Slam Dunk Contest


The NBA Slam Dunk Contest is an annual National Basketball Association competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. The contest was inaugurated by the American Basketball Association at its All-Star Game in 1976 in Denver, the same year the slam dunk was legalized in the NCAA. As a result of the ABA–NBA merger later that year there would not be another slam dunk contest at the professional level until 1984. The contest has adopted several formats over the years, including, until 2014, the use of fan voting, via text-messaging, to determine the winner of the final round.
The very first slam dunk contest was won by Larry Nance Sr. of the Phoenix Suns at the 1984 NBA All-Star Game. The current champion of the NBA Dunk Contest is Derrick Jones Jr. of the Miami Heat.

History

1976 ABA Slam Dunk Contest

On January 27, 1976 at McNichols Sports Arena during halftime of the 1976 ABA All Star Game the first-ever Slam Dunk Contest was held, which was won by Julius Erving of the New York Nets over David Thompson of the Denver Nuggets, Artis Gilmore of the Kentucky Colonels, and George Gervin and Larry Kenon of the San Antonio Spurs. There was a format each competitor had to follow in which they must attempt 5 dunks in a row under two minutes. One from a standing position, one from a distance of ten feet away from the basket. David Thompson did a 360 degree dunk to finish his routine. All competitors had to perform a dunk from 10 feet, but Julius Erving started marking his steps from the free throw line. He then completed a dunk from the free throw line.

1976–1977 NBA Slam Dunk Contest

This was a season long event similar to 1977–1978 NBA Horse event. There were 22 competitors throughout the event, including future Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, David Thompson, Alex English, Moses Malone, George Gervin, and Elvin Hayes and took place in multiple venues throughout the season. Darnell Hillman was named the winner that season, beating out the Golden State Warriors' Larry McNeill in the championship round on June 5, 1977 in Portland.

1980s

The NBA reintroduced the Slam Dunk Contest in 1984 at its birthplace in Denver. Phoenix's Larry Nance defeated the original Dunk contest winner Julius Erving in the final round. Dominique Wilkins won the contest the following year, but in 1986 his Atlanta Hawks teammate Spud Webb made history when he defeated Wilkins in the final, preventing him from retaining his title. Standing a mere 5 feet 7 inches tall, Webb became the shortest player ever to win the contest, a distinction that he still holds. Chicago's Michael Jordan won back-to-back dunk contest victories in 1987 and in 1988. His victory over Wilkins in 1988 in Chicago finished with a perfect 50 dunk from the free-throw line for his third dunk to win the contest. However, the announcers did note that Wilkins was given abnormally low score for his breathtaking third dunk, a 45, allowing Jordan to win it by 2 with his perfect 50. To this day, the allegations of "home cooking" still float around surrounding the event and until the competition in 2020, was considered arguably the most controversial of the slam dunk competitions. Extensive debate continues whether Wilkins 3rd dunk should have scored higher than a 45 and whether Jordan's second dunk, which scored a 47, was a superior creative effort to Wilkins third dunk. The following year in Houston, New York's Kenny "Sky" Walker, a last-minute replacement whose father died just days beforehand, upset Portland's Clyde Drexler, the hometown favorite and Houston native who was seen as the favorite, being that Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins were not competing. 1986 champ Spud Webb finished 3rd, while Shelton Jones finished 4th. Though Jordan & Wilkins still played in the All-Star Game, Jordan chose not to compete due to a minor injury, and Wilkins did not compete in the competition due to a hand injury.

1990s

In 1990, Dominique Wilkins of the Atlanta Hawks edged out Kenny Smith of the Sacramento Kings to win his second Slam Dunk Contest. Kenny Smith scored high points for originality with his signature dunk – he started by turning his back to the basket, bouncing the ball backward between his legs and off the backboard, then turning and grabbing it in the air and reverse dunking it. As the 1990s progressed, stars such as Jordan, Wilkins and Drexler sometimes declined to participate and were replaced by less-known players. Harold Miner was a standout in 1993, winning the contest with a reverse power dunk, reaching between his legs and down to his feet in mid-air before sending the ball down. In 1994 and 1997 respectively, Isaiah Rider and Kobe Bryant won the contest. Rider would win with a spectacular, between-the-legs dunk, reminiscent of the Orlando Woolridge effort in the 1984 contest, but wasn't able to repeat in 1995, missing the same dunk on several tries, opening the way for Miner to grab his second slam dunk title in three years. In 1998, the Slam Dunk Contest was replaced with the WNBA-NBA 2Ball Contest. In 1999, there was no All-Star Game due to the NBA lockout.

