Slam Dunk Contest

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 68.213.78.236 (talk) at 19:16, 1 July 2008 (→‎Famous non-NBA Slam Dunk Contests). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The Slam Dunk Contest is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. The contest was inaugurated by the American Basketball Association (ABA) at its All-Star Game in 1976 in Denver, just as the slam dunk was legalized in the NCAA. It enabled players to showcase their dunking skills and try to "out-dunk" each other. However, this contest would be short-lived as the ABA merged the following year with the NBA. Realizing the popularity of slam dunks, the NBA soon created a contest of its own, which made its first appearance in 1984. The contest currently uses fan voting, via text-messaging, to determine the winner.

The very first slam dunk contest was won by Julius Erving at the 1976 ABA All-Star Game. The current champion of the NBA Dunk Contest is Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.

History

1980s

The NBA reintroduced the Slam Dunk Contest in 1984 at its birthplace in Denver. Erving's dunk from the free throw line that year remains one of the most memorable slam dunks in NBA history. Dominique Wilkins won the contest the following year, but in 1986 his Atlanta Hawks teammate Spud Webb made history when he upset Wilkins in the final, preventing him from repeating as champ. Standing a mere 5 feet 7 inches tall, Webb became the shortest player ever to win the contest, a distinction that he holds to this day. As the eighties came to a close, Chicago's Michael Jordan established himself as perhaps the greatest dunker of all time with his back-to-back dunk contest victories in 1987 and 1988.

1990s

The Slam Dunk Contest had always been a big hit with fans, but interest in the contest began to wane in the mid-1990s. Initially, it was due to the fact that many players lost interest in competing; some cited concerns of injuries, while others felt that the full repertoire of humanly-possible dunks had already been exhausted. With most of the superstars choosing not to participate, lesser-known players began to compete, leading to watered-down competitions. Fans complained that players were beginning to win contests with boring or unoriginal dunks (witness the relatively forgettable early-90s wins by the likes of Harold Miner, Cedric Ceballos, and Brent Barry). In 1994 and 1997 respectively, young players Isaiah Rider and Kobe Bryant won the contest with fresh dunks -- both went between the legs -- but the rest of the competition offered little variety to their dunks, which quickly led to fan criticism of the contest. As a result, the 1998 All-Star Weekend did not feature a dunk contest, replacing the event with a shooting competition called "2Ball". In 1999, there was no All-Star Game due to the NBA lockout.

2000s

After a two season layoff, the NBA decided to bring the contest back for the 2000 All-Star Weekend in Oakland, CA. It would prove to be one of the most electrifying dunk contests in the league's history, featuring a great showdown between eventual winner Vince Carter, his cousin Tracy McGrady, and Steve Francis (Carter won after performing a number of very impressive dunks, including a reverse 360 windmill, honey dip, and a between-the-legs dunk off of a bounced alley-oop). However, the next four contests did not feature superstars like Carter and Bryant, and again there was talk that perhaps the contest should be eliminated. The main argument was that players could not really come up with any more dunks that people had never seen before, despite arguably innovative efforts by Jason Richardson in 2003 and 2004. The lack of A-list superstars willing to participate also hurt the appeal of the contest to fans.

In 2005, the Slam Dunk Contest returned to its birthplace in Denver and was reborn. With the spectacular dunks of that year's contest, there was buzz that the dunk competition could regain the popularity it had in the 1980s. Amare Stoudemire alley-ooping 360 off a soccer-style header from teammate Steve Nash; J.R. Smith putting it around his back and dunking, and the new champion, Josh Smith alley-ooping over Kenyon Martin all wowed the crowd with their maneuvers. With the change in the rules requiring an additional teammate starting in the second round, they proved that there were indeed many dunks that people had not done before. Stoudemire and J.R. Smith showed off original dunks that they had spent much time working on. Josh Smith received rave reviews when he did a tribute dunk to Dominique Wilkins while donning Wilkins' jersey. Smith's top dunk, arguably one of the best in recent history, shows him hovering over a seated Kenyon Martin as he glides through the air to the basket.

