The All-Star Dunk Competition, along with the All-Star Game, has featured some insane dunks throughout its history.
Let’s explore the top five dunks in NBA history listed below before diving into the NBA betting sites for this year’s Dunk Contest.
5. Dominique Wilkens (1988)
The 1988 battle between Dominique Wilkens and Michael Jordan was an all-timer.
Wilkens took a running start from the top of the perimeter. Then, he threw the ball off the glass from the middle of the free-throw line and jumped to get it with his head over the basket. He caught the ball with two hands but threw it down with one hand.
He ultimately caught the ball well out in front of the rim, was super high above the rim and emphatically slammed the ball through the hoop.
Despite this incredible dunk from Wilkens, he didn’t win the 1988 Dunk Contest.
We’ll get to that in a little bit. There was a dunk that was slightly better than Wilkens’ in the same contest.
If you ever get the chance, watch the 1988 dunk contest again. It was insane!
4. Aaron Gordon (2016)
Dominique Wilkens wasn’t robbed of winning the NBA Dunk Contest in 1988. However, Aaron Gordon was in 2016.
Gordon has one of the most iconic dunks in modern NBA Dunk Contest history. Gordon was facing off against Zach LaVine and put together one of the most insane dunks we’ll ever see.
He got the Orlando Magic dragon mascot to stand around the block on the paint with the ball in his hand. Gordon moved to the three-point line. He was on the right side but far away from the corner.
The dunks in 2016 were already ridiculous and people were already on the edge of their seats.
However, when Gordon executed this dunk, it was viewed as one of the best ever.
He took a running start towards the mascot, with the mascot holding the ball above his head. Gordon grabbed the ball out of his hands in the air after jumping for a dunk. He took the ball and did an under-the-legs dunk over the mascot and dunked it with one hand while still in the air.
The crowd went wild and the commentators thought the dunk contest was over.
However, Zach LaVine had other plans. Many believe that Gordon was robbed of winning the Slam Dunk Contest that year.
3. Michael Jordan (1988)
We already talked about the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest. Dominique Wilkens had one of the best dunks in the history of the contest this year.
However, Michael Jordan did too and ended up winning the contest this year.
Jordan told the commentators that he was going to do something special prior to the competition.
Jordan measured where he wanted to take off from, which was around the free-throw line. From there, he went all the way down to the other side of the court to get a running start for this dunk.
When he took off, he accelerated and still dribbled the ball down the court. Eventually, he jumped from the free-throw line and dunked the ball with his right hand before landing back on the ground.
His foot was a little over the free-throw line, but he did a one-hand, double-clutch dunk to get the crowd on their feet.
Instead of a 50, he got a 49.
It’s a theme of judges always messing up history. Jordan’s dunk will go down as one of the best ever.
2. Julius Erving (1976)
Michael Jordan’s dunk wasn’t original. Julius Erving did it in 1976 and did it better in the ABA Dunk Contest.
I don’t have to describe what Erving did.
It was almost the same as what Jordan did, but it was a dozen years before Jordan, which makes it even more special.
Erving started his run before the foul line on the other side. So he needed less acceleration than Jordan did 12 years prior.
Erving also didn’t dribble the ball. He just held the ball in his right hand and palmed it while running down the court to make the free-throw dunk.
Of course, Erving won the Dunk Contest that year in 1976 after he did something that had never been done before.
1. Vince Carter (2000)
The best dunk of all time came in 2000 when Vince Carter did a 360 windmill dunk.
He went to the left side and dribbled towards the basket. Carter brought the “wow” factor and made the dunk look so effortless when he finished it.
Carter is considered by many as the best dunker ever in NBA History. He didn’t need any props or people to help out.
He just did a dunk that was never done before and made it look super easy. The dunk contest has lost it’s hype over the last couple of years because nobody can replicate what Carter, Jordan, Erving and others were able to do.
Luckily, we’ll always be able to watch Carter’s dunk in the 2000 Dunk Contest. That was the most incredible dunk in the history of this contest.
