Since the inception of the NBA the game has developed from just passing and shooting to dunking, backdoor cuts and the pick and roll. The game has seen evolution in every aspect. Dunking the basketball can change the momentum of a game drastically. Posterizing an opponent has become a signature of the game. Over the years the NBA has had its share of rim rockers.
Top Ten Dunkers in NBA History
1. Dominique Wilkins
Wilkins entered the league in 1982. Despite often being overshadowed by Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, Wilkins put fear in his opponent’s hearts. His powerful finishes around the rim are amongst the most reverberating in NBA history. Wilkins was known to bump defenders midair and still maintain enough hangtime to tomahawk a dunk home even after absorbing contact. Wilkins participated in five Dunk Contest, winning two in 1985 and 1990. His battles for Dunk Contest supremacy with Spudd Webb and Jordan are to this day some of the most exciting moments in All-Star Weekend history. Wilkins and Bird put on some memorable battles during the 80’s that often go unrecognized. Bird was a sniper, but Wilkins was a bulldozer. Wilkins seemed to dunk as if he was angry with his opponents. This is a Photo of Wilkins throwing down one of his famous power dunks at All-Star Weekend.
2. Vince Carter
Carter’s dunking prowess were well known since his days as a prep star in Florida. Carter stole the show at the 1995 McDonalds All-American game with his array of sky-scraping finishes. Carter’s performance at the 2000 All-Star game is widely considered the best in the history of the Dunk Contest. That night Carter put on a show for the ages. Each dunk sent the crowd into a frenzy. This was reminiscent to a Mike Tyson fight. The real question wasn’t who was going to win but who’d finish second to Carter. During the 2000 Summer Olympics Carter pulled off one of the most amazing feats in the history of basketball. Carter jumped over 7-foot Fredrich Veis’s entire body and threw down a dunk that froze the entire world for a moment. It remains one of the most watched videos on platforms such as YouTube. Carter’s dunk over Alonzo Mourning in the 2006 NBA Playoffs was so nasty Mourning didn’t speak to Carter for years following the incident. During his days with the Toronto Raptors, Carter was a threat to catch a lob pass anytime the ball crossed half court. Basketball is a mainstay in Canada mainly because of the amazing shows Carter put on, captivating an entire generation. This photo is at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydnee Australia. Kevin Garnett looks on in amazement as Carter Jumps clear over the defender.
3. Julius Erving
Erving is without a shadow of a doubt the first of his kind. The Long Island, New York native set the ABA and NBA on fire during the ’70s and ’80s with his unparalleled combination of finishes around the basket. So much of what we see today can be attributed to what Erving did for the game of basketball. Erving exemplified grace and style. Jordan, David Thompson and any other great dunker from that era most certainly copied the things Erving did during his career. Hundreds would attend his games at Rucker Park where he would unleash his true bag of tricks the professional game would sometimes frown upon. Street basketball is about showmanship, a characteristic Erving boasted all too well. Erving’s posters were famously pasted to the walls of young American basketball fans for an entire generation. Erving was the first to dominate the NBA game through the use of hangtime. Defenders had a difficult time trying to figure out Erving’s release point due to him hanging in the air so long. He would famously dip under the basket while maintaining enough hangtime to finish on the other side of the rim, often jamming it home. In this photo Erving dunks over Michael Cooper during the 1980 NBA Finals.
4. David Thompson
Thompson seems to be forgotten about in terms of the greatest rim rockers the league has ever seen. Thompson inducted Jordan into the Hall-of-Fame, which is an indicator of the affect Thompson had on the generations that got a chance to see his play. There are rumors that Thompson could take a quarter off of the top of the backboard without getting a running start. It’s hard not to believe such a rumor based upon the things Thompson was able to accomplish on a basketball court. His days as a member of the North Carolina State Wolfpack are legendary. Thompson would famously glide through the air with his afro blowing through air as he slithered his way to the basket. At only 6’4″, Thompson is without a doubt the best dunker that really didn’t have any physical advantage other than his great leaping ability. His days with the Denver Nuggets are legendary. Thompson and his teammates would run up the score while he and his comrades provided the audience with a plethora of finishes above the rim. This is a photo of Thompson dunking on a fastbreak during the All-Star game.