Again in 2006, the Dunk Contest in Houston, Texas revitalized the interests of audiences as 5'9" Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks took the title with a great dunk-off. One of his most exciting dunks was a high-flying dunk over former Slam Dunk Contest winner, 5'7" Spud Webb. The 2006 Slam Dunk Contest was also the first Dunk Contest in history to have a "Dunk Off", the equivalent to a Dunk Contest overtime, between Knicks point guard Nate Robinson and shooting guard Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers. Many fans argue that Iguodala should have won the contest, one of the reasons being that Robinson needed seventeen attempts before finally completing his dunk. Iguodala also pulled off a dunk where he started out of bounds from the right side of the baseline. Teammate Allen Iverson bounced the ball off the back of the right side of the backboard, then Iguodala caught the ball in mid-air behind the backboard, whirled around to the other side while ducking his head (to avoid colliding with the backboard) and dunked it with his right hand.

On February 17, 2007, the contest was held in Las Vegas. Judges for the event were all past winners: Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Kobe Bryant, Julius Erving, and Vince Carter. The title was taken by the Boston Celtics' Gerald Green, who, among other dunks, jumped over reigning champ Nate Robinson while covering his face - a homage to 1991 winner, Dee Brown, whose jersey Green had worn. He also scored a perfect fifty with his last slam, a windmill over a table. Other noteworthy dunks include a dunk by Orlando Magic forward Dwight Howard, who, while making his dunk, stuck a sticker with his smiling face and his favorite verse from the bible on the backboard a reported 12'6" from the ground, two and a half feet beyond the regulation NBA rim.

On February 16, 2008, the contest was held in New Orleans. Judges for the event included Darryl Dawkins, Dominique Wilkins, Karl Malone, the winner of the first-ever Slam Dunk Contest, Julius Erving, and Magic Johnson. The title was taken by Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, who had participated in the 2007 event. Howard's most noteworthy dunk came during the first round, his second dunk overall, when he took off his jersey to reveal a Superman t-shirt and attached a cape with teammate Jameer Nelson's assistance. He would then make an ally-oop dunk from just in front of the free-throw line after a running start. Other noteworthy dunks included the first round slam by Jamario Moon while the previous year's winner, Gerald Green, relied heavily on theatrics by blowing out a cupcake with a birthday candle on the rim before dunking (a jam he termed "The Birthday Cake"). For the first time ever, fan voting determined the outcome of the contest; Howard beat Green for the trophy by claiming 78% of the fans' votes.

Past NBA Slam Dunk Contest champions

Over the history of the event, there have been 18 players who have been crowned the best dunkers in the NBA. Of those 18, four are two-time winners including: Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, Harold Miner, and Jason Richardson.

Slam Dunk Contest champions by franchise

Number Franchise Last Time
4 Atlanta Hawks 2005
2 Boston Celtics 2007
2 Chicago Bulls 1988
2 Golden State Warriors 2003
2 Miami Heat 1995
2 New York Knicks 2006
2 Phoenix Suns 1992
1 Indiana Pacers 2004
1 L.A. Clippers 1996
1 L.A. Lakers 1997
1 Minnesota Timberwolves 1994
1 Orlando Magic 2008
1 Seattle SuperSonics 2001
1 Toronto Raptors 2000

All-time participants

Template:Multicol

Template:Multicol-break

Template:Multicol-break

Template:Multicol-end

All-time results

1980s

1984

Player First round Semifinals Finals
Larry Nance (Phoenix) 134 (44+44+46) 140 (49+48+43) 134 (48+39+47)
Julius Erving (Philadelphia) 134 (39+47+48) 140 (44+49+47) 132 (47+25+50)
Dominique Wilkins (Atlanta) 135 (47+39+49) 137 (48+48+41)
Darrell Griffith (Utah) 121 (39+40+42) 108 (42+42+24)
Edgar Jones (Cleveland) 118 (32+43+43)
Ralph Sampson (Houston) 118 (37+40+41)
Orlando Woolridge (Chicago) 116 (23+45+48)
Clyde Drexler (Portland) 108 (40+24+44)
Michael Cooper (L.A. Lakers) 108 (40+24+44)

1985

Player First round Semifinals Finals
Dominique Wilkins (Atlanta) 145 (47+49+49) 140 (48+45+47) 147 (47+50+50)
Michael Jordan (Chicago) 130 (44+42+42) 142 (45+47+50) 136 (43+44+49)
Terence Stansbury (Indiana) 130 (46+50+34) 136 (49+48+39)
Julius Erving (Philadelphia) BYEa 132 (43+44+45)
Larry Nance (Phoenix) BYEa 131 (42+47+42)
Darrell Griffith (Utah) 126 (38+42+46)
Orlando Woolridge (Chicago) 124 (40+43+41)
Clyde Drexler (Portland) 122 (39+39+44)

aErving and Nance received first-round byes as they were the finalists from the previous year.

