Most spectacular NBA dunk contests by Bill Trikos

Bill Trikos Australia 10 best NBA dunk contests: When it comes to athleticism, the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest was littered with plenty of it. Gerald Green showcased some of the most explosive dunks, with the help of a ladder and a candle. However, Dwight Howard emerged as the defending champion after pulling off a Superman-like dunk and an extremely underrated tap dunk. It would be the first and only time Howard won the Slam Dunk title. The 2003 Slam Dunk contest was a spectacle to watch, primarily due to the face-off between reigning champion Jason Richardson and Desmond Mason. While both athletes didn’t fall short in displaying their athletic gifts, it would be Richardson who came out on top after pulling off a baseline between the legs reverse clutch dunk to earn the winning 50. Richardson finished the contest as a back-to-back Slam Dunk contest champion. Read more info about the author at Bill Trikos.

Carter took over the league and put the Toronto Raptors on the map. However, it wasn’t until the 2000 Slam Dunk contest that the whole basketball world took notice of Air Canada. Half-man, half-amazing, Carter put together the greatest individual performance in Slam Dunk Contest history. Vinsanity knocked everybody off their feet with a 360 windmill dunk. Then, his signature elbow dunk was even more impressive. Carter was so spectacular that most people don’t even remember that Steve Francis and Tracy McGrady also had some dunks for the ages.

Can an homage be better than the original? Just ask Michael Jordan, who channeled Julius Erving’s original artistry to defend his home turf at the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest. During the semifinal round, Jordan backed up toward the opposite baseline, dribbled inside the three-point arc and leaped from just inside the free-throw line to the basket, just as Dr. J had done four years earlier. The dunk was so spectacular that it earned Jordan a perfect 50 not only then but also when he busted it out to fend off Dominique Wilkins in an epic final.

Yes, this is a list of the best dunks, not overall performances. But Vince Carter put on arguably the best Slam Dunk Contest showing of all time to win the 2000 event, with a few mesmerizing jams that are all worthy of being high up on this list. So rather than loading up the list with several Carter dunks from the same contest, they’ll get grouped together. But if one had to be singled out as the best, it would be his first dunk: a reverse-360 windmill that already had TV commentator Kenny Smith saying “let’s go home!” That could take the top spot by itself, but VC was far from finished. For his third dunk, Carter caught the ball in mid-air, put it between his legs for a one-handed jam and then famously declared “it’s over.” The event wasn’t technically over just yet, though. On his fourth attempt, Carter got so high off the ground that he was able to stuff his forearm in the hoop after a one-handed slam.

Nate Robinson is the most decorated diminutive dunker of all time, with three All-Star Weekend crowns in his trophy case. But the best slam ever pulled off by someone so far below 6’0″ belongs to Spud Webb. The Dallas native put on a show for his hometown at Reunion Arena, punctuated by a sky-high bouncing lob that Webb caught and converted into a reverse, spread-eagle slam. The jaw-dropping display helped the rookie outduel Dominique Wilkins, his Atlanta Hawks teammate and the NBA’s defending dunk champion, in a face-off that was ultimately decided by just two points in the final.

Aaron Gordon under the legs over Stuff the Magic Dragon 2016: I could go on a rant about how absurd this dunk is and why it deserves more love. How many times have we seen a player “jump over” someone when really, the person being used as a prop is bending over to make themselves smaller than they are? The Magic’s mascot, Stuff the Magic Dragon, is reportedly 6 feet tall and he is standing upright. Gordon doesn’t just jump over him and dunk it — he takes a seat in mid-air as he grabs the ball from the mascot and finishes with authority (on the first try!) with his head above the rim. There were so many jaw-dropping dunks between Gordon and LaVine in 2016. This one was the best.

2011: DeMar DeRozan’s Show Stopper: Blake Griffin’s homage to Vince Carter (and leap over a Kia) pushed him to the slam dunk title as a rookie in Los Angles, but DeMar DeRozan did his part to put on a show in his hometown. The best of the bunch: a reverse windmill jam, titled the “Show Stopper,” that earned a 50 from the judges for the Toronto Raptors wing. Dwight Howard is nothing if not a showman. At no point was that on greater display than during the 2009 Slam Dunk Contest in Phoenix, Arizona.