2000s

After a one-All Star Weekend layoff, the NBA decided to bring the Slam Dunk Contest back for the 2000 All-Star Weekend in Oakland, California. It would prove to be one of the most electrifying dunk contests in the league's history, featuring a great showdown between eventual winner Vince Carter of the Toronto Raptors, his cousin and then-teammate Tracy McGrady, and the Houston Rockets' Steve Francis. Carter won after performing a number of very impressive dunks, including two 360 windmills, a honey dip, and a between-the-legs dunk off a bounced alley-oop from McGrady. The next four contests did not feature superstars like Carter and Bryant, and despite innovative efforts by the likes of Desmond Mason and Jason Richardson, the lack of A-list superstars willing to participate hurt the appeal of the contest.
In 2005, the Slam Dunk Contest returned to its birthplace in Denver. With the spectacular dunks of prior contests, there was buzz that the dunk competition could regain the popularity it had in the 1980s. The Phoenix Suns' Amar'e Stoudemire alley-ooping 360 off a soccer-style header from teammate Steve Nash; J. R. Smith putting it around his back and dunking, and the new champion, Josh Smith alley-ooping over Kenyon Martin all wowed the crowd with their maneuvers. With the change in the rules requiring an additional teammate starting in the second round, they proved there were indeed many ways to dunk a took the title with a great dunk-off. One of his most exciting dunks was a high-flying dunk over former Slam Dunk Contest winner, 5'7" Spud Webb. The 2006 Slam Dunk Contest was also the first Dunk Contest in history to have a "Dunk Off", the equivalent to a Dunk Contest overtime, between Knicks point guard Nate Robinson and shooting guard Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers. Many fans argue that Iguodala should have won the contest, as it took Robinson fourteen attempts before finally completing his dunk. Iguodala pulled off a dunk where he started out of bounds from the right side of the baseline while teammate Allen Iverson bounced the ball off the back of the right side of the backboard. Iguodala caught the ball in mid-air behind the backboard, spun around to the other side while ducking his head and dunked it with his right hand.
On February 17, 2007, the contest was held in Las Vegas. Judges for the event were all past winners: Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Kobe Bryant, Julius Erving, and Vince Carter. The title was taken by the Boston Celtics' Gerald Green, who, among other dunks, jumped over reigning champ Nate Robinson while covering his face – a homage to 1991 winner, Dee Brown, whose jersey Green had worn. He also scored a perfect fifty with his last slam, a windmill over a table. Other noteworthy dunks include a dunk by Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, who, while making his dunk, stuck a sticker with his smiling face on the backboard a reported 12'6" from the ground, two and a half feet beyond the regulation NBA rim.
On February 16, 2008, the contest was held in New Orleans. Judges for the event included Darryl Dawkins, Dominique Wilkins, Karl Malone, Julius Erving, and Magic Johnson. The title was taken by Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. Howard's most noteworthy dunk came during the first round, his second dunk overall, when he took off his jersey to reveal a Superman shirt and cape. With teammate Jameer Nelson's assistance he would make a leaping dunk from just in front of the free-throw line after a running start, throwing the ball through the rim from a few feet away. Other noteworthy dunks included the first round slam by Jamario Moon while the previous year's winner, Gerald Green, relied heavily on theatrics by blowing out a cupcake with a birthday candle on the rim before dunking. For the first time ever, fan voting determined the outcome of the final round of the contest; Howard beat Green for the trophy by claiming 78% of the fans' votes.
Nate Robinson won the 2009 contest on February 14 in Phoenix, Arizona. The 5'9" guard dressed all in green as "Krypto-Nate" and jumped over 6'11" Dwight Howard characterized as Superman. He defeated Howard in the finals by a fan vote of 52–48 percent. J. R. Smith and Rudy Fernández also competed.