1986

Player First round Semifinals Finals
Spud Webb (Atlanta) 141 (46+48+47) 138 (50+42+46) 100 (50+50)
Dominique Wilkins (Atlanta) BYEa 138 (46+47+45)   98 (50+48)
Terence Stansbury (Indiana) 129b (34+47+48) 132 (44+39+49)
Gerald Wilkins (New York) 133 (44+50+39)   87 (37+25+25)
Jerome Kersey (Portland) 129 (39+43+47)
Paul Pressey (Milwaukee) 116 (44+35+37)
Roy Hinson (Cleveland) 112 (35+39+38)
Terry Tyler (Sacramento) 110 (37+36+37)

aWilkins received a first-round bye as he was the previous year's champion.
bStansbury defeated Kersey in a dunk-off to break their tie.

1987

Player First round Semifinals Finals
Michael Jordan (Chicago) 88 (41+47) 148 (49+49+50) 146 (48+48+50)
Jerome Kersey (Portland) 92 (48+44) 147 (50+48+49) 140 (46+45+49)
Terence Stansbury (Seattle) 99 (49+50) 144 (49+45+50)
Clyde Drexler (Portland) 92 (45+47) 136 (46+45+45)
Ron Harper (Cleveland) 83 (45+38)
Johnny Dawkins (San Antonio) 81 (37+44)
Tom Chambers (Seattle) 62 (41+21)
Gerald Wilkins (New York) 62 (41+21)

1988
Ron Harper (Cleveland) was to participate but withdrew due to injury.

Player First round Semifinals Finals
Michael Jordan (Chicago) 94 (47+47) 145 (50+48+47) 147 (50+47+50)
Dominique Wilkins (Atlanta) 96 (49+47) 143 (49+47+47) 145 (50+50+45)
Clyde Drexler (Portland) 88 (44+44) 133 (45+42+46)
Otis Smith (Golden State) 87 (40+47) 109 (45+22+42)
Jerome Kersey (Portland) 79 (41+38)
Greg Anderson (San Antonio) 76 (42+34)
Spud Webb (Atlanta) 52 (34+18)

1989

Player First round Semifinals Finals
Kenny Walker (New York) 91.3 (42.5+48.8) 96.4 (46.9+49.5) 148.1 (48.9+49.6+49.6)
Clyde Drexler (Portland) 93.7 (46.6+47.1) 95.0 (47.3+47.7)   49.5 (24.5+25.0+ 0.0a)
Spud Webb (Atlanta) 94.5 (46.8+47.7) 91.8 (47.8+44.0)
Shelton Jones (Philadelphia) 89.5 (44.1+45.4) 90.6 (45.7+44.9)
Tim Perry (Phoenix) 89.4 (44.4+45.0)
Jerome Kersey (Portland) 88.9 (44.9+44.0)
Ron Harper (Cleveland) 88.5 (41.7+46.8)
Chris Morris (New Jersey) 83.2 (41.1+42.1)

a Drexler did not attempt his final dunk, as victory was out of reach.

1990s

1990

Player First round Semifinals Finals
Dominique Wilkins (Atlanta) 96.3 (48.1+48.2) 97.7 (48.0+49.7) 146.8 (47.9+49.7+49.2)
Kenny Smith (Atlanta) 93.0 (43.4+49.6) 98.3 (49.1+49.2) 145.1 (48.1+49.8+47.2)
Kenny Walker (New York) 95.2 (47.0+48.2) 97.4 (49.5+47.9)
Shawn Kemp (Seattle) 98.2 (49.1+49.1) 96.4 (47.6+48.8)
Scottie Pippen (Chicago) 92.2 (47.2+45.0)
Rex Chapman (Charlotte) 92.1 (45.5+46.6)
Billy Thompson (Miami) 91.4 (47.7+43.7)
Kenny Battle (Phoenix) 85.8 (42.5+42.8)

1991
Beginning with this year, final round competitors were allowed three dunks, with the two highest scores comprising the total.

