on a reverse jam. Griffin's finale, and the most endearing image of this competition, was a calculated bit of synergy. Baron Davis drove a Kia Optima onto the court and right in front of the hoop, while TNT viewers were subjected to the commentators shamelessly tote the virtues of the economy sedan. The overwrought mis en scene also included a gospel choir and Kenny Smith as hype man, and though the dunk, in which Griffin leaped over the front of the vehicle while catching an alley-oop from Davis through the sunroof was fun, it wasn't that impressive. But it was enough to win over the fans, who were acting as judges in the final round via text message voting.
8) Charlotte, 1991. Winner: Dee Brown. Brown pumps his Reeboks, covers his eyes, and takes to the air.
It was appropriate that the newest NBA city of Charlotte hosted a fresh batch of neophytes looking to make a name for themselves though the Dunk Contest. For a generation of young fans, being an exceptional dunker was arguably just as important as being an All-Star player, and Brown ultimately took as much advantage of that as anybody. Though Rex Chapman and Kenny Smith put up good preliminary performances in this one, it ultimately came down to Brown and Shawn Kemp. The pair were intriguing for completely different reasons, Kemp using his 6'10", 230 pound frame to violently throw down repeated power dunks while Brown, standing just 6'1", awing the crowd with his ability to sky through the air. Kemp arguably peaked with his first dunk, an incredible reverse slam after lobbing the ball over his own back, while Brown saved the best for last. His penultimate dunk was impressive, slamming home a second ball that was resting on the rim (even though his first technically went in as more of a lay-up), but his final dunk was the stuff of legends, a no-look dunk achieved by covering his eyes in the crux of his arm while taking off. With his signature Reebok shoes (he essentially put the company on the map in this contest) and clever dunking gimmick, Brown captured the zeitgeist while Kemp, with his violent poetry, captured our imaginations. Unlike other '90s Dunk Contest heroes like Isaiah Rider and Harold Miner, Brown actually had a solid NBA career, lasting 12 seasons with the Celtics, Raptors, and Magic.
7) Seattle, 1987. Winner: Michael Jordan. Jordan's first win, against a stacked field.
This is good a place as any to take a moment to praise Terence Stansbury, an overlooked and under-appreciated forefather of the Dunk Contest. He lasted just three seasons in the NBA but participated in three Slam Dunk Contests, finishing in third place against a stacked field each time. He even had a signature dunk, a Statue of Liberty 360, which he refined and perfected by this competition. However, there was no denying Jordan in 1987, as the hyper-competitive star was determined to avenge his loss to Dominique Wilkins two years prior. Wilkins didn't participate in this one due to injury, though his brother Gerald was on hand, as was Clyde Drexler (the competition also included Tom Chambers, who finished in last place but one night later was the surprise MVP of the All-Star Game). But it was another Trail Blazer, Jerome Kersey, who pushed Jordan in the competition, besting him in the first round and then trading blow-for-blow in the semifinal. Jordan actually repeated a lot of his same dunks from 1985, including the free throw leap, but it was enough to hold off the powerful Kersey and complete his coronation.
6) Toronto, 2016. Winner: Zach LaVine. LaVine (deservedly) wins the trophy but Aaron Gordon and Stuff the Mascot steal the show.
Every few years, just as the dunk contest seems to be reaching its nadir, a contest like 2016 comes along and reinvigorates things, sustaining it indefinitely as a staple of All-Star Saturday Night. 2016 was one such case, when LaVine and Gordon set aside several years of disappointing exhibitions with one of the all-time great showdowns. Not only did it feature several instant classic dunks, each seemingly more creative and athletic than the last, it was also the first Slam Dunk Contest to go to double overtime, as both of the top competitors proved unable to top each other. The third biggest star of the night was the Magic mascot Stuff, the Magic Dragon (and his hover board), who figured into three of Gordon's dunks, including his best one, a gravity-defying leap over Stuff, followed by passing the ball to himself under his butt before dunking. What LaVine lacked in showmanship, he made up for with sustained athleticism, arguably the most impressive seen in a Dunk Contest since Vince Carter 16 years earlier. There also a bit of improv involved, as LaVine, running out of ideas in the second overtime, supposedly made up his final between-the-legs, free throw line leap dunk up on the spot. Whether you think LaVine deserved his second straight title or Gordon was robbed, there's no denying this was one of the all-time greats.