2010s

won the 2010 contest on February 13 in Dallas, becoming the first 3-time Slam Dunk champion. Robinson took on Shannon Brown of the Los Angeles Lakers, Gerald Wallace of the Charlotte Bobcats, and DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors. DeRozan earned his spot in the competition by defeating Los Angeles Clippers guard Eric Gordon in the inaugural Sprite Slam Dunk-In held the night before the actual dunk contest. Robinson and DeRozan advanced to the final round, where Robinson's double-pump reverse dunk helped seal a 51% to 49% victory.
Blake Griffin won the 2011 slam dunk contest by jumping and dunking over the hood of a Kia sedan on February 19 in Los Angeles. JaVale McGee of the Washington Wizards, DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors, and Serge Ibaka of the Oklahoma City Thunder all competed against Griffin. Griffin and McGee advanced to the final round, where Griffin stole the show, winning the contest with 68% of the vote.
Jeremy Evans won the 2012 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest by performing a dunk over Kevin Hart on February 25 in Orlando, Florida with 29% of the votes. Joining Evans were Chase Budinger of the Houston Rockets, Paul George of the Indiana Pacers, and Derrick Williams of the Minnesota Timberwolves. While George awed the crowd with a dunk with the lights turned off, Evans had perhaps the dunk of the contest by jumping teammate Gordon Hayward, catching two balls from Hayward, and dunking it.
Terrence Ross won the 2013 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest after a tomahawk dunk in tribute to former Toronto Raptors player Vince Carter, as well as a between-the-legs dunk performed while jumping over a ball boy. Ross took on Jeremy Evans of the Utah Jazz, Eric Bledsoe of the Los Angeles Clippers, Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets, Gerald Green of the Indiana Pacers, and James White of the New York Knicks. Evans advanced to the final round to defend his title of slam dunk champion, but was thwarted by Ross. Ross carried the momentum of his near-perfect first round, in which he scored a 99 out of a possible 100, with a stellar final round. Ross won the competition decisively, earning 58% of the vote.
Team East, composed of dunkers Paul George, defending champion Terrence Ross, and John Wall won the 2014 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest in commanding fashion. Under the new team format, they dominated the Freestyle Round, capping it off with a pass off the backboard from Ross to Wall, then off the shot clock from Wall to George for the finish. In the Battle Round, Ross defeated Damian Lillard with a through the legs dunk from rapper Drake, George took down Harrison Barnes with a 360-degree, through the legs finish, and Wall defeated Ben McLemore by jumping over the Wizards' mascot G-Man and throwing down a reverse on the first try. Though Team East are the official winners, Wall was voted by fans as the Dunker of the Night.
To the delight of NBA fans, the 2015 contest was changed back to its original format, as the Freestyle Round as well as the teams were taken out. The 4 dunkers competing were all up-and-coming players: The Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Timberwolves' Zach LaVine, the Magic's Victor Oladipo, and the Nets' Mason Plumlee. LaVine took home the hardware with dunks that included a between-the-legs reverse, a behind-the-back slam in which he caught it in midair, a between-the-legs lefthanded dunk, and finished with a between-the-legs dunk as he caught it off the pole behind the backboard. Similar to Howard with Superman, LaVine did his first dunk with a cultural homage, wearing Michael Jordan's jersey from Space Jam.
Zach LaVine won the 2016 slam dunk contest with incredibly talented dunks, from a windmill from the free throw line to a sensational between-the-legs reverse dunk. Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic, Will Barton of the Denver Nuggets and Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons also competed.

Controversy over Dunk Contest authenticity

Many people, including 2010 winner Nate Robinson, thought that the 2011 contest was rigged to allow up-and-coming star Blake Griffin to win and that runner-up JaVale McGee deserved to win. It was even disputed if Griffin even legitimately qualified for the finals since his final dunk got a perfect score but was basically a copy of DeMar DeRozan's first dunk with a lower degree of difficulty. Ben Maller of Fox Sports Radio reported that a media advisory sent out by the NBA over an hour before the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest began already referring to Blake Griffin as the winner.