Player First round Semifinals Finals
Dee Brown (Boston) 92.4 (48.2+44.2) 98.0 (49.6+48.4) 97.7 (48.1+49.6-46.4)
Shawn Kemp (Seattle) 95.8 (47.6+48.2) 95.6 (48.3+47.3) 93.7 (48.0+45.7-44.3)
Rex Chapman (Charlotte) 95.2 (45.5+49.7) 94.0 (48.0+46.0)
Kenny Smith (Houston) 90.8 (48.5+42.3) 87.9 (46.6+41.3)
Kenny Williams (Indiana) 86.9 (42.3+44.6)
Blue Edwards (Utah) 84.3 (40.1+44.2)
Otis Smith (Orlando) 83.0 (41.2+41.8)
Kendall Gill (Charlotte) 81.0 (40.1+40.9)

1992

Player First round Semifinals Finals
Cedric Ceballos (Phoenix) 85.4 (43.1+42.3) 90.4 (45.7+44.7) 97.2 (47.2+50.0-43.3)
Larry Johnson (Charlotte) 98.0 (48.6+49.4) 98.0 (49.6+48.4) 66.0 (33.5+32.5-0.0a)
Nick Anderson (Orlando) 88.6 (47.4+41.2) 89.8 (46.0+43.8)
John Starks (New York) 89.6 (42.6+47.0) 87.9 (43.1+44.8)
Doug West (Minnesota) 84.1 (44.3+39.8)
Shawn Kemp (Seattle) 81.4 (47.4+34.0)
Stacey Augmon (Atlanta) 79.5 (44.7+34.8)

a Johnson did not attempt his final dunk, as victory was out of reach.

1993
The two highest score dunks of three in each round comprised the competitor's score.
Shawn Kemp (Seattle) was scheduled to compete but was injured.

Player First round Finals
Harold Miner (Miami) 94.8 (49.0+45.8-45.8) 97.4 (48.0+49.4-47.0)
Clarence Weatherspoon (Philadelphia) 87.5 (43.2+44.3-38.5) 92.2 (44.7+47.5-27.5)
Cedric Ceballos (Phoenix) 87.3 (42.3+45.1-22.5) 79.8 (42.3+37.5-24.5)
David Benoit (Utah) 85.8 (41.5+44.3-28.5)
Kenny Smith (Houston) 85.0 (46.5+38.5-26.5)
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (Denver) 80.8 (38.0+42.8-26.0)
Tim Perry (Philadelphia) 70.0 (38.5+31.5-22.0)

1994
In the first round, each competitor was allowed 90 seconds to do as many dunks as he chooses with one overall score. The final round score was the best of two dunks.

Player First round Finals
Isaiah Rider (Minnesota) 46.8 49.0, 47.0
Robert Pack (Denver) 42.0 43.8, 25.0
Shawn Kemp (Seattle) 46.6 25.0, 25.0
Allan Houston (Detroit) 41.5
Antonio Davis (Indiana) 40.0
James Robinson (Portland) 39.0

1995
Beginning with this year, each competitor was allowed 90 seconds to do at least three dunks and then given an overall score in round one. In the final round, each competitor was allowed 60 seconds to do at least two dunks and then given an overall score.

Player First round Finals
Harold Miner (Miami) 49.2 46.0
Isaiah Rider (Minnesota) 44.6 34.0
Jamie Watson (Utah) 40.4 26.0
Antonio Harvey (L.A. Lakers) 35.2
Tim Perry (Philadelphia) 31.0
Tony Dumas (Dallas) 15.0

1996

Player First round Finals
Brent Barry (L.A. Clippers) 45.5 49.0
Michael Finley (Phoenix) 45.0 46.0
Greg Minor (Boston) 41.0 40.0
Jerry Stackhouse (Philadelphia) 40.0
Doug Christie (Toronto) 39.5
Darrell Armstrong (Orlando) 25.5

1997

Player First round Finals
Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers) 37 49
Chris Carr (Phoenix) 44 45
Michael Finley (Dallas) 39 33
Ray Allen (Milwaukee) 35
Bob Sura (Cleveland) 35
Darvin Ham (Denver) 30

1998
No competition was held.

1999
No competition was held as All-Star Weekend was not held due to the NBA's lockout.

2000s

2000
Beginning with this year, the two highest dunks in each round comprised the competitor's total score.

Player First round Finals
Vince Carter (Toronto) 100 98
Steve Francis (Houston) 95 91
Tracy McGrady (Toronto) 99 77
Ricky Davis (Charlotte) 88
Jerry Stackhouse (Detroit) 83
Larry Hughes (Golden State) 67

2001

Player First round Finals
Desmond Mason (Seattle) 91 (42+49) 89 (45+44)
DeShawn Stevenson (Utah) 95 (46+49) 85 (38+47)
Baron Davis (Charlotte) 94 (45+49) 77 (44+33)
Jonathan Bender (Indiana) 90 (46+44)
Stromile Swift (Vancouver) 90 (45+45)
Corey Maggette (L.A. Clippers) 88 (46+42)

