Memorable Dunk Contests from NBA All-Star Weekend

This year’s game will feature Miami Heat rookie forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, New York Knicks rookie forward Jacob Toppin and the Osceola Magic’s defending champions Champion Mike McClung, the Osceola Magic are the G-League affiliate of the Orlando Magic.

While the Slam Dunk Contest includes varying degrees of star power each year, that doesn’t erase the game’s history. Whether it’s Dwight Howard dressing up as Superman for a dunk or Gerald Green blowing out the candles on a cupcake during the dunk, there are moments from this game that linger long after a champion is crowned remains in the minds of fans.

Here are some of the most memorable dunk contests:

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2016, Toronto

Aaron Gordon opened the game with a reverse double double. Zach LaVine was just as dynamic, finishing with an alley-oop and a reverse dunk from behind.

The stakes increased each round: Gordon introduced Staff, the magic dragon—the Magic’s mascot—in his dunk, requiring him to jump over the mascot while performing a 360-degree East Bay dunk. LaVine then connected on an alley-oop from Andre Miller at the free throw line.

Again with the help of Stuff the Magic Dragon, Gordon did something fans had never seen before in the dunk contest. The thing spun around on the hoverboard, the ball in his left hand like a statue. After determining his next move, Gordon dunked the ball with a 360-degree tomahawk spin and then threw the ball into the basket.

LaVine and Gordon each earned perfect scores in three of the four championship rounds. At the end of the game, Gordon scored 47 points with a fake tomahawk dunk backwards, and LaVine scored 50 points with a dunk between his legs at the free throw line to seal the victory.

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2000, Auckland

In 1999, the NBA did not hold an All-Star Weekend due to the lockout, so the league vigorously promoted the return of the All-Star Weekend.

What could be greater than Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady?

The two dunkers fired up the offense on their first try, scoring 50 points each. Tracy McGrady’s moves included an alley-oop and a reverse double-pump dunk. Carter outfitted his then-Toronto Raptors teammate with a 360-degree windmill.

“I feel good, I’ve done it two or three times in my life before this,” Carter said after the dunk. “I didn’t practice and that was a winger, but it felt good.”

The famous “It’s over” line came from Carter’s third dunk of the game. With McGrady’s help bouncing the ball off the ground, Carter caught the ball in mid-air and placed it between his legs. He also put his elbow against the rim for a dunk.

Carter won with 98 points, while Steve Francis had 91 points and Tracy McGrady had 77 points.

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1997, Cleveland

After entering the league from Lower Merion High School, Kobe Bryant participated in the dunk contest at the age of 18.

Kobe missed two dunks, which put a lot of pressure on the rookie. But a 49-point, between-the-legs dunk kept him in the game.

At the age of 49, Kobe went down in history as the youngest player to win the dunk contest.

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1988, Chicago

Michael Jordan represented the home team Chicago Bulls against a powerful dunk lineup, including Dominic Wilkins, Clyde Drexler, Spud Webber, O Tice Smith and Greg Anderson. But all eyes were on the showdown between Wilkins and Jordan.

Wilkins and Jordan exchanged perfect scores in the final round. Jordan’s two-handed “rock cradle” dunk scored 47 points, and Wilkins’ two-handed windmill dunk scored 45 points.

Wilkins ended the game with 145 points, and Jordan also had a dunk attempt. He needed to score 49 runs to win the game.

Jordan imitated Julius Erving’s famous free throw line dunk, personalizing the move by sticking his tongue out in the air and levitating to earn a perfect score and the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest title.

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1986, Dallas

The 5-foot-7 Weber had to contend with a lineup that averaged 6-foot-7.

In the finals, Webb went head-to-head with his teammate and defending dunk contest champion Wilkins. Weber put pressure on Wilkins with two perfect dunks. In his last attempt, the 6-foot-7 forward threw down a two-handed windmill but only scored 48 points, which landed him in second place.

“He put on a great performance. … He had some dunks that I thought he didn’t have, and he chased it really hard (and) he had some dunks around the rim, and hey, a lot of guys are 6-7 ft. won’t be able to dunk,” Wilkins said.

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Denver, 1976

The 1976 Slam Dunk Contest was the first professional dunk contest held by the ABA before the ABA held its first slam dunk contest in 1977. The slam dunk contest at that time had strict rules. Each participant was given five dunks, two of which were mandatory and three of which were free dunks.

In a standing dunk, Julius Erving takes two basketballs, dunks backwards, and then immediately begins measuring his steps at the free throw line.

Irving approached the free throw line, took three steps, and dunked in the air.

“The doctor’s hair was flying back,” said George Gervin, referring to Irving’s afro.