5. Shawn Kemp
Kemp and Gary Payton were the original lob city. Seattle was a fun place to attend a basketball game during the Kemp and Payton days. Payton would throw the ball up to Kemp from the other side of the court, more often than not Kemp would finish with a thunderous jam reminiscent of Wilkins. Kemp is on this list due to sheer power. During his athletic prime opponents would try and keep tabs of his position at all times. Kemp was known to throw down some of the biggest haymakers the league has ever seen. What made the ordeal so embarrassing was the fact that Kemp was 6’9″. He’d often swing his dangly legs around hoping to create contact with an already shell-shocked defender. Chris Gatling once famously shook Kemp’s hand midgame after being posterized. The gesture was none other than respect, something rarely ever seen in an NBA game, at least after getting dunked on. This is a photo of Kemp at All-Star Weekend.
6. Clyde Drexler
Drexler is undoubtedly one of the most charismatic dunkers you can name. Since his days at the University of Houston, Drexler has always been one to meet his opponents at the rim. Though Drexler never won a Dunk Contest, he’s remembered for his impressive leaping ability. Drexler was often overshadowed by Jordan but make no mistake you have to earn a nickname such as “Clyde the Glyde”. You didn’t want to be on the wrong end of a Drexler throwdown. This is a photo is Drexler skying through the air with an amazing finish during his days with the Portland Trailblazers.
7. Kobe Bryant
Bryant earned himself a reputation as a force to be reckoned with around the basket as an 18-year-old rookie. Even well into his 30’s Bryant was still an outlandish dunker. Bryant won his one and only Dunk Contest in 1997. Doing things before his time seemed to be something Bryant was adept at. The Dunk Contest was no different. Bryant may not have been as great a leaper as some of the other players on this list, but his creativity is what made him special. Bryant was capable of switching midair and finishing with either hand. Bryant was supremely talented at every aspect of basketball. Dunking came natural to him. This is photo of Bryant throwing down a windmill in the 2002 NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets.
8. Michael Jordan
Jordan did most of his dunking during his younger days. Fact is, once he developed that patented fadeaway, the game slowed down for Jordan. Jordan captured the Slam Dunk Championship in 1987 and 1988. Jordan loved to dunk on big guys. Tree Rollins, Patrick Ewing and Bill Laimbeer to name a few. This era was known for the best players competed during All-Star Weekend. One of the few knocks on the NBA today is the lack of competitiveness during the leagues Midseason Classic. Jordan dunked the ball with style and grace. It’s almost as if the rest of his game was so good that he never truly showed his entire repertoire. It wasn’t a necessity. Ultimately, Jordan had the ability to dunk just as good as anyone. The baseline dunk over Patrick Ewing during the 1991 NBA Playoffs is remembered as one of the most infamous in league history. The dunk sent a statement to the league that the Bulls were out for blood. This photo of Jordan winning the Dunk Contest in Chicago in 1988. He has on a pair of Air Jordan 3.
9. Darryl Dawkins
Dawkins was one of the more colorful figures of his time. He earned a reputation as one of the most acrobatic players to ever step foot on the basketball court. Dawkins was a dunking specialist. He even had names for some of his favorite dunks. Dawkins was nicknamed “the glass breaker” for his eagerness to shatter the glass board. After a while NBA began policing Dawkins’s glass breaking activities. NBA Commissioner Larry O’Brien once penned Dawkins a letter citing any more broken glass would result in a fine and possible suspension. Dawkins slowed down on the spectacle, but every now and then would throw down a dunk so hard officials would stop the game to make sure everything was intact. In this photo ,Dawkins dunks on the break in the 1980 NBA Finals
10. Shaquille O’Neal
O’Neal was never an All-Star Weekend type of dunker. In fact, O’Neal rarely tried to dazzle the crowd with 360-degree attacks on the rim. O’Neal’s sole purpose on the court was to physically dominate his opponents. He did as good a job at that as any player in league history. He was just as dominant at dunking the ball. What made O’Neal so special was the fact that he was a giant hunter. O’Neal loved dunking on other centers. He’d famously dunk the energy out of an opposing arena. O’Neal was similar to Jordan when it came to self-motivation. If O’Neal didn’t like an opposing player, you knew at some point he’d attempt to posterize that individual. He once dunked on David Robinson during an All-Star Game for not signing an autograph for O’Neal while in high school. As a member of the Orlando Magic, O’Neal got into the habit of destroying the glass similar to Dawkins. However, in O’Neal’s case it was more accidental than anything. He didn’t have to try that hard to break the glass. It sort of just happened. In this photo, O’Neal throws down a thunderous dunk against the Phoenix Suns as Stephon Marbury looks on in frustration.