5) Dallas, 1986. Winner: Spud Webb. Score one for the little guy.
The average American man stands about 5'10", while the average NBA player measures up at 6'7". Webb was listed at 5'6", was likely even shorter, and his performance in the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest is still an inspirational marvel to short and tall alike. His antagonist in the contest, Hawks teammate Dominique Wilkins, was Webb's mirror opposite in terms of physicality, possessing size and strength that 99.9% of the populace could only dream about. This was especially clear in the first dunk of the finals, where both competitors threw down 360 dunks that were technically the same but vastly different, with Webb floating to the hoop with the grace of a gymnast while Wilkins violently assaulted the rim. The competition also featured solid showings from early Dunk Contests regulars Jerome Kersey and Terence Stansbury, who, in addition to his signature Statue of Liberty dunk, also set the bar for prop use by leaping over two people seated in chairs (meanwhile, Dominique's brother Gerald somehow earned a perfect 50 for jumping over an empty sideline chair). Wilkins' array of tensile, forceful dunks drove Webb to push the envelope in response and he came up big in the clutch, nailing a self-alley-oop off the backboard in his final attempt. Wilkins needed a perfect 50 to match it and arguably deserved one for his own final dunk, a two-handed windmill, but was granted just a 48 from the judges, handing Webb his unforgettable title.
4) New Orleans, 2008. Winner: Dwight Howard. It's a bird... it's a plane...
Though the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest rightly came down to Howard vs. defending champion Gerald Green in the finals, you can't discount additional terrific performances from Rudy Gay, who had a radiant alley-oop off the backboard, while Jamario Moon hit a perfect 360. It took quality efforts from Howard and Green just to advance and they gave just that, both reaching near perfection on all four of their dunks. Green had an impressive body of work, starting with an over-the-hoop alley-oop between-the-legs dunk, then a terrific set-up where he grabbed the ball from a teammate on a ladder, double-clutched and dunked (while achieving incredible height), and an esoteric gem where he dunked shoeless. However, nothing topped his clever "cupcake" dunk, where he blew out the candle on a cupcake dangling on the rim, then dunked so cleanly that the treat remained in place. This would have been enough to win the title in almost any other year, but 2008 was the year that Howard first unleashed his Superman dunk. Donning a cape provided by Magic teammate Jameer Nelson, Howard leaped from just inside the free throw line and then essentially projectile tossed the ball into the hoop, which is not quite a dunk but was still impressive. It brought the house down as much as any dunk in history, eliciting joyous reactions from the fans, judges, TNT analysis crew, and assorted All-Stars in the crowd, like Kobe Bryant. Howard also nailed some other impressive dunks throughout the evening, including a unique feat of athleticism where he managed to tap the ball off the backboard with one hand and then immediately dunk it with the other. The fact that both Green and Howard were able to not just pull off these high degree of difficulty dunks but consistently get them completed on the first try (Green was a perfect four-for-four, Howard had just one instance where he went to a second attempt) is why this contest especially stands the test of time. It edges out the 2018 and 2011 editions as the epitome Dunk Contest where old-school sheer athleticism was perfectly married with innovative use of props and showmanship.
3) Oakland, 2000. Winner: Vince Carter. Vinsanity reigns.