2002
A tournament format was adopted for this year.

Semifinals Finals
      
1 Desmond Mason (Seattle) 84
4 Jason Richardson (Golden State) 98
Jason Richardson 85
Gerald Wallace 80
3 Steve Francis (Houston) 77
2 Gerald Wallace (Sacramento) 84

2003

Player First round Finals
Jason Richardson (Golden State) 100 96
Desmond Mason (Seattle) 90 93
Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix) 79
Richard Jefferson (New Jersey) 74

2004

Player First round Finals
Fred Jones (Indiana) 100 96
Jason Richardson (Golden State) 90 93
Chris Andersen (Denver) 79
Ricky Davis (Boston) 74

2005

Player First round Finals
Josh Smith (Atlanta) 95 100
Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix) 95 87
J. R. Smith (New Orleans) 95
Chris Andersen (New Orleans) 77

2006

Player First round Finals Tie-break
Nate Robinson (New York) ?? 94 47
Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia) ?? 94 46
Hakim Warrick (Memphis) 86
Josh Smith (Atlanta) 85

2007

Player First round Finals
Gerald Green (Boston) 95 91
Nate Robinson (New York) 90 80
Dwight Howard (Orlando) 85
Tyrus Thomas (Chicago) 80

2008
The final round was decided by fan voting via text messaging.

Player First round Finals
Dwight Howard (Orlando) 100 78%
Gerald Green (Minnesota) 91 22%
Jamario Moon (Toronto) 90
Rudy Gay (Memphis) 85

Famous non-NBA Slam Dunk Contests

  • 1976 ABA Slam Dunk Contest (Julius Erving) -- Reputedly the first slam dunk contest in history. It took place during the 1976 ABA All-Star Weekend. The contest featured a plethora of famous players including Artis Gilmore, George Gervin, and David Thompson. Julius Erving won the contest with his famous freethrow line slam.
  • 1996 Orchies Non-Stop Basketball Dunk Contest (Abdoul Bamba) -- A dunk contest taking place in Orchies, France which featured many of today's European dunking elite including Kadour Ziani, Solamon Sami, and Abdoul Bamba, all from the slam-dunking squad "Slam Nation". The contest was highlighted by a high level of competition from all the participants and featured many innovative jams. The eventual winner was Abdoul Bamba who won with his famous cartwheel dunk, where he caught a ball off the floor in mid cartwheel and slammed it home.
  • 2001 McDonalds All American High School Dunk Contest (David Lee) -- The 2001 High School Dunk Contest featured many great dunks but is most noted for creating a controversy with the victory of David Lee. While Lee had many strong dunks including an innovative faux-shoot alley-oop, bounce off the ground, between the legs slam, many viewers felt that dunking phenom James White with his powerful jams, including two amazing free-throw line dunk variations, deserved to win. The contest remains a judging controversy to this day.
  • 2003 SuperPages Slam Dunk Contest (Henry Bekkering) -- This Canadian dunk contest was made famous on the internet by the amazing dunks of 6'3" Henry Bekkering which included a windmill slam over a standing person and a left-handed freethrow line dunk jumping off 2 feet. Video of the contest disseminated quickly across the internet and its fame led to a television appearance for Bekkering on The Best Damn Sports Show Period. Bekkering was later drafted as a kicker by the Calgary Stampeders in the 2007 CFL Draft.


  • 2004 McDonalds All American High School Dunk Contest (Candace Parker) --Candace Parker beat out 5 men who include J. R. Smith and Joe Crawford to become the first women to win the contest. Her most notable dunk the Dee Brown arm over face no look dunk.


  • 2005 City Slam Dunk Contest (Chris Lowery a.k.a. Skywalker) -- This nation-wide dunk contest culminated in championships at Chicago. The City Slam Championship featured many never before seen spectacular slams including a 360 between the legs dunk by Marvin Collins aka High Riser. The contest was won by Chris Lowery aka Skywalker when he jumped over a car and completed one of the best dunks ever in the city slam contest.
  • 2006 NCAA Dunk Contest (David Noel) -- The 2006 NCAA contest, held at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis the week before the Final Four, was notable not for who won, but rather for who finished second. While Noel flashed a few stylish dunks (including one which incorporated a back handspring into the takeoff), the star of the contest was University of Cincinnati swingman James White, who broke off two dunks (a two-hand full-extension and a windmill) from the free-throw line before missing his final-round attempts and handing Noel the victory.

