These are the best ten dunkers in NBA history.
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The slam dunk has always held a mythical place in the history of basketball. Everyone grows up wanting to dunk a basketball, and those that can do it take on mythical status when we’re kids. These ten players electrified crowds with their incredible dunks. Players are not listed in any specific order.
Michael Jordan
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As a dunker, just like as a player, Michael Jordan could do it all. He could dunk with power, finesse, get insane hang-time, go off one foot or two, and seemed to float in the air. His free-throw line dunk in the dunk contest against Dominique Wilkins is an all-time NBA moment. To this day, dunkers are still trying to be “Like Mike”.
Amar'e Stoudemire
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Before knee injuries sapped him of his athleticism, Stoudemire was a ridiculously agile dunker for a big man. The 2005 Slam Dunk Contest winner could seemingly dunk everything and everything off of passes from Steve Nash.
Dwight Howard
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Dwight Howard is, in my opinion, the greatest big man dunker of all-time. The power is one thing. Plenty of centers have powerful dunks. But, the way he hung in the air at nearly 7-foot tall is something we haven’t seen before or since.
Shawn Kemp
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Another great big man dunker, maybe no one else had as much pure power dunking the basketball as Shawn Kemp. His thunderous two-foot, two-hand slams made him one of the very best dunkers of the 1990s.
Dominique Wilkins
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The only reason he wasn’t the best dunker of the 1980s is because Michael Jordan existed. The two-time Slam Dunk Contest champion took Jordan to the brink in the 1988 contest and made the windmill dunk popular.
Blake Griffin
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Blake Griffin was a good contest dunker. But, where he really shined was his in-game dunks. He could finish everything around the rim with a dunk. Alongside teammate Deandre Jordan, he finished lobs like no one else ever had. Griffin has a claim as the best dunker of the 2010s.
Vince Carter
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Some consider Vince Carter to be the very best dunker of all-time. I’m not sure if I agree, but if you want to say that his dunk in the 2000 Summer Olympics over France’s Fred Weiss is the best dunk in basketball history, I wouldn’t argue. His famous contest dunk of putting his elbow in the rim could be the best dunk contest duk of all-time, too.
LeBron James
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Yes, he never did the dunk contest. But, arguably no one has ever had the combination of power, finesse, hang- time, and creativity on in-game dunks that LeBron James has had. And, he’s the best 40-year old dunker that’s ever played in the NBA. That’s not a debate.
Jason Richardson
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Richardson might not be as big of stars as the other players on this list. But, he was an unbelievable dunker who rejuvenated the slam dunk contest in the early 2000’s and has the some of the best in-game finesse dunks in NBA history.
Julius Erving
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The first truly great dunker in pro basketball history, his free-throw line dunk in the 1976 ABA Dunk Contest is iconic. He introduced the “Rock the Baby” dunks, and was throwing down unreal dunks late into his career.