After a two-year hiatus due to a 1998 cancellation by the league due to lack of interest and the 1999 lockout, the Dunk Contest returned with a great flourish in 2000. Though this competition lacked the star power of 1985, the back-and-forth rivalry of 1988 or 2018, or the atmosphere of 2008, it came close in those last two categories and was carried over the top by Carter putting on arguably the greatest individual performance in Dunk Contest history. Then playing in his second season in the NBA with Toronto, about to make his All-Star Game debut and fresh off winning Rookie of the Year, Carter dunked five times in this competition. He arguably deserved five scores of 50, but had to settle for three perfect scores, one 49, and one 48. And he needed every bit of it, as the competition was fierce from his Raptors teammate Tracy McGrady, and diminutive Rockets star Steve Francis. Kicking things off with a devastating reverse 360 windmill, Carter set the stage that it was his contest to lose and put on a legendary performance from there. He was just relentless with power dunk after power dunk, riling the Oakland crowd (especially court side stars like Kevin Garnett and Shaquille O'Neal) into a frenzy. Carter's between-the-legs dunk put all previous and later attempts completely to shame, and his final dunk was a creative breakneck apex, getting so much height that he could stick his entire arm down into the rim and hang for a few extra ticks, creating probably the second most indelible Dunk Contest image of all time after Michael Jordan's 1988 foul line leap. For all of Carter's later career sins and shortcomings, there will always be his flawless performance, maybe the greatest that we'll ever see.
2) Indianapolis, 1985. Winner: Dominique Wilkins. A previous generation of legends pass the torch to 'Nique and Jordan.
The Human Highlight Film. Doctor Dunkenstein. Glide. Air. The High Ayatollah of Slam-ola. Dr. J. The collection of nicknames alone is enough to awe any hardcore fan, and no Dunk Contest lineup has ever been more stacked than 1985. Many of them were repeats from the inaugural 1984 contest, but after that edition proved the viability of Dunk Contest star as marketable, the stakes were higher this time. It was also the debut of Michael Jordan. If Julius Erving was the contest's Abraham, then Jordan was Moses, letting the dunks free and leading the competition to the promised land. Given his predilection for essentially winning everything he participated in, it's always a shock to the system to come across something significant where Jordan finished second. But Dominique Wilkins accomplished the upset with two perfect dunks in the final round, one a powerful reverse off of a backboard pass, and the other an innovative two-handed windmill that he would eventually turn into his signature move. The first and second rounds of this competition had to be the greatest demonstration of dunking anyone had ever seen up to that point, with Terence Stansbury first unleashing his patented 360 Statue of Liberty, defending champ Larry Nance throwing down a rock-the-baby dunk, and Clyde Drexler earning his nickname by gliding under the back board. Though Julius Erving, then 35 years old, couldn't make it to the finals, but he was eliminated symbolically, finishing the second round with a perfectly executed free throw line dunk, essentially handing over the keys to Jordan and Wilkins.
1) Chicago, 1988. Winner: Michael Jordan. The rivalry and controversy for which the contest was meant.
Following their showdown in the 1985 event, Jordan and Dominique Wilkins didn't match up again until three years later. A broken foot kept Jordan out of the 1986 event, where Wilkins was runner-up to Spud Webb, then the Hawks star had to pull out of the 1987 competition last minute due to injury, and Jordan won his first title. Commissioner David Stern couldn't have dreamed up a better scenario than this showdown in 1988, with Jordan seeking revenge and back-to-back titles on his home court in Chicago. Fellow competitors Webb, Clyde Drexler, and Jerome Kersey were also in their Dunk Contest primes, which created some excitement in the first round, but ultimately the semifinals and finals showdowns were enough to propel this to first on our list. Jordan opened the proceedings with his signature foul line dunk, adding in a breathtaking double-clutch, which Wilkins followed up with a windmill that came as close as any dunk in history to ripping the rim off its supports. 'Nique actually could have clinched the title if he scored a 48 or higher on his final dunk, but befitting a city notorious for its rampant mob activity and civic corruption, he was given a controversial 45 score for his double-handed windmill. This left the door open for Jordan, who pulled off the most clutch dunk in contest history, an addition free throw line dunk that added in some in-air aerobatics that won over the judges and earned a 50. Disputable, sure, but also one of the most iconic moments in league history, let alone just the Dunk Contest. Jordan essentially drafted the rules of what a Dunk Contest should be, and for better or worse, his specter has hung over the future competitors like a pall, both enticing and detracting. Like he eventually did with the league itself, Jordan tore down the conceptual essence of the slam dunk, just to rebuild it in his own image. All other competitors since have just been trying to pick up the scattered pieces.