Honorable Mention
For our picks here we went with the best facial dunks of all time. It's one thing to dunk in a contest or on break away but to do it over a defender while he's trying to block your shot is impressive. And dunking on someone is one of the best and most embarrassing feats in any sport.
#3 Scottie Pippen Over Patrick Ewing
Pippen wasn't the only Bulls player to put Ewing on a poster, Jordan had a nice one too, but pushing Ewing down and standing over him after makes it that much better. You also can't go wrong when you get some Spike Lee taunting thrown in there.
#2 Shawn Kemp Finger Point Dunk On Alton Lister
Kemp was one of the better in game dunkers ever, Dominique Wilkins being the greatest, and his dunk on Lister is classic. You see the lane open up and Kemp start barreling through. Once he cups the ball you know something bad is about to happen. Lister tried to get out of the way but couldn't. The finger point though is what takes this dunk over the top. Not only does Kemp dunk on Lister but makes sure he points it out just in case anyone missed it.
#1 Shaq On Chris Dudley
Shaq dunked on a lot of people throughout his career but nothing like what he did to poor Mr. Dudley. This is the definition of embarrassing. We have a dunk facial, crotch to the face, push down, and then (the best part) Dudley throws the ball at Shaq. I could watch this 100 times in a row and still get a good laugh.
Now onto to the real list.
#10 Shaq Brings Down The Basket
Jason Shusteric: This is on here purely for shock factor. We've seen guys like Darryl Dawkins and Darvin Ham shatter backboards but nobody ever, in the history of the game, has brought down the entire basket. The rim, backboard, shot clock, and stanchion all came crashing to the floor. We've never seen it before and never will again. Shaq was the only player capable of making this happen, twice.
Jason Bradshaw: When I saw this dunk for the first time I it was the coolest dunk I've ever seen. It became a "manly" thing to do. They already reinforced backboards so guy like Darryl Dawkins couldn't shatter them. Yet they weren't "Shaqproof"! Shortly after this my friend and I would actually try to bring backboards down! Sadly, I've still never been able to do it!
#9 Dominique Wilkins One-Handed Windmill
JS: Wilkins had the great ability to make normal dunks look amazing. Part of it was because of his ferocity on the rim. Every dunk he did it looked like he was trying to tear the rim down with it. Wilkins won two dunk contests and rarely did anything but windmills, reverse pumps, and straight off the backboard. The way he shows the rim the ball then brings it around with a ridiculous amount of velocity is unmatched. This particular dunk was in the controversial 1988 contest.
JB: Surely the man who defeated MJ in a dunk contest deserves a spot on our list. But why the one-handed windmill? Seems like many players could duplicate this. Wrong. The science of Dominique's windmill is like Tiger Woods' golf swing. Dominique uses an amazing combination of strength, flexibility, and timing. Add a 40+ inch vertical and you have an all time top 10 dunk. Try recording yourself doing this dunk on a 7 foot rim and then watch the tape. After you see how ridiculous you look you will understand the greatness of this dunk!
#8 Air Up There 720
JS: I really tried to stay away from And 1 and Team Flight Brothers or anything done in a non-pro league or lonely gym but this is hard to overlook. It's more of a 630 than a 720 because he travels past the rim but I'm still not taking anything away from this dunk. The fact that he was able to spin that fast from take off and still find the rim is amazing. It's one of those dunks where you had to see it again to know what happened.
JB: When I first saw this dunk I replayed it at least 10 times in a row. It's not actually a full 720 but its close. If this was in a NBA dunk contest it would certainly be higher on our list. Like the figure skater trying to land the double axle, I'm sure "Air Up There" spent hours perfecting this dunk! We can only wish that "Air Up There" makes the NBA like James White did this year!
#7 Andre Iguodala Behind The Backboard, Reverse
JS: Let me just say that this was the biggest robbery in NBA Slam Dunk Contest history. There is no possible way you can tell me Nate Robinson won this contest after needing 14 attempts in the dunk off. Anyway, this dunk has great creativity and difficulty. This also is the only dunk on our list that features an assist. The way Iguodala is able to contort his body to make it under the backboard and still have have enough air to get the reverse dunk is unbelievable. It's a shame he didn't win but everybody knows he had the best dunk in 2006.
JB: Once of the most difficult dunks on our list. Sadly I missed this dunk live. But after watching it, I was absolutely shocked he didn't win the contest. But it's definitely the most dangerous dunk on our list. He had to completely adjust his body mid-air in order to avoid hitting his head on the backboard. Couple this with how creative this was and you have a top 10 dunk.
#6 Vince Carter Over Frederic Weis
JS: Vince Carter had one of the better shock factors to his dunks, this one especially. The Frenchman Weis is listed at 7'2" and Carter (6'6") jumped over him. When we saw Carter about to take off we figured there might be a foul or Carter will push Weis backwards, but no, he cleared him! Let me put it this way. This might be the first and only dunk that ended another players career. This happened in 2000 and in 1999 Weis was drafted by the New York Knicks at #15 overall. The Knicks never bothered bringing him to the NBA and the dunk was called "the dunk of death" by the French media.
JB: Like the great Hacksaw Jim Duggan put it: USA, USA, USA!! Yes, this dunk represented what it means to be an American! It came around the time when the world was catching up the U.S. in basketball. Yet, Vince Carter reminded everybody that basketball is America's game. I was very proud to be an American after seeing Vince Carter jump COMPLETELY over a 7 footer yet throw it down with so much power!