Types of moves seen during the Slam Dunk Contest

Windmill

Windmill dunks are done when a player makes a circular motion with the ball while in the air before dunking it. These can either be done with one or two hands. Versions of this dunk include the Kiss the Rim, the reverse windmill (usually done with two hands), and the 360 windmill. Notable examples of this dunk are Dominique Wilkins's windmills during the 1988 and 1990 contest, Michael Jordan's kiss the rim during the 1987 and 1988 contest, Vince Carter's contest-winning 360 windmill in the 2000 contest, and James White's windmill from the free throw line in the 2006 NCAA Dunk Contest

360

360s, or "axles" (relative to spinning) are dunks where a player spins with his body for almost a full revolution. This type of dunk can be achieved by using one or two hands. There are many variations of the 360, including the reverse 360 windmill by Vince Carter in the 2000 slam dunk (where a player jumps in a reverse motion against his plain of motion), Terence Stansbury's "Statue of Liberty" 360, Air Up There's 720, or double-axle, High Riser's 360 through the legs, the double pump 360 by Tracy McGrady in the 2000 slam dunk contest, Team Flight Brothers dunker Quinton Slaughter AKA Elevator's 540[1], and many more.

Free throw line

As the name indicates, this is a dunk where the player jumps from the free throw line. The free throw line is, in the NBA, 15 feet away from the basket. Jim Pollard is known to have dunked from the foul line during warmups in the early years of the NBA.[2] At the University of Kansas, Wilt Chamberlain was able to dunk from the free throw line while starting his movement from within the free throw circle; this led to a rule change prohibiting shooting free throws by dunking the basketball.[3]

Notable examples of this dunk in a slam dunk competition are Julius Erving during the 1976 ABA contest and the 1984 NBA contest, Michael Jordan during the 1985, 1987 and 1988 contests, Scottie Pippen during the 1990 contest, Brent Barry during the 1996 contest, and former Cincinnati Bearcat James White, who has pulled off at least 5 free-throw-line jams in his contest career (in addition to a between-the-legs free throw line dunk made during his high school's midnight madness practice session).

Between the legs

Also known as "through the legs", or the "Rider" dunk (after Isaiah Rider, the first dunk champion to perform this dunk). This dunk was first performed by Orlando Woolridge of the Chicago Bulls in the 1984 dunk contest. For this dunk the ball goes between the legs of the player while in the air before being dunked. Visually impressive, these usually achieve a high score from the judges. Notable examples of this dunk include Kobe Bryant's winning jam at the 1997 contest, Vince Carter's off the floor, between the legs slam during the 2000 contest, Desmond Mason's "show it right, slam it left" between the legs during the 2003 contest, and Jason Richardson's off the glass, between the legs dunk during the 2004 contest, and Isaiah Rider's "East Bay Funk Dunk" in the 1994 contest.

Nowadays, the "Rider" has been developed beyond just its basic through-the-legs movement. Several people in the world have managed to do a 360 Rider : Abdoul Bamba and Guy Dupuy from the Slam Nation dunking troupe, Yann de Blaine of Slam Nation and Dunkalicious dunking crews, Taurian Fontenette aka Air Up There from the AND 1 Streetball team, "High Riser" from the 2005 City Slam, and Quinton Slaughter (also known as "Elevator"). An alley-oop-off-the-floor 360 between the legs was attempted by Jason Richardson in the 2004 Slam Dunk Contest, but he couldn't successfully finish the dunk, leading to his defeat by then-Indiana Pacers guard Fred Jones. James White, currently of the San Antonio Spurs, attempted a through the legs dunk from the free throw line during the college slam dunk contest. Although he was not successful during the contest, he did succeed in doing it during warm-ups, and had done it in the past, during his high school's midnight madness, and the high school dunk contest.

Double clutch

A "double clutch" (or "double pump") dunk is when a player brings the ball back to his body before extending the ball back out to dunk it. Versions of this dunk include the kickback, the jackknife, and the double pump. Most times the ball is brought back near the player's head before being dunked. Notable examples include Michael Jordan's double clutch, free throw line dunk from the 1988 contest, Tracy McGrady's 360 reverse double pump from the 2000 contest, Steve Francis's double pump, kiss the rim from the 2000 contest, Shawn Kemp's kickback from the 1991 contest, and Harold Miner's reverse jackknife from the 1993 contest. Vince Carter's spectacular dunk over Alonzo Mourning during the 2005-06 season also featured elements of the double-clutch.

