The NBA All-Star Dunk has captured the mindblowing athleticism that has existed in the NBA since 1984. To win the contest, an athlete needs to bring out moves that leave both their peers and fans gasping in awe. Not only do they need to be explosive and crafty, they need to keep inventing on the fly to down their competition.
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Since 1984, there have been just six athletes who have won the competition more than once. This list includes the free-throw line dunk maestros Zach LaVine and Michael Jordan.
Nate Robinson
Former Knicks guard Nate Robinson is one of the most iconic faces of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. The high-flyer nabbed three awards in 2006, 2009, and 2010. He is the only player to have won the competition thrice. Standing at 5’9”, fans couldn’t believe the vertical leap the athlete could make with ease. It was reminiscent of Spud Webb, who at 5’6”, is the shortest NBA All-Slam Dunk contest participant and won the 1986 Contest.
During the 2009 contest, Robinson made a memorable dunk as he leaped over a 6’10” Dwight Howard and slammed it with a lot of gusto. Howard had won the 2008 contest in one of the most prolific showings. Apart from Howard, the former NBA guard towered over Josh Smith, DeMar DeRozan, Shannon Brown, and JR Smith.
Dominique Wilkins
6’8” Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins is one of the best in-game dunkers of all time. His breathtaking jams earned him the moniker of Human Highlight Reel. He won the contest in 1985 and 1990, where his windmills, cradles, and reverse jams stole the show. In 1985, he defeated Michael Jordan in the final round.
To seal the deal with his second dunk of the round, the forward tossed the ball himself and after picking it cleanly, reverse-jammed it with emphasis. In those times, dunk contests were an anticipated event, and several stars used to compete fiercely to show their dominance. In these dunk contests, Wilkins defeated high-flyers Clyder Drexler, Scottie Pippen, Julius Erving, and Rex Chapman.
Michael Jordan
6’6” Michael Jordan made a huge mark in the dunk contest history and revived Julius Erving’s free-throw dunk. The way he stretched out his tongue and clutched his legs en route to a free-throw slam, made for an iconic image.
During the 1988 dunk contest, the Bulls legend avenged his 1985 defeat against the Nique. The 1988 Dunk Contest is dubbed one of the best in NBA history because of the duel between Air Jordan and the Human Highlight Reel.
Harold Miner
Dubbed as ‘Baby Jordan’ for his athletic heroics, Harold Miner won the Dunk Contest in 1993 and 1995. During the dunk contests, the high-flying guard showed the shades of both Nique and MJ when going for his jams. His moniker Baby Jordan propelled him to huge popularity and his dunk contest feats overshadowed his overall NBA journey.
During his wins, Miner defeated athletic wonders like Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith, Mohammad Abdul-Raouf, J.R Rider, and Tim Perry.
Jason Richardson
Former 76ers shooting guard Jason Richardson won the contest twice in 2002 and 2003. The 6’6” Guard’s ability to make between-the-legs dunks in mid-flight mesmerized NBA fans for multiple years. The guard could make unbelievable reverse jams and also complete terrific windmills while switching the ball mid-air.
Thanks to his explosive package, he was able to defeat tough rivals Amar’e Stoudemire, Richard Jefferson, Steve Francis, and Desmond Mason.
Zach LaVine
In the post-2010 NBA Slam Dunk History, Zach LaVine is among one of the most prolific names. He won the award twice in 2015 and 2016 and invoked shades of MJ, Dr. J., and J-Rich to pull off a between-the-leg dunk.
This dunk helped him fend off a fierce Aaron Gordon whose boundless creativity and athletic chops were garnering a lot of love. LaVine had to go through extra rounds in 2016 to defeat Gordon. The battle between Gordon and LaVine is one of the best in the contest’s history.