#5 Jason Richardson Backwards Between The Legs, Reverse
JS: We've seen it over and over again of people go between their legs (eastbay) and dunk. But this was the first time we saw a reverse eastbay into a one-handed reverse. Incredible amount of style, difficulty, and creativity went into this dunk. I'm not sure how many guys on this list would even be able to complete this dunk. Not only going between his legs backwards but also dunking with his off hand! When J-Rich dropped this gem on us we knew it was a wrap for the contest.
JB: We've come along way since J.R. Rider first introduced us to the "between the legs" dunk. This dunk takes "between the legs" to a whole new level. Try "between the legs reversed, off the bounce with the opposite hand". What's really amazing is the fact that he did this dunk to WIN the contest. Put together a dunk that's difficult, creative, shocking, and couple that with a pressure packed moment and you have a top 5 funk of all time!
#4 Michael Jordan Kiss The Rim
JS: Esthetically, this is the greatest dunk I've ever seen. MJ performed this dunk multiple times in dunk contests and even once in a game but never as good as in the 1987 contest. The pure athletic beauty of this dunk in the replay is what gets me. It's great in real-time but, like Chappelle said, everything looks better in slow motion. When you see how graceful and how much his body is leaning in the air, you wonder how it's possible. I give any other dunker 100 tries and they will never get it to look as good as this. It's poetry in motion.
JB: We debated this dunk as a possible #1. Please watch this dunk in slow motion. It's and incredibly beautiful looking dunk. Watching it live looks good but certainly not top 10 worthy. Yet when you see this in slow motion it blows your mind. It's like watching a stunning piece of artwork. I could never imagine myself using terms like gracefulness, elegance, and beauty to describe a dunk but I guess my "man card" has been stripped. Similar to Dominique's windmill, although not the hardest dunk in the world, nobody could duplicate it. It just looks too good.
#3 Vince Carter 360 Windmill
JS: It was either this or the "Arm In Rim" dunk (the most underrated dunks of all time) but this has to be in here. The big thing to realize with this dunk is that Vince is turning over his right shoulder. Plenty of right-handed players have thrown down 360 dunks and every single one has turned left so their right arm is behind and coming to rim. But for Carter to turn right and have his right arm through first, he almost has to stop his momentum mid-air to finish the dunk. Then add in a powerful windmill, incredible. Other than Jordan, Carter had the best style to his dunks and this proved that.
JB: What amazed me more about this dunk was the hype before he even attempted it. Vince carter was the ONLY reason this dunk contest happened. Two years prior the NBA cancelled the dunk contest because it became "too boring". But after watching "Vinsanity" bring the house down with his in-game ridiculous dunks the public responded, and the dunk contest was back. But could Vince Carter live up to the unbelievable hype? I remember everybody on their feet as the announcer called his name. 30 seconds later...BOOM! The 360 windmill! INCREDIBLE! He made one of the most difficult dunks look so easy. This was his first dunk in one of the greatest dunk contest performances of all time. The performance was so good people forget that Tracy McGrady and Steve Francis were also in it!
#2 Air Jordan
JS: This dunk was very difficult to not put at #1 because not only was it great stylistically with Jordan pumping the ball mid flight, but his entire Jordan Brand is based off of this dunk. This is the logo we've all grown to know. Jordan did this dunk several times as it was his signature, but none were as good or clean as in 1988 in Chicago to beat Dominique Wilkins. The thing that made Jordan the best dunk contest participant ever is his ability to dunk off either one or two feet. Most dunkers are one or the other, not both. Jordan could do both as he showed us two feet with "Kiss The Rim" and one foot with "Air Jordan". But if there was one thing you could point out about this is that he never actually jump from behind the free throw line, which is the barometer of any free throw line dunk.
JB: Yes the dunk that started it all! MJ from the foul line! I originally had this dunk lower on my list but when you look at it in slow motion and factor in the cultural impact that this dunk had, you realize that this dunk cannot be any lower than #2. Similar to "Kiss The Rim", MJ made this dunk look prettier than anyone that's ever attempted it. Pay attention to his left arm pulled back and his chest pushed forward and it looks as though he's really flying. Add to that the double pump in mid air and MJ's version of Dr. J's foul line dunk becomes his OWN!
#1 James White Free Throw Line Windmill / Between the Legs
Some of you might think we are the craziest people ever for putting this #1 but let us explain. First, the reason why we have a co-#1 is because we couldn't come to a consensus. I think the windmill is better because he actually jumps from behind the line and JB takes the between the legs because of the degree of difficulty. So we have two #1 dunks by the same guy in the same competition.
JS: The free throw line dunk is one that happens almost every year in a dunk contest but nobody ever actually leaps from behind the line which is the whole purpose of doing this dunk. Dr. J, Michael Jordan, Brent Barry, Dwight Howard, Scottie Pippen and many more have tried but all have failed. The only other player to jump behind the line was Serge Ibaka, which was impressive but he's 6'10". What James White was able to do at 6'7" by taking off behind the line further than any other player then add the windmill and this is the most impressive dunk I've ever seen. We've never seen another guy even try a move while doing this dunk, let alone a windmill. White was also able to successfully complete a free throw line between the legs dunk in this same contest but his foot was on the line. It's a shame this took place in Russia and not many people have seen the video. However White is in this year's contest and Las Vegas put him as the odds on favorite to win once the participants were announced. He's 30 now but hopefully he still has it.
JB: Well, we have a problem boys and girls. I just discussed how amazing MJ's version of Dr. J's foul line dunk is, then I saw this! Are you kidding me? Is this real? Did a man actually jump from the free throw line and go between his legs? My friends, please just watch the video and tell me how I could possibly put MJ's dunk ahead of this. This is the most incredible dunk you will ever see. Which sets the stage fro tomorrow night! Will James White land the "between the legs foul line" dunk? Can't wait to find out! Thanks for checking out our top 10 list!
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