Rock the cradle

Also known as Rock the Baby. This is a version of the windmill where the ball is "locked" into a player's wrist while the player makes a circular motion with the ball. However, unlike windmills where the ball starts the circle from the top, rock the baby dunks start the circle from the bottom. Notable examples include Larry Nance's rock the baby during the 1984 contest, Kenny Walker's baseline rock the baby during the 1989 contest, and Michael Jordan's rock the cradle jam in the 1985 contest.

Off the backboard

Another popular type of dunk. The player throws the ball and bounces it off the backboard, catches it in mid air and dunks it. This can be combined with other types such as the windmill, reverse or tomahawk dunk. One of the first uses of this dunk in a professional game was done by Tracy McGrady in the 2002 All-Star Game. According to Bill Walton, it was the first time he ever saw this kind of dunk. In recent years, many other "alley-oop" dunks have become commonplace in the contest, where either the player tosses the ball to himself, or a teammate passes it to him, and the player catches it in the air and dunks it. For instance in 2006, Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers performed a never-before-seen behind the backboard dunk from a pass off team-mate Allen Iverson. A year earlier, in the 2005 Slam Dunk Contest, Amare Stoudemire actually caught the ball off of the head of Steve Nash, which is perhaps the most unusual variation of the "alley-oop" style of dunk to date. Perhaps the next evolutionary step for this move is the "off the shot clock" dunk, a similar concept but more difficult because the clock is smaller, sits higher, and gives bounces that are not as true as the backboard.

Blind dunk

One particularly tricky and therefore seldom-seen dunk is the dunk without visual cues. In 1991, Dee Brown performed a one-handed slam dunk in which he dunked with his left arm while shielding his eyes with his right arm. This was known as the "peek-a-boo" by many. One year later, Cedric Ceballos performed a blindfolded dunk, although it has been disputed as to whether or not he could actually see. In 2007, Boston Celtic Gerald Green, re-invented Dee Brown's "shielded eyes dunk" (wearing Dee Brown's throwback jersey and Reebok pumps), adding a twist to it by jumping over defending champ Nate Robinson (it was supposed to be a cardboard cutout of Nate Robinson) before completing the dunk.

Behind the Back

Behind the back dunks consist of the dunker putting the ball behind his back, switching from right-hand-to-left, or vice versa, and then dunking it. This dunk was made popular by players such as Patrick Ewing, Jr., Denver Nuggets J.R. Smith, and Philadelphia 76ers Andre Iguodala.

Notable dunks

File:Dee-brown-dunk.JPG
Dee Brown's no-look dunk, performed in the 1991 Slam Dunk Contest.
  • The first free throw line dunk in an official slam dunk competition by Julius Erving (1976 ABA Dunk Contest).
  • The free throw line double clutch jam by Michael Jordan (1988 NBA Dunk Contest).
  • The East Bay Funk Dunk by Isaiah "J.R." Rider (1994 NBA Dunk Contest).
  • Vince Carter's inverted 360 Windmill (which drove everybody off their seats) as well as the off the bounce, between the legs dunk and the tomahawk, which left Vince hanging on the rim with his elbow. (2000 NBA Dunk Contest). Later Carter would cite Sacramento California's Jameel Pugh as the source of these dunks.
  • The 2003 reverse between the legs and the 2004 off-the-backboard between the legs dunks by Jason Richardson.
  • The behind the back dunk by Patrick Ewing, Jr., done again by J.R. Smith (2003 Indiana Hoosiers Slam Dunk Contest, then 2005 NBA Slam Dunk Contest). The behind the back dunk was modified in the 2006 NBA Slam Dunk Contest by Andre Iguodala when he dunked it off an alley-oop.
  • Also in the 2005 NBA Contest, the dunks using a prop from Josh Smith and Amare Stoudemire (read below for more information).
  • The first "Rider"(Between the legs) dunk from the free throw line was completed by James "Flight" White.
  • In the 2006 NCAA Dunk Contest, James "Flight" White completed a windmill from the free throw line.
  • 2006 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Nate Robinson jumps over Spud Webb and then dunks.
  • 2006 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Andre Iguodala's alley-oop dunk from behind the backboard on a pass from his teammate Allen Iverson.
  • 2007 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Dwight Howard's "Sticker Dunk." Howard had a sticker in his hand, stuck it at 12'6" on the backboard while dunking simultaneously off an alley-oop from teammate Jameer Nelson. The height of the sticker was never verified.
  • 2008 NBA Slam Dunk contest, Gerald Green's "Birthday Cake Dunk." Green placed a cupcake with a lit candle on the back of the rim, and proceeded to dunk the ball (which was inbounded as a bounce pass from teammate Rashad McCants) and blow out the candle at the same time.
  • 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Dwight Howard took off his uniform, revealing a Superman shirt. He proceeded to put on a cape, and received a lob pass from his teammate Jameer Nelson and slam the ball (even though his hand did not make contact with the rim) through powerfully, scoring him his second 50 of the Contest.
  • 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Dwight Howard threw a high bounce pass to himself, then slapped the ball off the backboard with his left hand, and finished with a catch and dunk with his right hand

