Greatest Dunkers in Basketball History

Michael Jordan

Two dunk contest titles (1987, 1988) including the iconic free-throw-line leap that became a logo of its own, but Jordan's real case is decades of clutch,厂vicious in-game dunks that defined an era. He turned dunking into a statement of dominance, not just showmanship.

Dunk Contest Titles: 2Approx. Vertical Leap: 46 inYears Active: 1984-2003Dunk Legacy Rating: 10/10

added by IJRin 13 rankings

Vince Carter

The 2000 Sydney Olympics 'leapfrog' dunk over 7'2" Frederic Weis is still shown as basketball's single most jaw-dropping in-game slam. Carter's 2000 Slam Dunk Contest performance, including the honey-dip 360 windmill, is widely considered the greatest ever.

Dunk Contest Titles: 1Approx. Vertical Leap: 43 inYears Active: 1998-2020Dunk Legacy Rating: 10/10

added by IJRin 2 rankingsVince Carter

Julius Erving (Dr. J)

Before Jordan, there was Dr. J's 1976 ABA Slam Dunk Contest free-throw-line takeoff — the dunk that invented the archetype everyone since has chased. His afro-flying, one-handed cradle dunks made dunking an art form in the ABA and NBA alike.

Dunk Contest Titles: 1Approx. Vertical Leap: 42 inYears Active: 1971-1987Dunk Legacy Rating: 9/10

added by IJR

Dominique Wilkins

Nicknamed 'The Human Highlight Film,' Wilkins won two Slam Dunk Contests (1985, 1990) and battled Jordan in the legendary 1988 contest many still say he actually won. His raw power dunks were as violent as anything the league has seen.

Dunk Contest Titles: 2Approx. Vertical Leap: 44 inYears Active: 1982-1999Dunk Legacy Rating: 9/10

added by IJRin 2 rankingsDominique Wilkins

Shawn Kemp

Kemp never won a dunk contest but his in-game posterizations, especially the 1992 flush over Alton Lister, are some of the most terrifying dunks ever thrown down. 'Reign Man' brought pure explosive force to every trip up the floor.

Dunk Contest Titles: 0Approx. Vertical Leap: 40 inYears Active: 1989-2003Dunk Legacy Rating: 8/10

added by IJRin 2 rankingsShawn Kemp

Kobe Bryant

An 18-year-old Kobe stunned the league by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest with a between-the-legs jam, foreshadowing a career full of vicious in-game dunks over defenders twice his size. He never needed the contest to remind you he could fly.

Dunk Contest Titles: 1Approx. Vertical Leap: 38 inYears Active: 1996-2016Dunk Legacy Rating: 8/10

added by IJRin 10 rankingsKobe Bryant

LeBron James

LeBron never entered a dunk contest, but his chase-down blocks-turned-dunks and the 2018 tomahawk over Kevin Durant show a freakish combination of size and explosiveness rarely matched. Two decades in, he's still throwing down highlight-reel slams.

Dunk Contest Titles: 0Approx. Vertical Leap: 40 inYears Active: 2003-presentDunk Legacy Rating: 8/10

added by IJRin 12 rankings

Blake Griffin

Griffin's 2011 win over a Kia, complete with a full car-jump dunk, remains one of the most theatrical moments in dunk contest history. His early-career in-game dunks on unsuspecting centers made him a must-watch highlight machine.

Dunk Contest Titles: 1Approx. Vertical Leap: 35 inYears Active: 2009-2023Dunk Legacy Rating: 8/10

added by IJRin 2 rankingsBlake Griffin

Zach LaVine

LaVine's back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016, including a between-the-legs 360 while barely 6'5", reset the bar for modern dunk contest creativity. His duel with Aaron Gordon in 2016 is regarded as the best contest of the last two decades.

Dunk Contest Titles: 2Approx. Vertical Leap: 46 inYears Active: 2014-presentDunk Legacy Rating: 9/10

added by IJRin 2 rankingsZach LaVine

Nate Robinson

At 5'9", Robinson somehow won three Slam Dunk Contests (2006, 2009, 2010), including jumping over Dwight Howard in a Superman cape. He proved size means nothing when your legs are springs.

Dunk Contest Titles: 3Approx. Vertical Leap: 43 inYears Active: 2005-2015Dunk Legacy Rating: 8/10

added by IJR

Aaron Gordon

Gordon never officially won, losing two all-time classic contests (2016, 2020) in heartbreaking fashion, but many fans consider his dunks — including one over a mascot and a between-the-legs reverse — the best ever performed. The 'best dunker to never win' debate starts and ends

Dunk Contest Titles: 0Approx. Vertical Leap: 39 inYears Active: 2014-presentDunk Legacy Rating: 7/10

added by IJRAaron Gordon

Spud Webb

Standing just 5'7", Webb shocked the basketball world by winning the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest over his own teammate Dominique Wilkins. His victory remains the ultimate proof that leaping ability trumps height.

Dunk Contest Titles: 1Approx. Vertical Leap: 42 inYears Active: 1985-1998Dunk Legacy Rating: 8/10

added by IJRin 2 rankingsSpud Webb

Dwight Howard

Howard's 2008 Superman cape dunk turned the contest into pure spectacle, and his in-game power dunks made him one of the most physically dominant finishers of his generation. Few centers ever combined that much force with that much lift.

Dunk Contest Titles: 1Approx. Vertical Leap: 40 inYears Active: 2004-2022Dunk Legacy Rating: 7/10

added by IJRin 2 rankingsDwight Howard

Jason Richardson

Richardson won back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003 with high-flying windmills and reverse jams that brought creativity back to the contest during a lull. His in-game two-handed flushes were a staple of early-2000s highlight reels.

Dunk Contest Titles: 2Approx. Vertical Leap: 41 inYears Active: 2001-2015Dunk Legacy Rating: 7/10

added by IJR

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis never entered a contest, but his open-court, full-speed dunks — including a memorable one-handed slam over the Knicks that snapped a rim's shot clock — showcase a 7-footer moving and finishing like a guard. His 2021 Finals dunk over Deandre Ayton is an all-time postseason

Dunk Contest Titles: 0Approx. Vertical Leap: 39 inYears Active: 2013-presentDunk Legacy Rating: 8/10

added by IJRin 6 rankingsGiannis Antetokounmpo

Gerald Green

Green's 2007 contest win featured him blowing out a candle on a cupcake mid-air off a self-alley-oop, one of the most memorable single dunks in contest history. He remained a highlight reel threat well into his late-career journeyman years.

Dunk Contest Titles: 1Approx. Vertical Leap: 42 inYears Active: 2005-2017Dunk Legacy Rating: 7/10

added by IJR

Terrence Ross

Ross's 2013 win, capped by a Vince Carter jersey reveal after matching his childhood idol's dunk, tied together generations of high-flyers in one contest. His clean, efficient dunk style made him a quiet but effective contest champion.

Dunk Contest Titles: 1Approx. Vertical Leap: 41 inYears Active: 2012-presentDunk Legacy Rating: 6/10

added by IJRTerrence Ross

Ja Morant

At just 6'2", Morant regularly throws down full-speed dunks over 7-footers in live NBA games, a feat almost no guard his size has managed with such frequency. His open-floor explosiveness has made him the most must-watch in-game dunker of his generation.

Dunk Contest Titles: 0Approx. Vertical Leap: 44 inYears Active: 2019-presentDunk Legacy Rating: 7/10

added by IJRin 2 rankingsJa Morant