“I Felt Proud”: When Michael Jordan Fondly Remembered the First Competitive Dunk of His Career

Michael Jordan’s incredible dunks revolutionized what it meant to live at the rim. He won Slam Dunk Contests and dunked on some of the best ever shot blockers in the game. However, like everyone else, the NBA legend had to start somewhere. It’s hard to imagine that the Bulls’ superstar couldn’t dunk before. But the first time he ever dunked holds a special place in his memory.

Jordan failed to join the varsity basketball team during his sophomore year at Emsley A. Laney High School. At the time, coaches considered the shooting guard too short for the position, as he stood at 5-foot-11. That didn’t prevent him from pursuing his dreams, and he quickly became the face of the school’s junior varsity team instead.

At the end of his sophomore season, he pulled off his first dunk, which changed the trajectory of his basketball career. The 14-time All-Star recalled the event in his biography titled From Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby. He said,

“It was a baby dunk, just basic. I didn’t even know I did it until after the fact. I surprised myself. Other kids had done it, but still it was spectacular for a junior-high kid to be dunking. I felt proud that I could do it.”

Jordan didn’t rock the rim as NBA fans would grow accustomed to throughout his 15-year career. However, the moment was still priceless. Especially considering at that time there weren’t many athletes in junior varsity that were dunking.

That moment helped catapult Jordan in his high school career. The following season, he earned a spot on the varsity team and the story wrote itself. His “baby dunk” eventually led to the birth of ‘Air Jordan’ and his iconic dunks, which are recognized globally to this day.

Jordan’s dunks captivated the NBA

MJ didn’t stop from the baby dunk in his sophomore season, but he only expanded on it. He went on to participate in multiple Slam Dunk Contests in his career. His performance in 1987 and 1988 solidified himself as one of the best dunkers in NBA history.

Jordan’s first appearance in the highly anticipated contest came in his rookie season. In the 1985 Slam Dunk Contest, the Bulls star went head-to-head with the explosive Dominique Wilkins. The two put on a duel, but the Hawks star prevailed in the end. However, Jordan would enact his revenge.

In 1988, the two went toe-to-toe again in the competition. Both high-flying stars put on a show at the Chicago Stadium. However, MJ’s iconic free-throw line dunk was too much for Wilkins to overcome.

On this day in 1988… Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins had a dunk-contest duel for the ages! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/1iR7mCXe7i

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) February 7, 2022

His free-throw line dunk earned him the moniker of ‘Air Jordan’. The 6-foot-6 guard looked like he was flying when he graced the air for his emphatic throw-downs. 36 years later, Jordan is still recognized for his dunks in the Dunk Contest.