All-Time Top 5 Slam Dunk Contest Dunks Ranked by Kendrick Perkins Featuring Aaron Gordon and Zach LaVine

The 2025 All-Star Dunk Contest is less than 48 hours away now. As Mac McClung, Stephon Castle, Matas Buzelis and Andre Jackson Jr. prepare to take flight at Chase Center, Kendrick Perkins kicked off the festivities by sharing his list of the greatest dunk contest dunks of all time.

The 2008 NBA champion shouted out two of his former teammates and also gave the nod to the hotly contested 2016 battle between Aaron Gordon and Zach Lavine during the ESPN segment titled ‘Big Perk’s Big List’. Let’s break down the 40-year-old’s favorite moments from dunk contest history.

5. Nate Robinson over Dwight Howard (2009)

“I had to show some love to one of my teammates, old Nate Robinson,” Perkins said as he began his list with the 5’9” slam dunk contest legend. The two shared a locker room in Boston during the 2010-11 season before being traded together to the OKC Thunder.

Though Robinson wouldn’t win any All-Star Weekend events during their time as teammates, he was right in the middle of his three-peat when he faced off against Dwight Howard in the 2009 Slam Dunk contest.

Since Howard was flexing the persona of Superman, Robinson joined in on the theme by dressing up as ‘KrypoNate’, a pun on the Man of Steel’s greatest weakness. The battle of ‘David vs. Goliath’ saw the Knicks point guard elevate over his 6’11” opponent to win 52% of the fan vote in the final round.

The following season, Robinson won his third dunk contest, becoming the first player to ever win three in the event. This weekend, G Leaguer Mac McClung can become the second. If he wins, he would do what Nate couldn’t by winning three consecutive dunk contests.

4. The iconic Aaron Gordon chair dunk (2016)

The 2016 All-Star weekend is remembered for hosting the greatest dunk contest in recent history. Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon engaged in a nail-biting battle above the rim that had to go to triple overtime to decide a winner.

LaVine would win the trophy with his fourth dunk of the second round, but even today, it isn’t hard to find fans who would go to bat for AG’s ultra-creative jam over ‘Stuff the Magic Dragon’.

With his first tiebreaking dunk, Gordon jumped sideways over the Magic’s mascot, collecting the ball below his legs and windmilling it over his head with the other hand. “That was special right there. Yeah, I like that,” Perkins exclaimed as he replayed the electric jam.

Both Gordon and LaVine tallied perfect 50s for their dunks in that round, though AG’s dunk does remain the more memorable feat of athleticism.

3. Gerald Green takes the cake (2008)

Perk certainly has a soft corner for his teammates, as another former Celtic Gerald Green received the nod for the third spot on the podium. Green, whose in-game dunks often outshine dunk contest performances, won the All-Star weekend event in 2007 — his final season in Boston.

However, Perkins favored his feat from the following year, when he orchestrated a dunk titled ‘The Birthday Cake’. The then-22-year-old placed a cupcake on the back of the rim before lighting a birthday candle on it.

Green then elevated for a two-hand jam, which was so easy for him that he took his time in the air to blew out the candle above the rim.

“I had to show him love ’cause G-Green had them bunnies,” Perkins added.

Surprisingly, the theatric dunk would only receive 46 points from the judges. Gunning for a second consecutive slam dunk contest title, Green would be thwarted by Superman, Dwight Howard, who won 78% of the fan vote in the final round.

2. Zach LaVine’s contest-winning dunk (2016)

After back-to-back 50s from both LaVine and Gordon during the 2016 Slam Dunk contest, the event ended on the fourth dunk of the second round. AG went for a double-pump reverse dunk that scored 47 and left the door open for LaVine to bag his second straight trophy.

The third-year Timberwolves guard seized the opportunity by returning to the free-throw line, where had already earned two perfect scores. Not only did he take off 15 feet away from the basket, LaVine went between-the-legs and hammered it home with one hand to secure another 50 and the dunk contest title.

In Perk’s words, “He got nasty with it.” The competition between him and Gordon forced both athletes to think outside the box as they continued racking up perfect scores in the second round. After winning the contest, LaVine admitted that he had never practiced his winning dunk before.

1. Who else, but Vince Carter (2000)

Perkins had to end his list with one of the league’s greatest dunkers of all time. Interestingly, that was also the last All-Star weekend to be hosted in the Bay Area. Not only did Vinsanity light up Oracle Arena, the 2000 Dunk Contest featured a battle between Carter and his teammate and cousin, Tracy McGrady.

He put his elbow through the hoop to win the contest but Vince cemented his status as ‘Half-Man Half-Amazing’ by executing one of the cleanest and most powerful jams in the first round. The Toronto Raptors star turned 360 degrees in the air while fully extending his arm for a windmill jam, earning the top spot on Perk’s list.

“He set a trend with this dunk,” the ESPN analyst explained. “The 360 windmill… Look at it. The best dunker of all time. In-game, in dunk contest.”

With All-Star Weekend returning to San Francisco for the first time since then, the league added a nice touch by making one of the contestants of the 2000 Slam Dunk contest a judge this year. McGrady, along with Jason Richardson, Baron Davis and Perkin’s teammate Kevin Garnett, will score the four contestants on Saturday night. Notably, the NBA will also allow fans to vote digitally as the fifth judge, so be sure to chime in.