Past NBA Slam Dunk Contest champions

There have been 25 players crowned the best dunkers in the NBA. Nate Robinson is the only player to win the event three times. Five are two-time winners: Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, Harold Miner, Jason Richardson and Zach LaVine.
YearHost CityWinnerTeam
1984DenverLarry NancePhoenix Suns
1985IndianapolisDominique WilkinsAtlanta Hawks
1986DallasSpud WebbAtlanta Hawks
1987SeattleMichael JordanChicago Bulls
1988ChicagoMichael JordanChicago Bulls
1989HoustonKenny WalkerNew York Knicks
1990MiamiDominique WilkinsAtlanta Hawks
1991CharlotteDee BrownBoston Celtics
1992OrlandoCedric CeballosPhoenix Suns
1993Salt Lake CityHarold MinerMiami Heat
1994MinneapolisIsaiah RiderMinnesota Timberwolves
1995PhoenixHarold MinerMiami Heat
1996San AntonioBrent BarryLos Angeles Clippers
1997ClevelandKobe BryantLos Angeles Lakers
1998New York CityThe WNBA-NBA 2Ball Competition replaced the Slam Dunk Contest
1999PhiladelphiaLockout – Shortened Season, No NBA All Star Game
2000OaklandVince CarterToronto Raptors
2001Washington, D.C.Desmond MasonSeattle SuperSonics
2002PhiladelphiaJason RichardsonGolden State Warriors
2003AtlantaJason RichardsonGolden State Warriors
2004Los AngelesFred JonesIndiana Pacers
2005DenverJosh SmithAtlanta Hawks
2006HoustonNate RobinsonNew York Knicks
2007Las VegasGerald GreenBoston Celtics
2008New OrleansDwight HowardOrlando Magic
2009PhoenixNate RobinsonNew York Knicks
2010DallasNate RobinsonNew York Knicks
2011Los AngelesBlake GriffinLos Angeles Clippers
2012OrlandoJeremy EvansUtah Jazz
2013HoustonTerrence RossToronto Raptors
2014New OrleansJohn WallWashington Wizards
2015New York CityZach LaVineMinnesota Timberwolves
2016TorontoZach LaVineMinnesota Timberwolves
2017New OrleansGlenn Robinson IIIIndiana Pacers
2018Los AngelesDonovan MitchellUtah Jazz
2019CharlotteHamidou DialloOklahoma City Thunder
2020ChicagoDerrick Jones Jr.Miami Heat

Source:
Slam Dunk Contest champions by franchise
NumberFranchiseLast Time
4Atlanta Hawks2005
4New York Knicks2010
3Minnesota Timberwolves2016
3Miami Heat2020
2Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder2019
2Indiana Pacers2017
2Toronto Raptors2013
2Chicago Bulls1988
2Golden State Warriors2003
2Phoenix Suns1992
2Boston Celtics2007
2Los Angeles Clippers2011
2Utah Jazz2018
1Los Angeles Lakers1997
1Orlando Magic2008
1Washington Wizards2014

All-time participants

Bold denotes winner of that year.

1980s

1984
1985
a
1986
a

b
1987
1988

Ron Harper was to participate but withdrew due to injury.
1989
a

1990s

1990
1991
Beginning with this year, final round competitors were allowed three dunks, with the two highest scores comprising the total.
1992
a
1993
The two highest score dunks of three in each round constituted the competitor's score.
Shawn Kemp was scheduled to compete but was injured.
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Harold Miner 94.8 97.4
Clarence Weatherspoon 87.5 92.2
Cedric Ceballos 87.3 79.8
David Benoit 85.8
Kenny Smith 85.0
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf 80.8
Tim Perry 70.0

1994
In the first round, each competitor was allowed 90 seconds to do as many dunks as he chooses with one overall score. The final round score was the best of two dunks.
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Isaiah Rider 46.849.0, 47.0
Robert Pack 42.043.8, 25.0
Shawn Kemp 46.625.0, 25.0
Allan Houston 41.5
Antonio Davis 40.0
James Robinson 39.0

1995
This year, each competitor was allowed 90 seconds to do at least three dunks and then given an overall score in round one. In the final round, each competitor was allowed 60 seconds to do at least two dunks and then given an overall score.
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Harold Miner 49.246.0
Isaiah Rider 44.634.0
Jamie Watson 40.426.0
Antonio Harvey 35.2
Tim Perry 31.0
Tony Dumas 15.0

1996
Beginning this year, in the first round, each competitor was allowed 90 seconds to do as many dunks as he chooses with one overall score. The final round score was the best of two dunks.
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Brent Barry 45.58.0, 49.0
Michael Finley 45.07.0, 46.2
Greg Minor 41.02.0, 40.0
Jerry Stackhouse 40.0
Doug Christie 39.5
Darrell Armstrong 25.5

1997
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Kobe Bryant 3749
Chris Carr 4445
Michael Finley 3933
Ray Allen 35
Bob Sura 35
Darvin Ham 36

1998

No competition was held.
1999

No competition was held as All-Star Weekend was not held due to the NBA's lockout.

