The NBA is not only about the fights among teams for the title from the start of the season to its end. It continues to entertain basketball fans long after the season. Due to the hype created and the fans’ love for basketball stars, dunk contests have become an integral part of NBA culture. To date, 38 NBA Slam Dunk contests have been organized.The first Slam Dunk contest was held in 1984, which was won by Larry Nance. Since then, the All-Star break has become a moment every bona fide NBA lover looks forward to. The popularity of Slam Dunk events can be gauged from the fact that even the legends like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant looked forward to participating in them. Recently, during All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, Mac McClung won the Slam Dunk contest. He became the first ever player to have won three contests in a row. Also, he equaled Nate Robinson’s record of winning three Slam Dunk contests.Let’s take a look at the most talked-about NBA slam dunk contests that helped star players establish themselves as undisputable kings of the court.
1988 – Iconic duel between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins
The iconic dunk contest between legendary Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins took place at Chicago Stadium, the home court of Jordan. This contest is memorable both because of the hype and the controversy surrounding it. Jordan won it by a narrow margin, pushing Wilkins down the popularity chart.
Jordan’s free-throw line dunk sealed the win in the duel for him. However, murmurs spread quickly among fans who thought Wilkins’ power dunks were not scored correctly by the judges, leading to Jordan’s win in the contest. This duel still makes a place in the discussions whenever memorable moments from the NBA are talked about.
2000 – Legendary dunks by Vince Carter, no less than masterclass for beginners
Vince Carter, a master dunker from the Raptors, scored a perfect 50 twice, making the 2000 Slam Dunk contest a classic piece of learning for beginners. Carter displayed reverse 360 Windmill Dunk, Arm-in-the-Rim Dunk, and 360 Windmill from the baseline dunks to declare his supremacy in the game.
After scoring an Arm-in-the-Rim dunk, he turned to the cameras and blurted, “It’s over!”, which became one of the iconic moments in NBA.
2008 – Winner Dwight Howard’s ‘Superman’ moment made it unforgettable
Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard made the contest quite dramatic as well as memorable with his change to a Superman cape mid-contest. Breaking from the traditional dunk, he chose to launch the ball into the loop. It led to a powerful throw-in because of the height at which he jumped.
Judges gave a perfect 50 for his Supermanly show. Magic Johnson and the crowd erupted, “It’s over!”Another high point of the contest was the ‘Birthday Cake’ dunk. The runner-up, Gerald Green, performed this dunk, making it more dramatic by blowing out a candle mid-air.With the introduction of props and costumes, drama became an element of dunk culture after this contest.
2020 – Derrick Jones Jr face-off against Aaron Gordon, leading to tie-breaker
Derrick Jones Jr and Aaron Gordon gave a tough fight to each other, leading the contest to a tie-breaker. Jones Jr and Gordon scored perfect 50s back-to-back in the final round, which required a tie-breaker dunk to decide the winner.In the final dunk, Gordon leaped over 7’5” Tacko Fall to score a dunk. It was awarded 47 points, which stirred reactions from fans. They thought it was an unfair decision to rob Gordon of the three points. Jones Jr won the final dunk and the contest by scoring a perfect 50.
2023 – A complete Mac McClung Show
Philadelphia 76ers’ Mac McClung ruled the 2023 NBA Slam Dunk contest with his sheer brilliance. He made a historic 99.8 score, the highest for the starting round in the contest.In the final round, too, he repeated the magic and scored two perfect 50s, culminating his journey in a phenomenal win.McClung made the winning dunk in his high school jersey; it was a 540-degree dunk and earned him the victory in the contest. He started a new trend by becoming the first G-League player to receive an invitation to the contest.Also Read: Mac McClung: From G League stardom to NBA’s surprise dunk contest champSlam Dunk Contests are terrific entertainers, and an honest display of athleticism and intelligence by the players. The contest is increasingly becoming dramatic and is being decorated with wow factors like jumping over the cars to make it more exciting.
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