The NBA All-Star Weekend is one of the most anticipated events of the season. Aside from the All-Star Game itself, the Slam Dunk Contest is the main event. In past decades, Michael Jordan was one of the faces of the competition. His iconic free-throw line dunk lives on many years later. However, Charles Barkley believes Dominique Wilkins should’ve won that contest.
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Wilkins and Jordan competed against each other twice in the Slam Dunk Contest. Wilkins won in 1985, and in 1988, Jordan got his revenge. That year, Jordan had the home-court advantage as the All-Star Weekend took place in Chicago.
Regardless, Wilkins dominated by completing a series of improbable dunks, making him the favorite to win the event for a second time. However, MJ had one last trick up his sleeve. He jumped from the free-throw line, and the rest is history.
Barkley understands how legendary that dunk and moment were. Yet, he believes Wilkins was the better dunker overall. He recalled that moment during a recent episode of The Steam Room.
“One of the two times Dominique got robbed,” Barkley proclaimed.
Author Mike Sielski, who joined the podcast, spoke on that contest and dunks in general. The conversation was sparked ahead of the release of his new book, Magic in the Air, which highlights the history of dunking. Sielski is in the same boat as Barkley and believes Jordan didn’t deserve the win.
“[Wilkins] should’ve won that contest,” Sielski said. “Michael did the foul line dunk and won because he had home-court advantage.”
The outcome of that contest remains one of the biggest controversies in the event’s history. Even Dominique Wilkins has talked about what happened at the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest.
Wilkins believes he should’ve won the 1988 Dunk Contest
Wilkins has been quite vocal regarding the historic dunk contest, and his opinion shared similarities to that of Barkley.
Jordan didn’t perform the way fans knew he was capable of. He missed a few of his dunks but didn’t receive the typical consequences. “He did the same dunk twice and missed and still got 50,” Wilkins said.
It didn’t help Wilkins’ case that the event took place in Chicago. The entire arena wanted to see Jordan win, which turned out to be the outcome.
Wilkins eventually redeemed himself, winning the competition again in 1990. Wilkins and Jordan both won the competition twice. But if the Hawks’ star had won in 1988, he would’ve had bragging rights.