2000s

2000

Beginning with this year, the two highest dunks in each round constituted the competitor's total score.
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Vince Carter 100 98
Steve Francis 95 91
Tracy McGrady 99 77
Ricky Davis 88
Jerry Stackhouse 83
Larry Hughes 67

2001
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Desmond Mason 91 89
DeShawn Stevenson 95 85
Baron Davis 94 77
Stromile Swift 90
Jonathan Bender 90
Corey Maggette 88

2002

A tournament format was adopted for this year.
2003
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Jason Richardson 100 95
Desmond Mason 90 93
Amar'e Stoudemire 79
Richard Jefferson 74

2004
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Fred Jones 92 86
Jason Richardson 95 78
Chris Andersen 88
Ricky Davis 76

2005
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Josh Smith 95 100
Amar'e Stoudemire 95 87
J. R. Smith 90
Chris Andersen 77

2006
2007
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Gerald Green 95 91
Nate Robinson 90 80
Dwight Howard 85
Tyrus Thomas 80

2008
The final round was decided by fan voting via text messaging for the first time.
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Dwight Howard 100 78%
Gerald Green 91 22%
Jamario Moon 90
Rudy Gay 85

2009
The final round was decided by fan voting via text messaging.
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Nate Robinson 87 52%
Dwight Howard 100 48%
J. R. Smith 85
Rudy Fernández 84

2010s

2010
The final round was decided by fan voting via text messaging.
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Nate Robinson 89 51%
DeMar DeRozan 92 49%
Gerald Wallace 78
Shannon Brown 78

2011
The final round was decided by fan voting via text messaging.
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Blake Griffin 95 68%
JaVale McGee 99 32%
DeMar DeRozan 94
Serge Ibaka 90

2012
The format for this season was changed so that each participant had 3 dunks, and the results would be entirely decided by fan voting online, via text messaging, and via Twitter.
PlayerVoting results
Jeremy Evans 29%
Chase Budinger 28%
Paul George 24%
Derrick Williams 19%

2013
The final round was decided by fan voting via text messaging.
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Terrence Ross 99 58%
Jeremy Evans 90 42%
Eric Bledsoe 89
Kenneth Faried 89
Gerald Green 83
James White 77

2014
A team format was adopted this year. The first round was a Freestyle Round, with the winning team choosing the order of dunkers for the Battle Round. The Battle Round was then composed of one-on-one "battles", with the first team to three victories being the champion.
John Wall was voted Dunker of the Night.
2015
This year saw the return of the voting style that was last used in 2007.
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Zach LaVine 100 94
Victor Oladipo 89 75
Mason Plumlee 76
Giannis Antetokounmpo 65

2016
PlayerFirst roundFinalsTie-break 1Tie-break 2
Zach LaVine 99 100 5050
Aaron Gordon 94 100 5047
Andre Drummond 75
Will Barton 74

2017
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Glenn Robinson III 91 94
Derrick Jones Jr. 95 87
DeAndre Jordan 84
Aaron Gordon 72

2018
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Donovan Mitchell 98 98
Larry Nance, Jr. 93 96
Dennis Smith Jr. 89
Victor Oladipo 71

2019
PlayerFirst roundFinals
Hamidou Diallo 98 88
Dennis Smith Jr. 95 85
Miles Bridges 83
John Collins 82

2020s

2020
PlayerFirst roundFinalsTie-break 1Tie-break 2
Derrick Jones Jr. 96 100 5048
Aaron Gordon 100 100 5047
Pat Connaughton 95
Dwight Howard 90

Criticism

Historically, the dunk contest drew some mild criticisms. One is that players who often compete in these contests are seen as dunkers only, which is why notable high flying athletes like Shawn Marion and LeBron James have sometimes refused to participate. High-profile players such as Dwyane Wade and Charles Barkley have also declined to participate citing it as an unnecessary risk to injury. In the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Tracy McGrady injured his wrist while performing a dunk. Also in the 1995 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Tony Dumas hurt his knee while performing his "Texas Twister" dunk. Although a longtime critic, LeBron James said he would perform in the 2010 Slam Dunk Contest. This decision was made after watching the 2009 dunk contest when Dwight Howard and Nate Robinson went at it. However, he withdrew his statement once the All-Star Weekend came around.
The 2006 NBA Slam Dunk Competition between Nate Robinson and Andre Iguodala drew much criticism because players were not penalized for missing a dunk attempt. Consequently, Robinson attempted a single dunk 14 times before completing it. Prior to the 2007 competition, the NBA changed a few rules to prevent excessive dunk attempts. Each participant has two minutes to complete their dunk. At the end of the two minutes allotted, they then have their number of dunk attempts limited to two.

Records