More info

  • Kenny Walker posted the highest score in any round with 148.1 in the 1989 Final Round.
  • ESPN televised the first ever NBA slam dunk contest in 1984. In 1987, the slam dunk contest was televised live for the very first time (TBS had the honors).
File:NateR.jpg
Nate Robinson dunks over Spud Webb in the 2006 Slam Dunk Contest.
  • Slam dunks during contests can also involve the ball being tossed off a prop. Most times the ball will be tossed off the backboard, or the floor. However in the 2005 NBA Slam Dunk contest, Amare Stoudemire tossed the ball off the backboard, then off teammate Steve Nash's head before being dunked by Amare.
  • Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Brent Barry are the only players to have won an NBA championship and a slam dunk championship. Jordan was the first (he won his slam dunk championship in 1987 and 1988 and won his NBA championships 1991-1993 and 1996-1998). Kobe won his Slam Dunk Championship in 1997 and his NBA championships in 2000-2002. Brent Barry won his slam dunk championship in 1996 and his NBA championships in 2005 and 2007.
  • At 5'7", Spud Webb is the shortest player to win the NBA slam dunk contest (Nate Robinson was 5'7 3/4").
  • The showdown between Dominique Wilkins and eventual champion Michael Jordan in the 1988 NBA Slam Dunk Contest is widely considered to be the best slam dunk contest ever. Famous dunks during their epic showdown include Wilkins's off-the-glass, one-handed tomahawk, Jordan's reverse double pump, Wilkins's trademark windmill, and Jordan's immortal double-clutch, free throw line dunk.
  • Because of the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, many people have named Vince Carter as the greatest dunker of all-time. His dunks of a 360-windmill, 180 behind the backboard windmill, between the legs (with assist from his cousin and then teammate Tracy McGrady), a normal one handed dunk that ended with Vince hanging from the rim with his elbow, and a 13.5 feet two handed dunk have awed spectators to date.
  • Historically, the dunk contest drew some mild criticisms. One of those includes how the dunk contest is extremely limited as there are only so many times one can be impressed with a 360 dunk or a slightly modified windmill. Because of the physical limitations of the human body, innovation can become dry very quickly. But the 2005 NBA Slam Dunk Competition proved that there is room for innovation, especially using props. Another criticism is that players who often compete in these contests are seen as dunkers only (with the obvious exceptions of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Julius Erving), which is why notable high flying athletes like Shawn Marion have sometimes refused to participate. High profile players such as LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have also declined to participate citing it as an unnecessary risk to injury. In the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Tracy McGrady injured his wrist while performing a dunk. Also in the 1995 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Tony Dumas hurt his knee while performing his "Texas twister" dunk.
  • The 2006 NBA Slam Dunk Competition between Nate Robinson and Andre Iguodala was the first time ever that the competition had to go into a sudden-death dunk-off. [1] However, this contest drew many criticisms due to the fact that players were not penalized for missing a dunk attempt. Consequently, Robinson attempted a single dunk over 14 times before completing it.[2] Prior to the 2007 competition, the NBA changed a few rules to prevent excessive dunk attempts. Each participant has two minutes to complete their dunk. At the end of the two minutes allotted, they then have their number of dunk attempts limited to two.

External links

References

  1. ^ YouTube - **Elevator**The Challenge**CRAZY DUNKS**
  2. ^ The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia,. Villard Books. 1994. pp. p. 49. ISBN 0-679-43293-8. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  3. ^ Ostler, Scott (February 12, 1989), "The Leaping Legends of Basketball", Los Angeles Times {{citation}}: Check date values in: |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Slam_Dunk_Contest&oldid=222920583"